Almond Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is the favorite season of Basic Bitches across the world. The turn of seasons allows every self-respecting Basic Bitch to proclaim that she "doesn't know why, but something about the autumn leaves makes her want to curl up in a cozy sweater with a good book and a mug of tea." After suffering through the long summer months, it is finally time for her to shed her Nasty Gal crop top and don her favorite 'Lulu' leggings and Uggs.

But lest we forget the most important part of the BBC (the Basic Bitch's Credo, not the British Broadcasting Corporation). The pillar upon which every Vera Bradley-wielding, Fifty Shades of Grey-reading girl has built her altar to Autumn. The Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Once Labor Day has come and gone, the inundation of snapchats, Instagrams, and tweets about their "favorite time of year ;)" begins. And I begin to bundle up. Not to brace myself against the dipping mercury, but rather to drown out all of the basic. I need something to get me through, and these are my answer. These muffins are the Pumpkin Spice Latte of the Basic Bitch's wilder cousin, the Bad Bitch.

Almond Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup caster sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 14-ounce can canned pumpkin

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-inch muffin pan with paper muffin cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, and almond extract. Gently fold in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Divide evenly between muffin cups. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of batter. Sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until fragrant and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles

Gingerbread Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie

Rosewater Glitter Cake

I can honestly say I've never been anywhere stranger in my life. Tokyo is like another world. Walking around, Beau and I are pretty much the only white people. I'm not really sure what I expected, but everyone here is, well, Japanese.

Getting around is a nightmare. The address system is meaningless, and not just to a foreigner. We, along with nearly every Tokyo native, seem to be consulting the subway maps at every stop, not quite sure where we are going. Cab drivers are equally clueless, unsure of even the most touristic sites like the Meiji Shrine. We have probably spent the majority of our time here looking for things.

 All that being said, the food is incredible. Even the snacks we've picked up at the convenience stores are delicious. The Pocky, Joy Packs, and Royal Milk Tea really put Snackwells, Cheetos, and Mountain Dew to shame. And the sweets are no exception. Tottering around the food halls at Mitsukoshi and Isetan was a revelatory experience. A new standard for food halls has really been set, and I just don't think Harrod's or Le Bon Marché will really measure up anymore.

Have a hakering for octopus balls? You've got it. More interested in sampling an array of Sake? Mitsukoshi's the place. Want to gorge yourself on tasty sweets in the most lovely packaging you'll ever see? Take the escalator to the basement of Mitsukoshi and prepare to be dazzled. Across the board, every dessert here is really beautiful. They pay as much attention to appearance as they do to taste. And they really deliver on both accounts. So, in keeping with their mantra of form and function, I give you this knockout cake.

  Rosewater Glitter Cake
Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon
Makes one 9-inch layer cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons rosewater, divided
1/2 cup simple syrup

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Fresh blueberries
Gold luster dust

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Beat in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk. Stir in 1 tablespoon rosewater. Divide batter between prepared cake tins. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While cakes bake, cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Beat in milk and vanilla extract. Scrape beans from split vanilla bean and beat to incorporate. Once baked, let cakes cool completely on a wire rack. Remove cakes from tins and slice in half using a serrated knife or cake leveler. Stir together remaining rosewater and simple syrup. Place a single cake round onto cake plate and brush top with rosewater syrup. Add a thin layer of frosting over syrup and top with another layer of cake. Repeat until all layers have been used. Coat the cake in a thin layer of frosting to create a crumb coat and place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Decorate cake with remaining frosting and dust with luster dust. Roll blueberries in luster dust and scatter over cake.

  More Pretty Cakes

Coconut Tea Cakes
Chocolate and Zucchini Cake
Chambord Cherry Cake

Maple Pumpkin Pie

So, there were two pies. Were being the key word there. The other one may or may not have gotten eaten. I really can't say. I did manage to save one though, so that's something. Right?

Last night my flatmate, Arden, and I set off on a pumpkin extravaganza. After an evening of drunken debauchery, we decided to have an evening of good, clean fun. Arden dragged me out of my bed, threw me into an Autumn-y sweater, and marched me off to Tesco.

What began as a trip to pick up the missing ingredients for our evening pumpkin feast, turned into an urban (though I'm not really sure I'd classify St Andrews as urban) pumpkin picking experience. Arden giddily picked out the biggest pumpkin there and plopped it into our basket. We tottered home, pumpkins and maple syrup in tow, and settled down for the night.

After pumpkin soup with caramelized pancetta and onions with a side of Arden's special mushy lentils, it was time for dessert. While Arden carved an X- for 10 Greyfriars, of course- into a pumpkin, and I whittled away at Jack Skellington, the hypnotizing scent of pumpkin and cinnamon and maple syrup wafter through the kitchen. I think we were a little over-eager, as the pumpkin custard wasn't quite set, when we slid them out of the ovens and swiftly cut a few slices.

Pumpkin pie is one of my all-time favorite foods. I'm not usually a pie person, but I always make an exception for pumpkin pie. I'm planning to test a few different recipes so that I can nail down the perfect one before Thanksgiving. This one was really great- not too sweet with a nice, smooth custard. I don't think I'll settle just yet, but if you are in a pumpkin-y mood, and let's face it, how couldn't you be, do give this one a go.

