Saturday, October 3, 2009

Thursday evening was SUCH a fun, fall evening.

We enjoyed Taco Soup together as a family.

It is important to be comfortable when you eat Taco Soup...

We sat on our porch.

We lit a fire in the pit.

We baked YUMMY goodies.

I saw a recipe for Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Squares on Martha Stewart's website and thought they sounded yummy.

Can I just tell you how A.W.E.S.O.M.E. they were!!!!????

Go make some. You won't regret it.

And these?

Good grief.

They're so darn good I'm gonna take the time to share the recipe with you RIGHT NOW!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies

{Cottage Living, March 2006}

Makes: 26 Cookies Prep: 45 minutes Bake: 7 minutes per batch

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for dipping)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened **I used regular butter, who has unsalted anyway?**

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together granulated and brown sugars, butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Set dough aside. **I used my kitchen aid mixer to combine everything...**

Step 2: Stir together remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. With floured hands, roll mixture into 26 (1 inch) balls.

Step 3: Break off about 1 tbsp cookie dough; make an indention in center with thumb, and press 1 peanut butter ball into indention. Wrap dough up and over filling, pressing to seal: roll cookie to smooth it out. Repeat for each cookie.

Step 4: Dip top of each cookie in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Use greased bottom of drinking glass to flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick.

Step 5: Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack.

Try not to eat them all at once...

All our baking was to help some of our favorite little girlies with their annual LiveStrong Bake Sale.

If you're not familiar with LiveStrong, they have a great website. Go check it out.

Happy Fall, y'all.