Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

When I do my weekly grocery shopping, I tend to be the type who goes up and down almost every aisle and department, even if I don't need what's there. One such department is Safeway's bakery. I usually head there to get my sandwich bread but on the weeks I don't need it, I still peruse the displays to see what's new. Every few months, this includes seasonal treats. For the most part, I use the excuse of "I can make that! I think I pinned a copycat recipe for that." for not buying them. Except I never really make those recipes. So last month when I saw pumpkin snickerdoodles out on display, I decided that the next time I needed to bake for me, I would find a recipe for pumpkin snickerdoodles. After combing through my pins on Pinterest, I settled on a recipe from CenterCutCook.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every year the Seattle Passport Agency holds a Passport Day, where the lobby is open on a Saturday for applicants who might not be able to apply for a passport during the week. It's a good opportunity for overtime (one I didn't take advantage of last year) despite being on a weekend. As I've done for previous Saturday overtimes, I decided to bake something to help us get through the somewhat long day (we clock in earlier on these days but also clock out earlier). Because it's officially fall, I decided on something with pumpkin. After a lot of searching (I had eggs to use up, so I was a bit picky this time), I finally chose a pumpkin cookie recipe from Dear Crissy.

Surprise Pumpkin Cupcakes

This year at work we had a potluck on Halloween (along with a costume contest. I went as a baker - original, right?). It didn't take me long to narrow down my choices as I already knew the flavor and type: pumpkin (duh!) and cupcakes. For the cupcakes I had gotten two Halloween-themed cupcake liners at Target just in case the opportunity came up.

I decided to show some love to my hard copy recipes this time. I finally decided on a pumpkin cupcake recipe in one of the Taste of Home special issues. They have a surprise cheesecake layer of cheesecake in them. Other than top them with powdered sugar, as the recipe suggests, I decided to use store-bought frosting (these are, after all, cupcakes. Plus, it was a school night and my track record with frosting is ... not great) and sprinkles.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

After two years of caramel apple presents, I decided to go in a pumpkin direction for Chiara's birthday present this year because honestly, I think she prefers that flavor over caramel apple. I also decided to do something I've never really done before - truffles. (I know - two quick decisions at once. Probably never gonna happen again.) Took me a while to find a recipe as most I have saved are for cookies and cakes (plus most pumpkin truffle recipes ask for just a cup or a half cup of pumpkin and I wanted to use a whole can) but I found a simple and easy recipe from The Frugal Girls. Glad I went simple and easy since truffles are apparently time-consuming.

Pumpkin Cake

Last week we had a potluck to celebrate the end of the fiscal year and reward ourselves for working hard and doing a great job (I have a feeling this'll be the last potluck for a while). Because it's fall I decided to make something pumpkin flavored. After a bit of debate over what kind of dessert to make (bars, cookies, cake, cupcakes...) I finally decided on making a cake since I hadn't made one in a while and I wanted to use up the the last of the caramel cream cheese frosting (based on some of the pins on my Pumpkin/Fall board, caramel goes just as good with pumpkin as it does with apple). I finally decided on a Pumpkin Snack Cake from Kitchen Meets Girl.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am a creature of habit, especially when it comes to meals. I have the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day and my dinner choices are the same dozen or so meals. I try and have a little variety in breakfast though, eating something different on the weekends than I do during the week. On Saturdays I have an Eggo breakfast sandwich since I do my grocery shopping shortly after. Sundays are a little different: when I was going to church I didn't have anything since my carpool stayed after mass for coffee hour, complete with pastries. After I decided to take a break from church, I needed a Sunday breakfast. For a while I was eating Pop-Tarts and scones. But I finally finished them so I turned to my Breakfast Foods board on Pinterest. Since it's still fall and I was in the mood for muffins, I decided on Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

PHILADELPHIA 3-Step Pumpkin Cheesecake

On Halloween my mom went to a family friend's house for dinner and dessert. One of the desserts was a pumpkin cheesecake, which my mom just loved. She brought a few slices home for us and she was right - it was delicious! I think the family friend got it at Costco, but Mom wanted me to make it for Thanksgiving. So last week I started my search. After a while I remembered the obvious: the Philadelphia Cream Cheese website. So I searched there and found a few choices, finally choosing the 3-step cheesecake since it would be quick to make on my pre-Thanksgiving, double-baking day.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Sometimes you wanna bake just because. Yesterday was one of those times. Earlier this month I got the urge to bake cupcakes while watching Cupcake Wars (honestly, this never really happens). I decided on Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting since it's fall and I kinda prefer pumpkin-flavored things to apple-flavored things (cream cheese frosting just sounded like a good partner for pumpkin). So while I was looking for cupcakes for my grandma's birthday, I kept an eye out for pumpkin ones. I had to wait a few weeks because my parents (although it might just be my mother) fulfilled a long-time wish and got granite countertops in our kitchen (with subway tiled-walls to match), leaving the kitchen unavailable for baking. Finally the kitchen was (somewhat) back to normal by this weekend so after a little searching par deux, I found a unique recipe in Taste of Home's Cupcakes for Every Season (released in spring 2011).