Normandy Apple Tart

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Hubs and I recently returned from a trip up to Pennsylvania. We went to a family reunion for my father's side of the family. One of my father's cousins owns several apple orchards in both Pennsylvania and in Vermont. Her apples from the orchard in Vermont were ready while we were visiting. So of course we had to bring home a big bag of the Pink Paula (great name haha) apples.   

What better to do with some of my apple stash than to make an apple pie/tart of some sort. I turned to my go-to baking cookbook, Baking, From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, for some ideas. This is one of my favorite baking cookbooks. It you don't own a copy, Get. One. Now! No really, it's a cookbook every baker needs on hand. I love Dorie's Rustic Apple Tart recipe that I made here but wanted to try something different this time. This Normandy Apple Tart is a recipe I've always wanted to make but I almost never have enough apples on hand to make it. Well with a twenty pound bag of apples, that was not an issue this time! I really liked this tart. It's simple flavors really let the apples be the star.The slightly tart apples combined with the buttery crust is absolutely heavenly!!

Don't let the making apple sauce step of this tart keep you from making it. It's really quite easy. You could even use a pre-made store bought apple sauce, if you wanted but I encourage you to take the time to make your own sauce. It's well worth the little extra effort it requires!!

My fav Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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So it's been a while since I've been here. Hey I've been at this blogging thing for 7 years so I guess I was due a sabbatical. I hadn't planned to be gone so long from blogging but my cake business has been keeping me so busy that something had to give. After a long day of baking and decorating,the last things my tired fingers have felt like doing is typing!
Anyway enough excuses, I'm back to share a great recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream (aka SMB) I found recently. I've tired numerous SMB recipes and this one is by far the best tasting and easiest to work SMB that I've ever made. It's so light and airy it almost has the texture of a whipped cream frosting. This recipe is also great for those of us that live in high humidity areas because it's more stable than many SMB recipes I've tried in the past.

I also love how smooth I could get this icing without much effort!

This recipe comes from Gretchen Price at Woodland Bakery. She calls this recipe The Worlds Best Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and I think I agree! She has a step-by step video here to guide you through the process of making the SMB. Gretchen is very entertaining to watch and makes the whole process of making SMB a lot less intimidating. If you've never tried making SMB before I highly recommend watching the video and giving it a try. Click one of the links above for the complete recipe and video for the World's Best Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

Craftsy's Creative Escape Flash Sale: Save Up to 50%!

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Craftsy's Creative Escape Flash Sale: Save Up to 50%! (sponsored post) Don't miss out on Craftsy's Creative Escape Flash Sale! Save up to 50% at Craftsy's Creative Escape Flash Sale for a limited time only. You won't see so many classes with prices this low again soon. Hurry, offer expires July 20th at 11:59pm MT. Shop Craftsy's Creative Escape Flash Sale!

Pasta Ciotti....Happy Fat Tuesday!

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In the past, I've shared my family's Mardi Gras traditions here on Half Baked. My Pennsylvania Dutch side of the family always makes doughnut for Fastnacht Day. A couple of years ago I changed it up a bit and made these beignets instead of our traditional doughnuts. This year I thought I'd try an Italian twist to tradition and made Pasta Ciotti which means "little custard tarts". Little pastries filled with cream....I think they are the perfect indulgence for Fat Tuesday!

The original recipe has them being made in 3" tart pans but they can also be made in a muffin pan, which is what I used to make mine.
The recipe may look a little intimidating but I found they were actually quite easy to make. The dough is very forgiving and fairly easy to work with.

Happy Valentine's Day

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Need some inspiration for a sweet treat for that special someone in your life?? Here are a few great treats that are sure to make your sweetheart swoon!

