Pumpkin Spice Black and White Cookies

I know, I know, it’s been six months. Those six months were full of adventures around my new home… and I really wasn’t baking much. Now that the temps are dipping, the baking’s back on. And boy do I have a fun recipe to share today: Pumpkin Spice Black and Whites.

I’ve long been a fan of the classic black and white. They’re pretty hard to find in California, and I’m delighted to see them all over NYC. Though, to be honest—most of them aren’t that good. I suppose one could call me picky when it comes to cookies, and black and whites are no exception. I’m looking for a specific flavor, texture and frosting type… and it’s kind of hard to come by THAT kind.

After a few experiments over the years, I’ve dubbed this recipe my favorite for the classic combo. But when I saw a pumpkin spice variation from Joy the Baker in my, I quite literally gasped. I love a good pumpkin spice riff, and Joy is a very trusted source for stellar recipes. Honestly, I can’t believe it took me three years to notice this recipe from her site. I feel like a Pumpkin Spice failure! But now that I found it, it’s definitely a keeper.

These cookies have a perfectly cakey cookie base, with a great pumpkin spice flavor. I swapped in vanilla icing from the classic black and white recipe instead of the maple in Joy’s version—I’m just not much of a maple gal. I did make her chocolate icing though, and it was phenomenal. Icing texture/flavor makes a big difference for this kind of cookie, and I can confidently declare this one a winner.

Original recipe: Joy the Baker. I’ve rewritten things a bit and added commentary.

Yield: ~15 cookies

Suggested equipment: None needed

Total Time: ~80 minutes

Cook Time: ~15 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 canola or other flavorless oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze

• 4 oz dark chocolate, in chunks or chips
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup

For the vanilla glaze

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

Make your cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. They should be lightened in color—takes about a minute
4. Add the oil, pumpkin and vanilla to your sugar mixture. Whisk until blended.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until it’s incorporated.
6. Now it’s time to scoop your cookies! You can either use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or an ice cream scoop to do it. Make sure to allow space between your cookies, as they expand in baking.
7. Before putting the cookies in the oven, use a smooth flat surface to flatten the rounds a bit. These cookies need to be mounds—flat on one side, and domed on the other. This ensures you get the right shape.
8. Bake 14-16 minutes. They should feel firm on the top flat side, and a toothpick inserted should come out dry.
9. Cool your cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Make your glazes

1. Bring your water to a boil so it’s ready for the vanilla.
2. Then, make the chocolate glaze. Melt your butter and chocolate in the microwave. Stir in corn syrup, and the pinch of salt. Your frosting should look glossy and smooth. If it seems too thick or starts to harden, loosen it up with a few seconds in the microwave on low power.
3. Using a butter knife or icing spatula, spread chocolate glaze over one half of each cookie. Try to get your icing line as straight as you can in the middle so it looks nicer in the end.
4. Now it’s time for the vanilla glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and 3 tablespoons of your boiling water. You might need to add more water to get the frosting to the right spreadable texture. Err on less water, rather than more—thicker is better than thin.
5. Using a clean knife or spatula, ice the second half of each cookie.
6. Let the cookies set on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes, then dig in!

These cookies keep ok for a couple days at room temp. Make sure to store them in an airtight container, as this kind of container can get soggy pretty easily. You’ll need to store the cookies in single layers so they don’t stick together. I don’t recommend refrigerating these—some recipes recommend it so the icing sets, but I found it hardened the icing more than I wanted (see the last pic in the gallery for evidence!)

Soft Batch Funfetti Cookies

I normally try to post a good variety of recipes. Brownies one time, cookies the next. A fruity flavor, then something with chocolate.

But my friends: any sort of content calendar-ing goes out the window when you move across the country. And yes: that’s what I’ve been doing lately. Since my last post, almost three months ago, I decide to move, packed up my stuff and headed right on across the country to the grand old land of NYC.

I haven’t gotten to bake anything new in a while, as my stuff is still in storage and I’m currently without an oven. Howevvver, I had always meant to blog about these delicious Soft Batch Funfetti Cookies eventually. And so, why not today?

