Candy Corn Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sugar

Directions:
Mix 1 cup sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract, and egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Color one part of dough with orange coloring; color another part of dough with yellow coloring. Form all three dough parts into rounds and cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.After refrigerating, roll each of the colored doughs into a 5 inch by 24 inch strip; you could vary this. Trim the edges.

Then, combine the three strips. Weigh each of the colored dough disks to make sure there is an even amount of each. Trim the edges. Roll the dough up evenly and carefully.

Once it is rolled up, you can begin to cut it into slices of about one-half inch. A bread knife worked really well. Before baking, sprinkle sugar on each cookie.

Before baking, sprinkle sugar on each cookie. Bake at 350 for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from cookie pans and place on cooling rack.

The only tricky part is making sure that you achieve the correct stiffness. If the dough is too soft, refrigerate longer. If the dough is too stiff, let sit out on the counter.

Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients:
1 c. apple cider, preferably fresh apple cider or something high-quality like Simply Apple
1 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c. butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 quart canola or peanut oil (for frying)

Spiced Sugar (shake or whisk to combine):
3/4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the apple cider to a boil. Continue to cook over high heat for about 7-10 minutes or until it's reduced to 1/4 c. Remove from heat and allow to cool (you can transfer it to a heat-safe cup and place in the refrigerator or freezer to make things move a little more quickly. Also, if you're in a pinch, you can use 1/4 c. of undiluted apple juice concentrate).

While the cider is reducing, combine shortening and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high for 2-3 minutes or until it's light and fluffy (if you're using a KitchenAid mixer, use the paddle beater). Add eggs one at a time, beating completely after each addition. Add reduced cider and buttermilk and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture and beat until just blended. The dough will be very soft--it will be about the consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Carefully lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top of a baking sheet. Transfer dough to the plastic wrap. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough out to about 1/2" thick. Top with another layer of plastic wrap and transfer the pan to the freezer for about 20 minutes or the refrigerator for 1 hour. While dough is chilling, you can prepare the spiced sugar topping.

When the dough has chilled, remove from the freezer/refrigerator. Using a round cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough. Using a smaller cookie cutter cut the centers out of the circles and reserve the "holes" for little bite-sized pieces of apple-spiced goodness! Place cut dough pieces on a lightly floured baking sheet. When all the dough has been cut out, place the pan back in the refrigerator while you prepare the oil for frying.

In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 quart of oil over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, heat oil to 325 degrees. While oil is heating, line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels.

When the oil is hot, carefully place a few pieces of dough into the hot oil (don't crowd the pan, but you can probably get away with cooking 3-4 at a time, at least). The dough will sink down and then rise to the surface. Check the bottom side; if it's golden brown, flip the doughnut. If it's still a little pale, give it another 30 seconds or so and then check it again. After you've flipped the doughnut, the other side will cook significantly faster, so keep an eye on them. All in all, they should take about 90 seconds-2 minutes to cook completely.

Remove doughnuts from hot oil with a heat-proof slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels, followed by a baking rack (if you need the paper towel space for more doughnuts).

Repeat frying process with remaining dough and then with the holes--the doughnut holes will cook EXTREMELY quickly, so be careful not to burn them.

Place spiced sugar mix in a large Ziploc bag and then shake a few doughnuts at a time in the mixture.

Monster Munch

Ingredients:

1 package Almond Bark (1 lb)

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernals)

1 C candy corn

1 C dry roasted, salted peanuts

1/2 C Reeces Pieces

Directions:

Pop popcorn and place in a large bowl. Much larger than you think you need. The largest you have. It will make mixing easier! Pour peanuts, candy corn, and reeces pieces on top.

Take a large knife and break up almond bark. Melt according to package directions. I just chop it up a little and microwave it in intervals until smooth and melted. Pour over popcorn mixture.

Stir until everything is well coated and then spread out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Let sit until completely dry and then break up into clumps.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine. Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine. (The batter may still have a few lumps – that is okay.)

Preheat the oven to 200° F. Have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more. Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.