1.Chocolate Valentino Cake The name says it all! This rich decadent flourless chocolate cake will have your sweetie falling at your feet...end you don't have to tell them how easy it is to make!
2. Strawberry Panna Cotta  So pretty and delicious...the perfect end to a romantic dinner.
3.Brown Sugar Fruit Dip...perfect paired with ripe strawberries....or anything else you want to dip. Use you imagination!...umm I was thinking like pineapple or grapes...what were you thinking??? wink wink
4.Knock-off Salted Chocolate Caramel Candies  Made with store bought caramel squares, these take only a few minutes to make but will have your Valentine begging for more!
5. Pink Champagne Cake It's cake made with Champagne...what's not to love!
6. Chocolate Espresso Mousse Richly chocolate but light and fluffy. Definitely swoon inducing!
(from left to right)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ruffle Heart Cake {tutorial}

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Looking to surprise your Valentine with a special treat this year? I've got the perfect  Valentine's Day cake. This Ruffle Heart cake is fairly easy and oh so sweet! 

Here's what you'll need:

1 iced cake, any size ( you can make one or buy a basic cake from the bakery, any flavor)

1 cup buttercream frosting, tinted hot pink

1 pastry bag fitted with Wilton's rose tip #104

waxed paper, about a 5 inch wide piece

For the fondant heart banner:

8-10 inches bakers twine

1 small heart cutter (1/2 inch)

1 medium heart cutter (1 inch)

small bit of hot pink fondant

small bit of red fondant

two bamboo skewers

Draw a heart on the waxed with a marker that's approximately 3-inches tall for a four inch tall cake. Place the frosting in the pastry bag fitted with the #104 tip, Starting in the center of the heart shape on the waxed paper with the larger end of the tip touching the waxed paper, pip a small round ruffle shape. You will need to turn the waxed paper as you pip. Use a cake turntable if you have one but it isn't necessary to use a turntable if you don't own one. Then pip ruffled rows on each side of the center to until you fill out to the outline of the heart. Make sure your rows from each side meet at the bottom. Using a rounded container that is laying on it's side, place the piped heart on the waxed paper onto round container vertically. You can use any large rounded container such as, an oatmeal or shortening container, soup cans are too small. (see photo above). The curve of the container will allow the heart to set up with a slight curve that will make it easier to adhere to the curve of the cake.  Place the heart on the container into the freezer for 20-30 minutes or until completely firm to the touch.

Put a dot of frosting onto the side of the cake, where you want to place the heart. Gently lift the buttercream heart from the waxed paper and place onto the side of the cake where you put the dot of frosting. I put the heart onto the cake and placed the piece of waxed paper back over it to press it onto the cake. I wanted to minimize the warmth of my hand from warming up the buttercream and crushing any of the ruffles as I pressed the heart on the cake.

To make the heart banner:
Roll out the pink and red fondant to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 4 small hearts from the red and two medium hearts from the pink fondant. Lay one of the pink hearts with a red heart on each side, leave about two inches of space between each of the heart. Place the twine across the middle of each of the hearts. very lightly press the twine onto the heart.  Place the remaining matching hearts on top of their mate. Press together the hearts, trapping the twine in between. If your hearts don't want to stick together, use a tiny drop of water on one of the hearts to help glue on the matching heart on top. Let the fondant dry for at least 24 hours. Tie the ends of the twine very tightly onto bamboo skewers to make the banner.

To add a little extra sparkle,I added a bit of food safe disco dust to my center heart.

Place the skewers on the banner on the top of the cake.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Game Day Pizza Dip

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Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

It's almost Game Day. If your having a Super Bowl party, you'll want to put this pizza dip on the menu.  Not only is it ridiculously easy to prepare, but it's also everything you love about pizza but in the form of a dip. What could be more perfect! If your having a large party just double the recipe and you're set to feed a crowd.

Game Day Pizza Dip

SOURCE: Food Network, Justin Warner

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces shredded mozzarella

1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup tomato sauce

4 ounces pepperoni,sliced

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, cheese, olive oil, salt and the spices. Pulse the mixture until very well combined. Shape the cheese mixture into a football or just a mound.

Make a deep well on top of the cheese mixture. Put the tomato sauce in the well you made in the top. Shingle the pepperoni all around the exterior. Dig in!

If you need some more inspiration for Game Day foods here is a round-up of a few of my favorites!

