Donut Mess With Me

Image: here

I know, I know...it's been pretty much the entire week. What's my excuse now?? Pretty much the same; I have been bombarded with so much work. The semester is approaching its end and my professors are under the impression that "Eh...maybe we can fit in like three more writing assignments." What a horrible idea! Anyway, that's my story. Also it has been so nice out lately that I have been spending as much time outside and off the computer as possible. It's nice to disconnect once in awhile. 

Also, my mood has been a little out of hand only to be briefly stabilized by nice temperatures. What's the matter? I willingly removed ice cream and donuts from my life for 40 days. I like to give something up for Lent despite the fact that I'm not the most religious person in the world...I try though. This year I really wanted to give up something difficult. For me that is ice cream and donuts--my blood is pretty much one part cookies and cream, one part boston cream, and one part coffee. I actually have done extraordinarily well with this too! Up until this week I had not even thought about dessert. However, Easter is so close yet so far away. I'm starting to get restless and have had increasing fantasies about dipping donuts in ice cream. Plus, I've been so stressed with all this school work that there is nothing more I want than to stress eat a pint of Cherry Garcia. I plan on staying strong though! I've already made it this far!

<3 Ashley

Is there something you've given up? How difficult has it been for you?

Fall Favorite: Food

Image: here

Beware everyone! Pumpkin everything is back...but is anyone complaining? I was very excited to get my first PSL from Starbucks--bonus, I got it iced which I highly recommend! Also around the corner is my inevitable indulgence in pumpkin pie (I am waiting for you, Thanksgiving!) But what I have absolutely loved for as long as I can remember is my grandmother's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Seriously I count down to Christmas for those things!

While I don't know her recipe in particular (I will patiently wait for her to share it with me) I have done some internet searching and found a pretty solid looking recipe for these delicious cookies! 

What you need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsps pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

What to do:

- In medium bowl mix melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until no brown sugar lumps are seen. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Whisk and set aside

- In large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking sode, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin spice. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll dough into balls and lay them slightly flattened on lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes (it is normal if they look soft and underbaked; don't leave them in though!) Press a few more chocolate chips into the cookies if desired.

- Allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes.

Find this and other recipes here!

<3 Ashley

What is your favorite fall food? Any good pumpkin recipes?

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

Fa-la-la-la-la finals :| Sorry...this inhabits my thoughts lately. I have my first one tomorrow at 8 AM in a class that I do not do the best in. Getting me up that early is automatically setting me up for failure. But I will try to remain confident. In any event...new cookie recipe for all! I found this one courtesy of Martha Stewart.

What you need:

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 4 tsp. instant espresso

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1/8 tsp. salt

- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

- 2/3 cups packed, light brown sugar

- 1 large egg

- 4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

- 1 tbsp. milk

- confectioner's sugar to coat

What to do:

- In a medium bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, espresso, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat in milk until combined. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm (about 45 minutes).

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Pour confectioners sugar into a medium bowl and roll the balls in the sugar.

- Place two inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until cookies have spread and cracked about 12-14 minutes. Cool and enjoy! Makes 18 cookies

<3 Ashley

Christmas Cookies: White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Here's a great recipe for some delicious cookies :)

Here's what you need:

- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries; drained and finely chopped

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 cup cold butter

- 12 oz. white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter; finely chopped

- 1/2 tsp. almond extract

- 2 drops red food coloring (optional)

- 2 tsp. shortening

- White nonpareils and/or edible glitter (optional)

Here's what you do:

- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Spread cherries on paper towel and drain well.

- In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

- Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

- Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

- In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.