These are the funfetti cookies of your dreams. Slightly chewy edges, very soft inside. They have a perfect ratio of sprinkles and a lovely almond flavor. I had planned to pass them out to friends but admittedly, ate most for myself. They’re easy to make, freeze well, and generally brighten up your day.

This was one of the last things I baked in San Francisco as I scrambled to use up all my flour, chocolate, sprinkles and such. Once I settle in here I’ll get back to trying new recipes and playing around in the kitchen. Until then: let’s all raise a funfetti cookie and toast to new chapters, ok?

Original recipe: Averie Cooks. I’ve rewritten things a bit and added commentary.

Yield: 16 cookies

Suggested equipment: Mixer

Total Time: ~2.5 hours, with chill time

Cook Time: ~8 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1.5 tsp vanilla or imitation vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp almond extract
• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup sprinkles

Instructions

Make your dough

1. Use your mixer to cream the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Use the medium-high speed and beat until it’s light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes.
2. Scrape your bowl, then add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined.
3. Add the sprinkles, and fold them in with a wooden spoon.
4. Scoop the dough into large, two tablespoon mounds. Flatten each mound slightly, then cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can leave it in the fridge a few days if needed.

Bake your cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until edges look firm and tops are just beginning to set. They might look a bit undercooked or pale in the center—that’s fine! They will continue to firm up as they cool. Let cool completely, then enjoy!
3. These cookies store really well at room temp or in the freezer.

Brown Butter Sprinkle Cookies

I’ve been in a real sprinkle mood lately. They’re simply so joyful: little bursts of color and sugar, bringing some extra fun your way.

At first glance, these cookies sound rather simple. Unexciting, even. But trust me—they’re a million times better than you could possibly imagine. Sometimes, the simplest recipes wow the most.

In this case, you’ve got the depth of browned butter combined with a simple sugar dough. It’s a rich, subtly sweet cookie base that tastes almost too good to be true. The sprinkles add a bit of crunch, and a whole lot of flair.

These cookies use simple ingredients, but make sure to allot enough time for multiple steps. You have to brown the butter, chill the dough and finally, bake. These are freshest and most flavorful on day one, then harden up a bit after that. They still taste good for a few days after baking, but I preferred them at their softest on day one. You can also freeze the baked cookies, and microwave or defrost at room temp to enjoy later on.

Original recipe: Sally’s Baking Addiction. I’ve rewritten things a bit and added commentary.

Yield: ~3 dozen cookies

Suggested equipment: Mixer

Total Time: ~1.5 hours

Cook Time: 12-14 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Sprinkles (you can technically skip them but… why would you?!)

Instructions

Brown your butter

1. Cut the butter into smaller pieces, and place it in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Whisk the butter occasionally as it heats up. First, the butter melts. Then it starts to foam and eventually, it will start to brown. You should keep whisking throughout the entire process. It’ll take about 5-8 minutes for the butter to start browning, and you’ll see little brown specks form. Once you see the specks and smell a nutty aroma, remove butter from heat.
3. Pour butter into a separate bowl to cool. Let it sit for 5 minutes before mixing it with other ingredients.

Make your dough

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda and salt.
2. Pour your browned butter into a mixing bowl. Then add the sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for about a minute.
3. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat again.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed, until it’s combined. It will be sort of thick and a bit greasy.
5. Roll dough into balls, about 1 tbsp large. Dip each ball into sprinkles.
6. Place your dough balls onto sheets or plates and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Bake your cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Place dough balls about 3 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
3. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides. Don’t overbake, or they won’t be as delightfully soft.
4. Let cool on your baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

The 2021 Baking Roundup

2021 was a year of baking experimentation. I picked recipes with lots of steps, twists and turns, unusual ingredients. I tried a lot of recipes I’d saved ages ago—sometimes to great results, and sometimes not. But for me, baking is a form of creativity. It’s a process, and much of the fun comes from experimentation itself. Except for the days when I’m on “deadline,” baking for an occasion where I’ve promised to bring treats… it’s just for kicks, just for myself. So when the twists and turns dead end, or an intriguing ingredients turns out to be a dud—I typically just shrug. I still tried something new and had fun doing it, after all.