Sweet and Spicy Party Mix

Cranberry Salsa

Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip

Pink Champagne Cake

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Happy New Year!! Ok I know I'm really just a tiny bit late to the party, but I brought a pink Champagne cake. Hopefully this will make up for my tardiness in posting!!
I recently came across a recipe for this cake and have been dying to make it ever since. I was putting together a cake tasting for a bride this week and thought this cake would be a perfect for a wedding. Everything about this cake just screams celebration!

This would be a great cake for any celebration...perfect for Valentine's day!!

Here are just a couple of my thoughts on this cake. If you don't like the taste of Champagne/sparkling wine, you probably won't like the cake. It has two cups of champagne in it and it has a distinct champagne flavor. I thought it tasted a bit like a Zabaglione, which is one of my favorite desserts. Also, you need to use a sweet, not a dry (brut) Champagne or sparkling wine. It doesn't necessarily have to be a pink champagne but it should be more sweet than dry. I used a sparkling Rose for this cake.
Once again, you really can taste the flavor of the Champagne, so buy one that would be good enough to drink.

Eggnog Rice Krispy Treats

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I've been on kind of a rice krisy treat kick lately. I feel like plain RKT's (rice krispy treats) are a bit like a blank canvas. They are fine just as they are but open to lots and lots of variations. For me it just isn't the Christmas season until I get my first glass of eggnog. while shopping for some cake decorating supplies a few days ago, I found some eggnog flavored candy melts made by Wilton. I bought them, not really knowing how I would use them. i decided to make Eggnog flavored RKT's using the candy melts as an icing for the treats. These RKT's really taste like eggnog which makes them perfect  for the holiday season.

Eggnog Rice Krispy Treats
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
1 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 teaspoons rum or rum extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
6 cups rice krispy cereal
1 cup white chocolate chips

1 bag Wilton Eggnog Candy Melts

DIRECTIONS:
Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. I like my rice krispy treats to be thick. You can also use a 9x13 inch pan, your treats will just be a little thinner.

In a large pot, melt butter and stir in the marshmallows over medium low heat until marshmallows are melted completely. Remove from heat. Stir in run extract, salt,   and nutmeg. Pour in cereal and stir to coat in marshmallow. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and press down well with buttered fingers. Melt the Wilton eggnog candy melts according the package instrutions, With an off set spatula or knife spread the melted eggnog candies over the top. Top with sprinkles , if desired. Cool to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.

Bag them up and give them as Christmas gifts!

Making Plans for the Future

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Can you believe the New Year is just around the corner? As a younger person I never really thought much about the New Year beyond how/where to celebrate with friends and family. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself looking at the New Year, less as just a time to celebrate and more as a time to take stock and reevaluate my life and goals for the future. What do I want my future to look like and how can I make those things happen? The New Year is just a natural time to consider making changes to ensure a good future. It’s a great time to really think about the things I’m doing now and how they will affect the future I hope to build. Is how I’m living my life now working toward my plans for the future? How do I want to Get Old? Get Old is an initiative developed by Pfizer to challenge people of all ages to rethink what it means to Get Old and take a more active role in their health and quality of life at every age.

For me, and I would imagine a whole lot of other people, this includes planning for maintaining good mental and physical health in the future. Sure good genes play a role in our health as we age but taking charge of how we live our lives can make a huge difference in future health and well-being. Being mentally and physically strong as I get older is important to me so this year I’m resolving to take simple steps help ensure both as I age.

My New Year’s resolutions usually include some vague plan to lose a little weight, get more exercise and eat better. I've found I have better success when I’m accountable to someone. This past year I've done pretty well sticking to my exercise goals from last year by meeting my friend every morning to walk. We motivate each other by having a plan to meet and walk our neighborhood first thing every day. Having that accountability to has made a huge difference in me actually sticking to my goal to get more exercise. My goal for this year is to continue this and also add in some workout classes. I've found I need really need the accountability and motivation of an organized workout plan. I don’t stick with it otherwise.