I am excited to try making these for myself! Hope you try them and give some feedback :) For this recipe and more go here

<3 Ashley

Christmas Cookies: Snickerdoodles

During a week like this one, it makes me happy that I have days like today. Two classes, one early and one late. It really makes me feel like I have a generally good day to myself. I have this time to edit a paper, come up with some more blog post topics, and finish my Mass Communications note cards (Study! Study! Study!) Tuesdays and Thursdays are truly my 'Get It Done!' days and I am truly grateful that I have those days. Next semester, I may not be so lucky but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Today's cookie recipe is a personal favorite of mine: Snickerdoodles! So far, nothing can beat my aunt's 'doodles, but this recipe does at least look promising. During a season of gingerbread and sugar cookies, snickerdoodles are what makes me happiest with a mug of cocoa (of which I may also have a recipe for!)

Here is what you need:

- 1/2 cup of softened butter

- 1 cup and 2 tbsp. granulated sugar; divided

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp. baking soda

- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

And here's what you do:

- In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.

- Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 30 cookies.

This recipe here

I am going home in just a week, so I will have plenty of time to fill my kitchen with cookies upon cookies. Yes, I am that girl (the one who will also be wearing a Christmas sweater and singing 'Jingle Bell Rock' while baking!) Have a lovely day today.

<3 Ashley

Who makes the best cookies in your family?

Christmas Cookies: Gingerbread Man

I thought to kick off the Christmas cookie season I would start off with a recipe I found for the classic gingerbread man cookie! If you haven't had the chance to indulge in one you are certainly missing out. I would advise you to hurry to the store for these ingredients and whip up a batch.

Here is what you will need:

- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup dark molasses
- 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
- 1 egg
- powdered sugar icing

What you need for icing:

- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2-3 tbsp. milk or orange juice

Find the directions for making the cookies and icing here! This recipe makes 30 cookies, so there are plenty to go around for a holiday party! :)

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite cookies for the holidays? 

Holiday Eats!

Here on this lovely Sunday afternoon I find myself sitting up in the lounge waiting for the first load of laundry in the washer to finish. Football is on the television (still mildly bitter about our homecoming loss) and I am scouring Pinterest aimlessly. I really should be studying for my philosophy midterm, shouldn't I?

Anyway, I happened to find myself on the food section of the site (which shockingly isn't a common thing for me!) As I started to scroll through these glorious, appetizing photos I noticed a lot of holiday pins. That got me thinking about all of the delicious things I have waiting for me at home in the coming months, and I thought I would share these with you.

One tradition that I have taken myself to starting (and refuse to let die) is that I make the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner. I absolutely love doing it! I like to keep it traditional though. I tried a Bobby Flay recipe one year that had this strange cranberry cookie topping that everyone ended up scraping off. Lesson learned: when it comes to pumpkin pie, people like it classic, and traditional.

At the same time, my aunt makes her ever yummy apple pie and my grandmother offers her always loved and fought over pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I die for the cookies, honestly. I always love the holidays with family, and I also love the food that we all dine over and share together. I know this year will be just as amazing since I will be back home for the first time since starting school. Holidays are about to get that much more special.

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite holiday desserts? Does your family have something special that you eat?

Fall Recipe: Apple Cider Cupcakes

Hello everybody. Welcome to another glorious week, and the first week of September!

With the passing of Labor Day and the beginning of September, I am willing to deal with the fact that summer is undoubtedly...over. Do not think of it as something terrible saying goodbye to the beach, the pool, and warm late nights out and about with friends. Autumn has so much going for it: sweaters, boots, light jackets, changing leaves, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbuck's (I wait all year for these!) and the start of the holiday season!

One thing I absolutely love about the autumn is the food that comes with it. It just does not feel right eating pumpkin pie in the spring, does it? Some foods are just characteristic of autumn! I came across this glorious recipe the other day during my many hours scouring Pinterest. I actually posted it as one of my favorite pins in my last entry: Apple Cider Cupcakes with Apple Butter Filing and Caramel Frosting!! I have yet to try it but, I swear to you, when I go home over Thanksgiving I will most DEFINITELY be giving these a try. They look too delicious not to.

How could you say no to this?!

Here is a like to the recipe, I hope that you try these out and let me know what you think of them! Apple Cider Cupcakes

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite fall treats?