Kitchen Gadgets . . . Again

Shopping and I do not mix.  I go for groceries and I come home with almost $200 worth of new kitchen toys . . . and some groceries too!

Today I got a Mr. Coffee Keurig brewer.  That is something, at the least, since the actual Keurig brand was $100 more than the one I bought.

I also got a 12 piece Paula Deen cookware set.  I already had the HUGE Paula Deen covered skillet and a very big Paula Deen stock pot.  (As well as a Paula Deen Wooden spoon, tongs, whisk, and Spatula.)  So then of course I also had to buy the Paula Deen stoneware utensil holder.  Hahah!!!

The 12 piece set has 4 different sized pots with lids, two different sized skillets, a turner, and a spoon.

No more shopping for me . . . until payday at least.

My Favorite Month (Part Deaux)

Everything is just so exciting to me during this month.  And I can not help myself when I see a cute pan or cooking thing.  I just have to have it.  (And those 40% off coupons that Michael's keeps giving me do not help!!!)

So, after a long day of shopping and baking and a long night of baby sitting my 7-1.2 month old nephew, I am sitting in bed with a glass of wine, a bowl of Cheetos, and my lap top and wishing this sinus infection would just go away already.  So I decided to start posting some of my "Culinary Adventures" from the past two weeks.

Right now I am just going to focus on the baking.  Later (or tomorrow) I might get around to a new little recipe that I "invented" last weekend.  (Which, I might add, was super delicious!)

Let's start with the Halloween Gingerbread Cookies . . .

I headed off to Michael's this morning with my $40% off coupon and found a cookie pan for $9.99.  (Only $6 with the coupon!)

I also picked up some more Sparkle Gel.  I had black and orange that I bought last week to make the ghost cakes, but I grabbed some green and yellow this week.

So then I had to decide what kind of cookies to make.  I eventually settled on gingerbread cookies.  Who doesn't love warm, soft, chewy gingerbread?

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour, divided into 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 cups
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Combine 1-1/2 cups of flour with the brown sugar, molasses, eggs, butter, baking soda, salt and spices.
2. Mix together until blended and smooth.
3. Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough becomes stiff.
4. Press a spoonful of dough into the cavities of the cooking pan.
5. Bake for 6-1/2 minutes at 375 degrees. 
6. Let cool on a wire rack.
7. When completely cooled, enhance designs with icing.

With the cookies out of the way, I decided Ii wanted to make some cupcakes in my new silicon molds/cupcake pans.  I bought one that does Jack-O-Lanterns and one that does Oak Leaves and Pumpkins.

I decided to make just a white cake and color it orange with food color.  And what flavor?  Why orange of course!!!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2-1/2 tea spoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 tablepoon orange extract
• Red & yellow food coloring

Directions

1. Spray the molds with non-stick cooking spray and place on a flat baking sheet (for stability).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, approximately half of the milk, egg, vanilla extract, and orange extract.
3. Best until well blended.
4. Pour in remaining milk.
5. Beat until smooth.
6. Add red and yellow food coloring and beat until you achieve your desired shade of orange.
7. Pour batter into molds.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Cakes are done when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
11. Enhance the designs.

I just really wish that it was safe and appropriate to give homemade treats to kids on Halloween.  If it was, like it was when I was a child, I would make these cookies and cupcake and hand them out to the trick-or-treaters.  Oh well,  Until then, my family will have to suffer with eating all this wonderful food.

My Most Favorite Month of The Year

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!!!

Good evening to you all, my loyal and devoted minions!

Today I bought a wonderful cupcake pan that makes ghost topped cupcakes.  So, being that it is October, the best month in the whole year, I decided to make some ghostly cupcakes for my family and I.

I got the cupcake pan at Michael's for $7.99 . . . a real bargain if you ask me.

Then I kind of cheated and I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and Pillsbury White Vanilla Frosting.  But, in my own defense, I did add some pure orange oil extract to the cake mix to make it more interesting.  (And believe me, it is delicious!!!)

I also bought some tubes of orange and black glitter gel for decorating.  I lined each ghost, gave them little smiley faces, and wrote "BOO" across each one.

Then, I had a bunch of batter left over, so I just put it in a regular cupcake pan and made simple round cupcakes.  But I frosted them in white then used the glitter gel to outline each one and write "BOO" across those as well . . . had to keep with the theme don't ya know!

Even if you aren't baking from scratch, you can still have fun with boxed mixes.  Try it next time you make a cake or cupcakes.  Throw in a nice flavored extract and see what you get.  (I noticed they had peanut Butter extract too.  I think that would be AWESOME in chocolate cookies!)