Another big resolution for me this year is eating better. I know this is one of those resolutions that everyone makes but this is something that has been really difficult for me since Hubs has taken a job that keeps him away from home for long stretches of time. Eating alone, I tend to just do whatever is most convenient, which is usually not the healthiest choice.  One of my concrete plans to reach this goal is to eat breakfast every day. That may sound easy for some but I almost NEVER eat breakfast even though I’m well aware that it’s “the most important meal of the day!” So I’m resolving to eat breakfast every day. I’m planning to try to eat things like this Apple Pie Oatmeal. It can be made make ahead and is so easy, I’ll have no excuse for not sticking with my resolution!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

I have found that when I stick to both of these goals I feel better not only physically but mentally as well. Another resolution I’m making toward mental “fitness” is continuing to pursue my passion for cake decorating by building up my small business and striving to learn new techniques and methods to take my skill set to the next level.

These are just a few of the things that come to mind for me as I think about resolutions and goals for the upcoming New Year. What are you doing to Get Old well?  Tell us at GetOld.com and join the conversation on Twitter.com/GetOld and Facebook.com/GetOld.   I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Pfizer and Get Old. I received compensation for this post. All opinions stated are my own. Get Old is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

Fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Chip Cookies

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This is a rich chocolate cookie that has a wonderful fudge like texture inside. The cookies are great even without the glaze icing but they are extra special with the icing and extra peppermint crunch on top. Chocolate and peppermint are the perfect Christmas time combo which makes this fudgy peppermint cookie perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges!They are festive looking and oh so delicious.
Fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Yeilds: 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies
METHOD:1 stick butter
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder or coffee extract

1 cup Andes peppermint crunch baking chips

Chocolate Glaze Icing

 2 cups confectioners' sugar

 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

 2 tablespoon butter, softened

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 4 tablespoons milk

METHOD:

For the cookies:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. With the mixer running, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mixing on low speed until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. 

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees . Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening the tops slightly. Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes. Don't over bake. You want the cookies to be soft and fudgy!

For the Chocolate Icing:
In a small bowl, combine butter with sugar and cocoa.
Add vanilla. Add milk gradually until smooth.

Just add a glass of milk

I don't mind getting older...

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as long as the cakes keep getting bigger!

It’s that time of the year again, time for holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and lots of food. It also brings about the ending of another year. If you’re like me you are probably wondering how in the world an entire year went so quickly. The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. Life gets busier and busier. It becomes filled with responsibilities, jobs, family, and time seems to shift into warp speed. I've realized I'm now staring middle age square in the face. What?! How did that happen?
Pfizer has asked me to participate in their Get Old campaign and discuss what getting older and having a happy future means to me. Growing older is inevitable fact of life. A privilege denied to many, as the saying goes. As I've gotten older, I've started to think more about the future than I did as a younger person. I certainly put more thought now into what I eat and trying to get enough exercise and sleep than I used to. Staying healthy has definitely become much more important to me as the years go by. While good health plays a large part in planning for the future, I also find it equally important to keep learning new things as well. For me, having a creative outlet and new challenges to conquer are just as important as good health to my future happiness.

Blogging is one of my creative outlets. It’s wonderful having a place to share ideas, the things that excite me, and connecting with people I might never have met otherwise.  I've learned so much through blogging. Everything from taking better photos to what SEO means. Yeah, I had to google it too!

Anyway, it was through blogging that I discovered that my real passion in life is cake decorating. One of the things I enjoy most about cake decorating is that there’s always something new to learn. There is always some new technique for decorating a cake or a new cake recipe to make. It helps me keep current on popular styles and pop culture trends. Did you know that ombre cakes are a huge trend in wedding cakes or that the Ninja turtles have made a comeback?  With some cakes I get asked to make, I receive very specific and detailed directions on what the client wants. However, I'd say at least half of the cakes I do I get little or almost no direction at all. For example, one recent order went like this; I know I want purple and something to do with art. Okay... time to get creative!

 Every cake I do brings me a new set of challenges. With each new cake I decorate I feel I'm learning to become a better cake designer. It's what keeps me excited and wanting to push myself even more.

 I truly believe you’re never too old to learn something new or to push yourself to try something you've never done before. There’s no stopping the forward march of time. However that doesn't mean you have to stop learning or trying new things.  I believe that a large part of a happy future can be found in allowing a place for creativity of some form in your life no matter what your age. 

