Falling leaf pancakes for Thanksgiving morning

I saw a picture of these pancakes somewhere
and wanted to give it a try.... here we go 

 

start with your favorite pancake batter and a squeeze bottle

 using squeeze bottle draw an outline of a leaf on your pan
cook until edges are brown

 

 fill in the spaces with pancake batter and flip immediately

 beautiful fall leaf pancake

 

 

 serve with butter and syrup

 

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours

Deliciousness at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's recently opened and of course we had to go and check it out.  Baking now in the oven is the  Truffle Baking Mix - they smell "delicious."  We shop at Trader Joe's for the baking mixes and the Cookie Butter --- oh and the kettle corn.  The baking mixes are 16 ounces of pure delight and only $2.99 a box.  The cookie butter is a decadent jar of spreadable goodness - worth every spoonful!





My favorite baking mixes

Delicious Pumpkin Muffins made in October

Acorn Treats

Saw this on Pinterest and had to try it.   But - there were no instructions and I am a person that needs instructions.  Here is my attempt to copy this.  It was actually pretty easy but time consuming. 

What you need:

• Peanut Butter or Nutella or Frosting
• Hershey Kisses
• Nutter Butter Bites
• Semi-sweet chips (I used peanut butter and chocolate chips)  

What do do:

• Unwrap Hershey Kisse
• Spread Peanut Butter, Nutella or Frosting on the Hershey Kiss
• Attach one Nutter Butter Bite
• Spread Peanut Butter, Nutella, or Frosting on the Semi-Sweet Chip
• Enjoy

Made some using Peanut Butter and some using Wilton Cookie Frosting that hardens in about an hour.  The Peanut Butter was very messy and the acorn treats made with peanut butter do not transport well.  The Wilton Fosting worked like a charm except that white frosting on acorn treats does not look realistic.  My friend Heather suggested using Nutella.  Tomorrow I am making these for a Brownie Troop meeting and will use Nutella.  Thanks Heather for the suggestion.

These treats are very sweet -- I wonder if there is a diet version?

Fall Apple Pie

This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

                                     Julia Child, My Life in France

True fall weather today -- perfect for baking an apple pie.  Last weekend I volunteered to make two apple pies.  Having never made a successful pie crust this was going to be a challenge.  To my amazement the pies actually turned out quite well. With a success under my belt I ventured making an apple pie for my husband.   

New knowledge for me -- adding vinegar to the dough will guarantee flakiness.    

ingredients for crust - flour,cornstarch, sugar, salt, egg, vinegar, cold water

 

core, peel and slice apples, add lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt

  

once pie is assembled brush top crust with an egg/water mixture

 

Fall Apple Pie

  

Truth be told – cooking makes me nervous and stresses me out.  There are some who can look once at a recipe and make amazing dinners.  I look at a recipe and have to read it six times.   My safe list of things to make is short but reliable.  I long to be that woman who looks at a recipe and can add here and take away there and create a masterpiece. 

This past year my safe list of things to make was expanded. There is a feeling of accomplishment and joy when a new dish you are making actually looks and tastes not so bad. 

However, this past weekend I made a cake for a friend as a house warming gift and the cake got stuck in the pan and would not come out – after several attempts and a broken plate in the process the entire mess went in the trash.    I made a roast in the oven and the gravy dried up in the pan.  Oh well, we all have those cooking mishaps but are you supposed to have two in the same weekend?

 

What is your favorite pie?