Rugelach

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• Fruit jam or jelly (optional)

Directions

1. Cut cold butter and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.
2. Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Roll each disk into a 9-inch round, keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them.
4. Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).
5. Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. If desired, spread a thin layer of jam or jelly on the round using a pastry brush. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide end to narrow end, resulting in the point on the outside of cookie. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of preheated oven for 20-21 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers.

Cranberry Orange Nut Loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan. 
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest, cranberries, and pecans. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
5. If desired, pour orange glaze over top of bread.

Orange Glaze Recipe:

Whisk together 3 Tablespoons orange juice, 1 Tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar together until smooth.

Eggnog

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 cups light cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup light rum (optional)

Directions

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a double boiler, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk 1 cup hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
3. Stir in cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, nutmeg, and rum (if desired). Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Baked Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Cinnamon Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans (12 doughnut wells).
2. Beat together the oil, applesauce, eggs, sugars, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Add the flour, and beat on low speed just until smooth.
3. Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full.
4. Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
5. Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
6. While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar.
7. Cool completely, and wrap airtight; store at room temperature for several days.

Yield: 12 doughnuts

Variations:Pumpkin Muffins-If you don't have doughnut pans, lightly grease 15 standard muffin cups. Make batter as directed, but bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and when muffins are still slightly warm, dip their tops in the cinnamon sugar.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. For crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). 
3. For filling: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs, one at a time Stir in sour cream until just combined. Remove 1 1/2 cups of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
4. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter over the crust.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Serve.

Spiced Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, and beat until smooth. Blend in cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, and baking soda. Alternately add in a half of the applesauce, one cup of flour, remaining applesauce, and remaining flour. Stir until just blended together. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

Apple Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded apples
• 1/2 cup chopped apples

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, eggs, and applesauce until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in shredded and chopped apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour three 7x3-inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water sugar, and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Candy Corn Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Orange paste or gel food color
• Yellow paste or gel food color

Directions

1. Line bottom and sides of 9x5-inch loaf pan with waxed paper or plastic food wrap. Set aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and orange juice. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.
3. Divide dough into thirds. Press one-third of white dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Place another one-third of dough back into same bowl. Add small amount of orange food color; mix until color is well blended. Press orange dough evenly over white dough in pan. Place remaining one-third of dough into another medium bowl. Add small amount of yellow food color; mix until color is well blended. Press yellow dough evenly over orange dough in pan. Cover with plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours or overnight).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Invert loaf pan to remove dough. Peel off waxed paper. Place layered dough onto cutting surface. Cut loaf crosswise into 1/4-inch slices using a sharp knife, trimming edges to make even, if necessary. Cut each slice into 6 wedges. Place 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. 
5. If desired, immediately place warm cookies in bowl with sugar; roll in sugar to coat. Place cookies onto wire cooling rack. Cool completely. 

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it's just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/3 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.