• Get Old is an initiative developed by Pfizer  to challenge people of all ages to rethink what it means to Get Old and take a more active role in their health and quality of life at every age.  Whether it’s through watching what you eat, physical exercise, spending time with family and friends or participating in an activity you’re passionate about -- each of us has the power to decide for ourselves how we want to Get Old. It’s not just about living longer, but living better.

• What are you doing to Get Old well? Tells us at GetOld.com and join the conversation on Twitter.com/GetOld and Facebook.com/GetOld.  

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Pfizer and Get Old. I received compensation for this post. All opinions stated are my own. 

Cranberry Mousse Salad

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Ok I'll let you in on a little family secret. We love jello salads. It's a shocking revelation, I know. We are the family that takes great pride in making most everything we eat from scratch, but yet there it is,a jello salad. We love our jiggly, sweet, gelatinous, with no redeeming qualities "salads". There is always at least one jello salad at every family gathering. Some of them are reserved for certain holidays only. Christmas jello (yes that's it's official name) for example, is only served once a year at Christmas. It's a big deal, just ask anyone in my family about the year mom forgot to make it. Not good!
It was fine when were all young, living at home, eating our jello salads amongst those of like minds, but now we've added husbands to the mix.Over the years, there have been a few raised eyebrows and confused looks on some of their faces at the presence of the jello salads at almost every family get together.If any of them are brave enough to question the presence of the jello they get an earful. Likely from everyone of us! Hubs once commented, "wow you guys really like your jello!" Yes. Yes we do! It's delicious, fun to eat, and oh so pretty, What's not to love?!
This one is really delicious and may have to become our Thanksgiving jello salad! 

I made these sugared cranberries to decorate my salad.

Turkey Cake Tutorial

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I got this wild brainstorm the other night to make a Turkey Cake. It occurred to me that the petal icing effect that I used on this cake would make cute "feathers" for the turkey. I knew I just had to try it to see if it would work. I think it turned out pretty cute and is fairly easy. It doesn't require any special equipment and would be a fun project for older children. How cute would this cake be for Thanksgiving!

Five Cranberry Condiments for Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Time to start planning the menu for your Thanksgiving meal. Don't forget to plan for your Turkey Day condiments! Cranberry sauces and relishes are one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving table. Here are five of my favorite cranberry condiments that I think are the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving feast. These are some of the cranberry sauces etc. that I've made over the past few years. New this year is the orange cranberry butter recipe. I think it's fabulous on any yeast roll or muffin!

Cranberry-Orange  Butter

Cranberry-Orange Butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons orange zest,( about the zest from one orange)
In a food processor or a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and orange zest. Add the cranberry sauce, mix until well incorporated.
** If you want a sweeter butter and 2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar and combine well. 

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Apples

Cranberry Rum Relish

Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Chutney

Here are a few other Cranberry condiments from around the web:

Cranberry Mustard, My Kitchen Addiction

Cranberry Relish, Simply Recipes

Cranberry Pineapple Relish, Spoonful.com

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Baked Brie with Plum Preserves and Spiced Pecans

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Walkers Shortbread sent me the most amazing box full of goodies. This time not only did they send me a large selection of their fantasic cookies, for this shipment Walkers Shortbread partnered with Bonne Maman. Bonne Maman is the creator of gourmet, all-natural, preserves and jellies produced in France. Their preserves and jellies are made without the use of preservatives, artificial coloring, or high fructose corn syrup. I have been a long time fan of Bonne Maman's wonderful products. I adore the little jars, with their iconic red gingham lids that the preserves come in almost as much as I love the preserves and jellies themselves. So cute and delicious!! Anyway I was so excited about all the great products Walkers sent in this box. 

The theme for this shipment is Festive Recipes for Autumn and Holiday Entertaining. Walkers Shortbread included their Highland Oatcakes in this box. The oatcakes are a savory oat cracker, and like all Walkers products are made from all-natural ingredients. I had never tried Walkers oatcakes before. They have now become my go-to cracker for any cheese platter. The oatcakes have a wonderful nutty flavor from the oats that pairs beautifully with cheeses. 