And it’s good I have that mindset. Because this year, I made a LOT of duds. Going back through my notes, I recorded that 23% of the recipes I tried weren’t really that great. Either the recipe didn’t bake up right, or the ingredients didn’t feel balanced, or I just didn’t enjoy it very much. Of course, I could have messed up here or there. But I’m a pretty confident baker, really. It’s just that I try a lot of unusual things, and bake from all over the web. Most recipe sources don’t really test recipes multiple times before posting (including this site, to be honest). So it’s not too surprising when things don’t quite work out.

But hey: that means 67% of recipes I made this year got a thumbs up. And that’s still quite a lot of yummy treats! This year, I baked 31 different recipes, 87% of which were new to me.

What I made

I pretty much always make more cookies than anything else because they’re such a versatile treat. You can go classic or complex—and I certainly did both in 2021. This year, cake took the second spot, followed by a tie between bread, brownies and buns. Overall, my baking was a bit more skewed to cookies and cake than in 2020, with a slight decrease in breakfast foods like muffins and scones.

I really mixed it up with flavors this year. I made less with chocolate than usual, and only 39% of recipes included chocolate as a flavor. When it comes to dominant flavors, that percentage goes down even further. In fact, most the recipes I made in 2021 were characterized by some kind of herb, spice, nut or seed. That fits with the whole experimentation phase I’ve been in, as these recipes tend to call for less common ingredients and require a bit more effort. And then once you buy something for one recipe—say, a giant container of sesame seeds—you kind of have to keep playing around with it!

What I loved

My favorite recipes from 2021 that you’ll find on Sugarsmith: Peppermint Bark Brownies, Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Saffron Cupcakes. My favorite recipes I did not blog about include Rainbow Cookies, Black Sesame Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling and Tahini Hawaj Cinnamon Rolls (I might post the recipe for these eventually!).

Where it went
I managed to do a few treat drop offs in 2021, so I actually shared more with friends than in 2020. It was mostly one-off hand-offs when I happened to see someone, but I also got to bring special treats to a birthday, a housewarming and a holiday party.

2021 on Sugarsmith 
I posted 9 times in 2021, meaning 8 new recipes on top of the 2020 baking report. My most popular new recipe was Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, but the most popular recipe overall was these M&M Bars from 2017. The gooey butter cakes also drew lots of clicks, with both the Biscoff and Pumpkin versions bringing in some serious traffic. On a more personal note, one of my friends texted me last year to say she was making the Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake for her family, and it turned out great. I LOVE texts like that—please let me know when you try recipes on here!

Best new-to-me dishes in 2021

I did quite a bit of dining out this year, of the outside variety. I probably ordered from my fave Moroccan place more than anything else, but here were some new-to-me favorites:

• The squash bowl from Cafe Reveille in San Francisco
• Parpadelle al ragu at Fiaschetteri Pistoia in NYC
• The Lamb Memelitas at Cocina de Barrio in San Diego
• Black and White Cookie at Moishe’s Bake Shop in NYC
• Umami Toast from SPRO Coffee Lab in San Francisco
• Coffee from Suited in NYC (coffee counts as a dish, ok?)

Logging off for now, dear friends. But I’ll be back soon with some new cookie recipes. I promise they’ll be worth the wait.

Peppermint Bark Brownies

I was supposed to host a holiday treats party last weekend, and wanted to come up with a dessert menu that felt right for this time of year. A little bit of gingerbread, some festive sprinkles… and definitely something with mint.

I’ve tried a few different permutations of mint cookies and brownies over the years, but wanted to try a new take. Originally, I was planning to mix chopped candy canes into the brownie batter and swirl some more on top. But: I couldn’t find candy canes! After trying three stores near my house I gave up and went for a new angle: Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark.

Readers, I am so glad for this plot twist. Because these brownies turned out divine. I swirled some of the bark into the batter, and crumble the rest on top during the last few minutes of baking. It gives the brownies almost Thin Mint vibes, with a mint flavor throughout the entire brownie and an extra dose of minty chocolatey goodness on top.

