Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• cup granulated sugar
• cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick ( cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.
4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

apple cake

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. (Open the springform slowly, and before it’s fully opened, make sure there aren’t any apples stuck to it.) Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

Serving
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, with or without a little softly whipped, barely sweetened heavy cream or a spoonful of ice cream. Marie-Hélène served her cake with cinnamon ice cream and it was a terrific combination.

Storing
The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature and, according to my husband, gets more comforting with each passing day. However long you keep the cake, it’s best not to cover it — it’s too moist. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Pumpkin Walnut Spice Cake

From Saveur

FOR THE CAKE:
3⁄4 cup softened butter, plus additional for greasing pan
2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus additional for dusting pan
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground ginger
1 pinch ground allspice
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh cooked pumpkin
3⁄4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped Candied Orange Slices

FOR THE GARNISH:
1⁄4 cup walnut halves
1 tsp. butter
2 tbsp. sugar
1⁄2 cup Candied-Orange Syrup
Candied Orange Slices

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 7 1⁄4" (7-cup) angel food cake pan. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and fold in pumpkin. Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just until smooth. Stir in walnuts and chopped candied oranges.

2. Spoon batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

3. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in butter, remove from heat, and toss with sugar. Transfer cake to a platter, drizzle with syrup, arrange walnuts on top, and garnish with orange slices.

Candied Orange Slices

2 tbsp. whole black peppercorns
10 whole allspice berries
3 cups sugar
2 seedless oranges (such as valencias), thinly sliced

1. Place peppercorns and allspice in a piece of cheesecloth, tie into a bundle, then place in a medium saucepan with sugar and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and add oranges. To keep slices submerged, place the lid of a smaller saucepan in pan over orange slices. Simmer until rinds become very soft and syrup begins to foam, about 1 1⁄2 hours.

2. Remove orange slices from syrup and set aside to cool on wax paper. Discard spices and reserve syrup. (Orange slices can be stored in syrup in refrigerator for up to 1 month.)

Pumpkin Bread with Hazelnuts and Golden Raisins

From Orangette

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup water
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée (or cooked, puréed—until very smooth—winter squash, yams, or sweet potatoes), at room temperature
½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (with butter or cooking spray) a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking powder until thoroughly blended. In another bowl, mix water and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, and beat on medium speed until lightened in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin purée, and beat on low speed until just blended. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the water-vanilla mixture in two parts, beating on low until smooth and just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Fold in hazelnuts and raisins. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly across the top.

Bake about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for five or ten minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

Note: You’re not obligated to use a loaf pan, of course. You could make muffins, for example; for a standard-sized muffin, bake 18-20 minutes. And this bread freezes beautifully.

Soft Cakey Pumpkin Cookies

From Poppytalk

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

pinch of nutmeg

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg together. In another bowl, mix together the beaten eggs, sugar, oil. Beat vigorously until well combined. Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla until well incorporated. Pour in the flour mixture and stir until combined. Split the batter into 2 bowls if you want to have 2 separate kinds of cookies - add chocolate chips and half the pecans in one bowl and the butterscotch chips and the rest of the pecans in the other. Stir until combined.

Line 2 baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Drop batter by the spoonful, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops feel dry and the cookies feel spongy. Cool on a wire rack & store in a covered tin. Makes about 24 cookies.