The holiday season is busy so I decided to share this really simple but beautiful and delicious baked brie recipe. It takes very few ingredients and can be put together in matter of minutes. Perfect for the busy holiday season! 

Make the spiced pecans ahead of time and store them in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. Try not to eat all of the spiced pecans beforehand (it will be really tempting!) and you can throw this baked brie together in under 15 minutes! 

Sticky Bun Pumpkin Muffins

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Have you heard about the Cronut crazy? A bakery in New York came up with the idea to blend a croissant and a doughnut into to one delicious new pastry. A doughnut and croissant in one! Sounds crazy good, doesn't it? The method they use to make the Cronut is top secret and I read it was even being patented. The real Cronuts are only sold at this one bakery and people apparently will wait in line for hours just to nab one of these hybrid pastries. I live in Alabama, so I'm not able to get my hands on a Cronut unless I hop on a plane. Not a very convenient option for pastry buying. Hopefully the Cronut is still around the next time I make it to New York. Until then I've found another cross bred pastry hybrid that has made me all but forget my lust for the Cronut.

This muffin is the best of both sticky buns and pumpkin muffins. That sticky topping that makes a sticky bun a sticky bun, tops a super moist pumpkin spiced muffin. How good does that sound? Uh huh, pretty amazing. Best of all they take no time at all to make, in your own kitchen. No need to jump on a plane or wait in an hours long line.  Go make a batch. You'll thank me. Who knows you may just have people lining up at your door hoping to get one of these muffins!

Sticky Bun Pumpkin Muffins

SOURCE: myrecipes,com, Southern Living

2 cups pecan halves and pieces

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup water

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs 

Preheat oven to 350°. Place  pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan and bake about 8 minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted, stirring halfway through.

In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Lightly grease 2 12-cup muffins tins. Spoon 1 teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup and add 5-6 toasted pecans on top of the brown sugar mixture. (Overfilling the muffin tins with the brown sugar mixture will cause the muffins to overflow when baking. So a nice rounded teaspoon full is plenty of topping!)

In a large bowl, whisk together together flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, salt. Make a well in center of the dry mixture. In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, water, oil, and the eggs. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring  just until moistened.

Spoon batter over the pecan mixture in the muffin cups , filling three-fourths full. Place an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet on lower oven rack to catch any overflow.

 Bake at 350° on for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert pan immediately onto a cookie sheet. Remove muffins, and arrange muffins on a wire rack. Spoon any topping remaining in muffin cups over muffins. Let cool 5 minutes.

Part sticky bun, part pumpkin muffin....the best of both in one delicious muffin!

Linked to Tidy Mom's link party, I"m Lovin It Fridays 

Cinnamon Chip Hot Chocolate Mix

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I woke up this morning and there was a definite nip in the air. For those of you that don't live in the very deep South, you have probably had several weeks of such weather already this season. As soon as there's even a slight chill in the air, I start to crave hot chocolate. I stumbled on this recipe while searching for recipes to use the cinnamon chips I'd just bought. Have you tried cinnamon chips yet? If not go get some right away! A word of warning though, if you are like me and lack self restraint, buy them at you own risk. It's hard to resist just eating those little guys right from the bag...in one sitting. Really! For a cinnamon lover like myself they are down right addictive. I catch myself grabbing a handful every time I walk near the kitchen. Anyway, I found this recipe for cinnamon hot chocolate mix and had to give it a try. Luckily I didn't need an entire bag of chips to make this recipe, as let's just say the bag wasn't quite full anymore. 

I'm so glad I made this hot chocolate. It's fantastic. Rich cocoa with a cinnamon kick makes this the perfect beverage for a cool Fall day.

The recipe is for a dry hot chocolate mix. You make the mix up and keep it in an airtight container. All that's needed is a cup of boiling water and you can have a rich cinnamon-y mug of cocoa anytime! 

This hot chocolate could also serve as a hostess or teachers gift. Double or triple the recipe and divide the hot chocolate mix into mason jars. Tie the jars with a cute ribbon, add a tag or label with instructions and it's gift giving ready!