If you’re the opposite of me and can’t find Ghiradelli bark, you could copy this same approach with candy canes, mint M&Ms, Andes Mints, another kind of bark… any minty chocolate candy would probably have a similar effect.

I used the Smitten Kitchen “favorite brownie” recipe as my base here because it’s the perfect chewy brownie. If you want to use a mix or have a different favorite recipe, go for it!

Original recipe: Base brownie comes from Smitten Kitchen

Yield: ~36

Total Time: ~45 minutes

Cook Time: ~25 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups flour
• 1 package of Ghiradelli peppermint bark, broken into small pieces (each package has 12 pieces. I technically used 15 when I first tried this recipe but you could absolutely get away with just 12 pieces and a single package)

Ingredients

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave safe bowl, in thirty second increments. Stir the mixture in between each increment to help it along. Stir so it’s completely melted and smooth before you move on.
3. Whisk in the sugar.
4. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.
6. Pour in your flour, and stir it all with a wooden spoon.
7. Sprinkle in ~3/4 of your peppermint bark pieces so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
8. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or foil. Pour in the batter and make sure it’s evenly distributed in the pan.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle your remaining peppermint bark pieces on top. This helps them bake right into the top without fully melting into the batter.
10. Bake another 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven (so it’s 25-30 minutes total). You’ll know the brownies are done when the edges are set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. There might be a couple spots of melted chocolate from your bark!
11. Let cool for a few minutes at least before digging in. You can totally enjoy these warm, but they’ll be easier to cut if you let them cool down completely beforehand.

Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can never have too many chocolate chip cookies in your baking bag of tricks. There’s a time and place for the classic, of course. But when you really want to wow people, pull out these Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies instead. They’re perfectly and uniquely flavored, with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and a real secret weapon: cayenne.

But these aren’t just any old cookie: they’re perfectly spiced, with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne. Yes, you read that right. Cayenne! The combo is totally unexpected, and add flavorful depth to an otherwise classic cookie. You get a bit of warmth, spiciness and sweetness in every bite.

This recipe is easy to make, but I definitely recommend chilling your dough to help the flavors intensify before you bake. The final cookie is so perfect: crispy on the outsides and chewy in the centers. Don’t skip the chips on top either—they’ll give you lovely little chocolate puddles on top. And you don’t want to miss out on that!

Original recipe: The Practical Kitchen. I’ve rewritten things a bit and included volume measurements in case you don’t have a kitchen scale. If you DO have a scale, I definitely recommend using it—the slight variation in cup measures can make a difference in cookie texture! The volume measurements listed here are based on what I measured after weighing out ingredients.

Yield: ~3 dozen cookies

Suggested equipment: Mixer, kitchen scale

Total Time: ~40 minutes of working time, plus at least a couple hours to chill the dough

Cook Time: ~9 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (240 g)
• 1 tsp Diamond kosher salt (if you use another brand, use 1/2 tsp instead, as the flakes are a different size than the Diamond brand)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1.5 cups dark brown sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks to mix into the dough
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks for finishing
• Flaky finishing salt

Instructions

Make your dough

1. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
2. Use your mixer to cream the butter, dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until they’re light and fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes, and you should make sure to scrape down the bowl a couple times so it all mixes together properly.
3. Add your eggs one at a time, and beat to incorporate.
4. Add your dry ingredients in two batches, stirring on low speed. When just a few flour streaks remain, add in your cup of chocolate chips. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is fully incorporated—don’t overmix!
5. Scoop your dough into rounds and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Squash each ball slightly so it has a domed top and flat bottom.
6. Use your reserved 1/3 cup of chocolate chips to help with those chocolate puddles. Just push a few chocolate chips or chunks into the top of each cookie ball.
7. Chill the dough for 2+ hours before moving onto the baking step. This helps with both texture and flavor.

Bake your cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Bake for ~9-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges. The centers won’t look fully set when you take them out, but they’ll firm up as they cool.
3. Immediately sprinkle each batch with flaky salt while they’re still warm.
4. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

These will keep well at room temp for a few days, and also freeze nicely.

