The Dooryard

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

One of the things I like most about autumn is baking. I have a sweet tooth to rival any, and it's one of the big challenges I have in the battle of the bulge. It comes from my mother and my grandmother, this love of making breads and pies and cakes and cookies.

I have two big faves to bake in the autumn, and chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are one of them. I baked a huge batch tonight (about five dozen cookies) that I'll be getting to friends in the coming days. It's probably the best part of baking: sharing the baked goods with friends and family.

Recipe after the jump >>

Yay MarthaStewart.com!

I decided last night that I wanted to make a good meal for Dan and me. So, I headed right over to MarthaStewart.com to find some ideas. Amazing. The recipes she has there are a real treasure. I decided that the theme of the evening (I always like to choose one ingredient to be in all of a meal's dishes) was almond, so I cooked up Almond-Apricot Chicken with Mint Pesto and Roasted Asparagus for our meal. Delicious. These recipes both accentuated each ingredient in a wonderful way. For dessert, I tackled a Peach and Blueberry Icebox Cake (I added the blueberries to the recipe). Unbelievable. Dan and I ate half of the whole cake by ourselves (I ate a bit more than he). Total prep time for the entire meal: two hours. Cost: $35 (and there are plenty of leftovers). I'll be trying more of her recipes and reporting back.

Hopscotch Drops

Having a few people over to decorate the tree Sunday afternoon and will probably be making these Zeigler holiday classics.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This recipe for blueberry coffee cake is one of the best I've ever had. I stumbled across it last August, when the blueberries of Maine and New Jersey are at their peak. It would also make a great Christmas morning snack.