Pumpkin Patch Biscuits

I first saw these little do-dads in Taste of Home Magazine and thought, “Oooohhhh…” and then, with it being National Homemade Bread Day–I know, I know, but it IS–I figured these would just about qualify.

They don’t have any of the pumpkin spices that you would expect in a pumpkin bread, but it is nice to know that there is a good dose of vegetables in that little biscuit.

They are soft and flaky besides. Beat that. Oh, yeah and they taste really, really good.

Ask Chompy.

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Pumpkin Patch Biscuits

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter–the top of a mason jar works great. Place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 425° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Brush butter over biscuits. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Patch Biscuits
 
Ingredients
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  2. Cut in ½ cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.
  4. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times.
  5. Pat or roll out to 1-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter–the top of a mason jar works great.
  6. Place 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.
  7. Bake at 425° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Brush butter over biscuits. Serve warm

Indian Corn Napkin Holders

Now, you may not believe this–but today is National Button Day. No, I swear. It is. You can Google it.

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So, in honor of this fabulous, unforgettable holiday I present to you this sweet napkin holder. Doesn’t it just look like a cob of Indian corn? It was actually really fun to make by myself, but it would be a wonderful project for the kids too. So if you find yourself up to your neck in pie dough and you need to keep your sweeties occupied, this could very well be just the activity you are looking for.

All you need is a bag of craft sticks–like popsicle sticks, paper tubes, random corn colored buttons and craft clue.

You simply put a stripe of glue on the stick…

and glue the buttons on—in any order that suites you. You can use red, brown, yellow, black, white, cream and orange.

I even used dark blue and purple ones here and there.

While the button sticks are drying–if you want to–you can paint the tube yellow or orange. It’s fine left the way it is–but I wondered if it would look better painted, so I gave mine a coat of orange acrylic.

Once you’ve glued the buttons to the sticks–then glue the sticks to the paper tubes.

Once they are dry and set–they are ready to pretty-up your Thanksgiving table.

And a very happy National Button Day–to you!

Thankful Children

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How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child’s personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people.

— Sir John Templeton

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Andrew J. 088

Happy Birthday Mom…

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes…

…with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. The kind that makes your eyes roll back in your head because you think you’ve expired and gone to Heaven.

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I tried to resist. I did.

I tried to make something–anything–without pumpkin…

but it was to no avail. It’s just so dang fabulous.

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When you taste these, I promise, you’ll forgive me. The original recipe can be found at  Taste of Home.

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Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen heavenly cupcakes.

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Y.U.M.

 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes...
 
: 24
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • 2-1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Add pumpkin.
  4. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
  5. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
  6. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  7. Frost cupcakes.
Notes
FROSTING: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened ½ cup butter, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth.

 

 

Holiday Aprons

Around here–if it’s going to be rainy and cold outside there aren’t really a ton of choices. You either cook…

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or sew. Looking at my pretty little fabric stash–sewing won, hands down.

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I did a bit of exploring online and found some really pretty apron patterns–for free. And since it is the season for playing around in the kitchen it seemed like the perfect thing–Thanksgiving aprons. Ahhhh….

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I chose the “Child’s Apron” pattern from Skip To My Lou first thing. It was just simple and girly enough to suit the mood.

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Seriously, it took about an hour and a half from rummaging through the fabric to actual Apron.

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The trick–for me, any way–is to keep an iron set up and handy as I sew. It comes together much more quickly and there are fewer hitches.

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Now, to find a pretty little lady who wants to help me in the kitchen.

I have a surprise for them…