Lemon Ginger Cookies

As we round the corner from Halloween to Thanksgiving and beyond, it’s time to start talking about ginger.

I’m always on a quest for the best ginger cookies. From my many failed attempts at recreating the Williamsburg gingerbread (I still haven’t found a good recipe) to these Nutella-stuffed gingersnaps, I’ll try anything that promises pillowy, ginger-y goodness. There’s just something so satisfying about that combo of spices, especially when you get a good kick from the ginger.

This specific cookie recipe caught my eye when I found myself with far too many leftover lemons. A bit of rabbit hole-ing down my Pinterest boards later landed me on this very delicious solution. The cookies definitely lead with the ginger, and lemon is more of a complementary flavor. It’s a really satisfying flavor combo, warm and spicy with a slight tart finish. The cookies turned out with perfectly crispy edges and soft centers, making these an all-around winner.

Original recipe: A Foodie Stays Fit. I’ve rewritten things a bit and added commentary.

Yield: ~3 dozen

Suggested equipment: Mixer

Total Time: ~35 minutes

Cook Time: ~10 minutes

Ingredients

For your dough

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

For your topping

• 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. In a bowl, sift your flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon.
3. Use your mixer to combine the butter and brown sugar.
4. Then, beat in your egg until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Add your molasses and lemon zest into the mixer bowl. Mix until combined.
6. Pour your flour mixture into the liquid mixture, and stir it together. I did this last step with a wooden spoon to make sure I didn’t overmix the dough.
7. Scoop the dough into balls, and roll each ball in the sugar topping. Smush each ball slightly after you place it on your cookie sheet.
8. Bake about 10 minutes, until the outside is very lightly browned. They’ll firm up more as they cool, so resist the urge to overbake.
9. Let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes or so, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Saffron Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes a flavor combo catches my eye and I just have to try it.

This—is that.

I’ve had a small jar of saffron in my cupboard for a while, left over from a cooking experiment that I can’t even place anymore. I’ve had a lot of ideas for using it, from risotto to cookies. But when I saw this cupcake recipe a couple weeks ago, I simply couldn’t resist.

It’s honestly a bit difficult to describe what saffron tastes like. You’re probably more used to seeing it in savory dishes. In these cupcakes, the saffron lends a sweet floral flavor that lingers on your tongue. It’s delicate, and special. The orange cream cheese frosting is a good counter balance, and the combo of orange/saffron together makes for one delicious cupcake.

You start this recipe by steeping the saffron in butter and cream. Heating the saffron threads is how you extract the flavor, so don’t skip this step and throw in the full threads! You don’t want to actually bake the saffron threads themselves.

One other thing I loved about this recipe: the cream. Adding cream into the cupcake batter made for a really moist cake that felt fancier than most cupcakes too. I think it was the perfect texture compliment to the saffron and orange. The original recipe also added orange chunks to the batter but honestly—they did nothing for me. So I’ve removed them here.

Saffron can be pretty expensive, and you want to make sure to get the threads instead of a cheaper powder. I got mine at Trader Joe’s. I honestly can’t remember how much it was, but it’s been really fun to play with!

Original recipe: Rumi Spice. I’ve rewritten things a bit and added commentary.

Yield: ~20 cupcakes

Suggested equipment: Mixer

Total Time: ~60 minutes of prep, plus time for cooling the cakes down

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cup flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• Generous pinch salt

For the frosting

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• Orange zest from 1 large navel orange

Instructions

Make your cakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Set a pan over medium heat. Melt together the butter and saffron first, until they’re liquid. Then, mix in your cream and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until they’re fluffy.
4. In another bowl, mix your flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Fold the butter mixture into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon. Then, fold in the flour mixture.
6. Pour into your cupcake tins, filling each spot about 2/3 the way. Bake for about 19-20 minutes. The tops will look golden when they’re done, and a toothpick in the middle should come out dry.
7. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Make your frosting

1. Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream cheese, orange zest and orange juice until it’s blended together and looks easy to spread.
2. Ice to the best of your abilities. This is key… mine never look good 🙂

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Spiced Apple Waffles with Apple Syrup

It’s that time of year when I start dreaming of apple cakes and cookies and breads and buy WAY too many apples. And then I start looking for new ways to use them… and end up finding some fun new recipes.

