Apple cider caramels

4 cups apple cider
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. Boil the apple cider over high heat until it is reduced to about 1/2 - 1/3 cup (takes 30-45 min), stir occasionally

2. Meanwhile get all your other ingredients ready
Line a 8" square pan with parchment paper, mix salt and cinnamon together in a small dish

3. Once Apple cider is reduced, stir in the sugars, butter and cream.  Cook over medium high heat until a thermometer reads 252 degrees.

4. Immediately remove from heat and stir in salt/cinnamon mixture. Poor caramel into prepared pan and let cool completely before cutting and wrapping in wax paper.

5. Keep caramels in an airtight container.

Slow Cooker Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 12 ounces sliced mushrooms 12 cups dry bread cubes (store bought) 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 to 4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or as needed 2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently. 
2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover. 
3. Cook on low for 4 to 8 hours (check occasionally for moistness, add broth as needed)

Baked Maple Bars

Ingredients:Maple Bars
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup shortening
4 Tablespoons  granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2  (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
5 1/2 cups flour (might need a bit more)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients:Maple Icing
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons milk

2 1/4  cups powdered sugar

2-3 teaspoons maple extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dough:

1. In a medium saucepan scald milk; add shortening, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
2. In a large mixer bowl, add the lukewarm water and the yeast. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the yeast and water and whisk to combine. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble and become foamy.
3. After the yeast is foamy and the milk mixture is luke warm. Add the eggs to the yeast and stir to combine, then add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Whisk the cinnamon into the flour and gradually add to the yeast mixture. You may need to add more, you want the dough slightly sticky but not too sticky.  Knead for 3 to 5 minutes. I let my kitchen aid do the kneading for about 5 minutes.
4. Spray another large bowl with non-stick spray, place dough in the bowl and let raise for an hour or until double in size. 
5. Punch down and roll out into a large rectangle about 3/4 inch thick
6. Cut into rectangles, I make 18 -24 bars depending on how big I want them. then place on a greased baking sheet. Let raise for about 30 minutes.
7. While bars are raising,  preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
8. Bake the bars for 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, Watch carefully. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before icing. Make the icing while the bars are raising:

Icing:

1. In a small saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to boil on medium heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Add the mapleine, salt and powdered sugar and blend well with a hand mixer. Add a little more powdered sugar if needed 
2. Spread on maple bars and enjoy!  

Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
for the glaze-
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth. 3) Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated.
4) Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.
5) While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.
6) Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. 7)Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze 

Pumpkin Pancakes

I have to make these a few times every year.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter milk (or milk)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cups canned pumpkin

Directions:

1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients with a fork.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, oil, egg and pumpkin and combine.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until combined. (If you over stir the batter, the gluten will start to form in the flour and you will get a chewy pancake)
4. Cook pancakes on a griddle or skillet over medium heat very lightly sprayed with oil. Once bubbles start popping up, gently flip the pancake.

Orange Glazed Mini Pumpkin Muffins

It's October! Yea, time for all the yummy pumpkin recipes. I love these yummy cute little things. Kids love them too, they are the perfect way to get your kids to start liking pumpkin. This makes about 40 mini muffins. It sound like a lot, but don't worry you will find that you will eat about 12 at a time and you will have to hold yourself back so that you will have enough to send in the kids lunches the next day.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Orange Glaze:
1 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar
the zest of 1 orange
the juice of 1 orange (you won't use it all)
a pinch of salt


Directions1.Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray mini-muffin cups with vegetable cooking spray.
3.Bring pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and cloves to a simmer in a medium saucepan until puree thickens enough to start sticking to pan bottom, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Turn hot puree into a bowl. Whisk in brown sugar and oil, then slowly beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk into pumpkin mixture until just combined.
6.Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake until golden and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. 7.Let stand a few minutes, then transfer mini-muffins to a wire rack to cool.

For the glaze, combine ingredients adding orange juice until it is a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze on each muffin, or dip top of muffins into the glaze.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This one I have only made once, but it was really really yummy!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese room temp
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch spring form pan. ( i prefer to cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of the pan too)
Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place pan in a water bath, or at least put another pan of water in oven below cheese cake.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 min. Do not over bake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool in oven with door cracked for 5-10 min, then close oven door and let cool completely. Refrigerate...... for a day. I know that is hard! but it is worth it to wait a day.