This year, my brain started wondering about apple waffles. A lot of apple-y baked goods use applesauce, but I didn’t think that’d be the flavor I wanted. I also saw several recipes that use apple cider or molasses for flavoring. But I wanted something with actual pieces of apple in there. When I found this recipe for Spiced Apple Waffles with Apple Syrup, I just knew I had to do it.

These waffles have shredded apple inside, plus syrupy roasted apples on top. They’re really flavorful too, thanks to buttermilk and a perfect blend of fall-ish spices like allspice and cinnamon.

Like many waffle recipes, this one says to beat your egg whites before folding them in. I wouldn’t skip this, as it helps make the batter lighter.

While your waffles cook, you whip up the simple apple syrup. Such a great treat: and definitely on my fall breakfast rotation for years to come.

Original recipe: Brooklyn Supper

Yield: Will depend on your iron—I got four rounds of waffles out of mine.

Suggested equipment: Waffle iron, mixer, something to shred your apples (I used my food processor)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the waffles

• 4 tbsp butter, melted and cooked
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup shredded apple (about an apple)
• 1 cup buttermilk (shaken)
• 2 tbsp sugar

For the syrup

•  1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups sliced apples (about 3 apples)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Make your waffles

1. Melt the butter, then set it aside to cool for a bit
2. Preheat your waffle iron
3. In a large bowl, whisk your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and sea salt
4. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, shredded apple, buttermilk and sugar
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the melted butter.
6. Beat your egg whites to soft peaks—should take about a minute or so
7. Stir the egg whites into your batter, until just combined
8. Cook your batter per your waffle iron’s directions. While they cook, start the syrup!

Make your syrup

1. Set a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter first, then add your apples, sugar, cinnamon and sea salt
2. Cook for a few minutes, then push everything around a bit to make sure it cooks evenly. Cook another few minutes or so. Your syrup is done when the apples are soft with browned edges and there’s a golden brown syrup in the pan

Top your waffles with syrup, and dig in!

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Let’s be real: chocolate croissants are a treat on their own. When you find a good one, straight from the oven, it’s the perfect, melty, flaky treat.

But sometimes… you just gotta shake things up. And turns out, when you turn croissants into bread pudding, it’s a whole new chocolate-y world.

I first made this recipe yearrrs ago for a brunch potluck. I’ve thought of it several times since, but hadn’t made it again. So when a box of frozen pain au chocolat caught my eyes at Trader Joe’s recently, I knew just what to do.

In this recipe, croissants go for a bath in a custardy, cinnamon-y mixture. The final result is rich and satisfying, with crispy croissant edges peeking out of the top.

You COULD make your own croissants for this but honestly? I wouldn’t bother. Croissants are reallllly tough to get right, and you’re going to rip them up right away. You’re better off starting with store bought croissants, or taking the Trader Joe’s halfway hack. The TJs croissants are pre-made, but you let them rise and bake them yourself. That means they taste really fresh when you’re ready to make your bread pudding… but you also avoided the hardest parts of making croissants yourself.

Original recipe: Just Jenn Recipes. I halved her original measurements to make a smaller dish.

Yield: ~4 servings

Total Time: It takes about 55 minutes to make the actual bread pudding. If you make your own bake-at-home croissants, make sure to start your prep the night before.

Cook Time: ~40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 4 croissants, cut into small pieces (If you go the Trader Joe’s route, note that their croissants come in boxes of 4)

Instructions

1. Head your oven to 375F
2. Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.
3. Tear your croissants into small pieces, and drop them in the custard mixture. Stir to coat.
4. Grease or spray a deep loaf pan or dish, and pour in your mixture. I used a glass 1.5 quart dish and it was a good fit for the amount of batter.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes. Your bread pudding is done when the top of the croissants look crispy and the custard has set somewhat in the dish.