  Maple Pumpkin Pie
Makes 1 large pie, or 2 mini pies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 batch pie crust (use store-bought if you're short on time)
1 14 oz can pure pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup whole milk, plus extra for brushing on crust
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pie crust to 12-inch diameter to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Drape crust over pie plate and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, spices, and salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Slowly pour milk mixture into pumpkin mixture, whisking to combine. Pour custard into prepared pie crust. Fold over edges, crimping if desired. Brush exposed crust with extra milk and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until custard is firm to touch and crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

More Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Coconut Tart
Pumpkin, Maple, and Coconut Custard Cups
Pumpkin-Chocolate Profiteroles

Blind Russian

For some, winter tends to dampen spirits. The bitter cold and grey skies deter them from getting dolled up and heading out for a night on the town. They’d rather rent a movie on Netflix (because who can even be bothered to drive to Blockbuster), settle down with an extra large mug of hot chocolate, and plant themselves on the sofa for the night.

The chilly air has exactly the opposite effect on me. It invigorates me. It refreshes me. It excites me. I am ready to roll in the winter time. If you plopped me down in the sticky heat of the summer, I’d have an activity level to rival a three-toed sloth, but give me a chilly December evening and I will be thrilled. One of the best things about the icy months is the shift toward comfort foods.

Macaroni and cheese and warming stews abound, but people tend to forget about the wonders of seasonal drinks. Nothing beats that frozen feeling like a toasty hot toddy, and eggnog is a deliciously rich accompaniment to a mid-winter meal. They don’t call it an alcohol blanket for nothing. So, in honor of the frosty season, my flatmates and I threw a Siberian party, complete with girls draped in fur, bottles and bottles of vodka, and a nice, big bowl of Blind Russian.

Blind Russian

Originally Posted on Small Kitchen College

Serves 1

A Blind Russian is different from a White Russian in that it contains Baileys in place of the heavy cream. Be careful, as these are quite strong, and one too many might make the name too applicable for comfort.

Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlúa
Bailey’s Irish Cream

Pour vodka and Kahlúa into a small glass. Fill the rest of the glass with Baileys. Stir to combine.

More Festive Drinks
Mulled Cider
Lemon Ginger Hot Toddy
Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Marshmallows

I don't know about you, but there are certain things that simply seem off limits in my own kitchen. I mean who on earth could, or would even want, to make bacon or gummy bears or phyllo at home in their own kitchen? You'd have to be insane. For most people, marshmallows would be on that list.

They seem like one of those magical things that cannot be made in a home kitchen. You buy them in a big plastic bag in the aisle, and that's that. No questions asked. No s'more has ever complained about the lack of homemade marshmallow. No mug of hot chocolate has ever refused the addition of a good ole Campfire marshmallow.

However, I never saw marshmallows in that light. Every holiday season, my mom would lug out Martha Stewart's trusty guide to everything Christmas, flip past the plum pudding and cassoulet, and run her hand down the center of the book, opening it to the page with the marshmallows. Somehow, it never got old. To this day, I continue to be amazed when, after all is said and done, a lovely powdery plate is stacked high with ice-white marshmallows.

We always cut them into festive shapes, which left tons of scraps for my brothers and me to nibble on as the army of cookies baked in our ovens. I find that simple squares do just fine and help cut down on waste (although my grumbling tummy may beg to differ). Because I like my hot chocolate a little more seasonal, I add a splash of peppermint extract to the mix. You could even coat them in crushed peppermints if you were feeling extra audacious.

Marshmallows Makes about 24 Adapted from Martha Stewart
Originally Posted on Small Kitchen College Ingredients Butter, at room temperature, for greasing 20 grams fine leaf gelatin 3/4 cup cold water, divided 2 cups granulated sugar 2/3 cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Powdered sugar, for coating To prepare the baking dish: Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with plastic wrap and lightly butter plastic wrap. Lightly butter a second piece of plastic wrap and set aside. To make the marshmallows: In the bowl of an electric mixer, lay sheets of gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup cold water, granulated sugar, and corn syrup. Briefly whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Attach whisk attachment to mixer and, with the mixer on high, pour syrup into mixer. Continue beating for 12 minutes. Add peppermint extract and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Using a spatula, scrape mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, butter-side-down. Let stand for 2 hours. Remove marshmallows from pan, cut into squares, and coat with powdered sugar or crushed peppermint candies.

More Christmas Sweets
Cranberry Almond Upside Down Cakes
Peppermint Ice Cream
Cinnamon Pull Apart Brioche

Aunt Milly's Ginger Cookies

So I've finally managed to settle down after a whirlwind week of travel. And, unfortunately, I've settled down right into a giant pile of work. Not exactly what I expected from my first week back. I guess that's college for you. I'm currently sitting in a corner of the library surrounded by fluorescent lights and palpable despair, wishing I had a cookie.

Because cookies make everything better. My friend Emily always makes a point of bringing 'snacks on snacks' to the library as a sort of survival kit. Her kit usually includes a bag of Tesco's finest chocolate chip cookies. Now I have nothing personal against Tesco or their cookies, but I find that homemade is a better bet when it comes to baked goods. Leave the cured meat and cheese curls to the big guys- I won't be attempting those any time soon. But a cookie? Well, I can do that.

Christmas mania has set in at my flat. We feel that, once Starbucks wheels out its festive paper cups, it's time to go crazy. In the spirit of the (still quite distant) holiday season, I opted for ginger cookies. Hannah, one of my roommates had her heart set on sugar cookies, so we went whole hog and made both. Even though the sugar cookies are awfully tasty, I saw Hannah scorning her beloved sugar cookies in favor of those warmly-spiced, crackly-topped ginger cookies.

I'm not really sure if I actually have an Aunt Milly. In fact, I'm not really sure I have any relatives named Milly. My mom has a little box full of hand-written recipe cards that sits in the windowsill above our kitchen counter. Before I left for school last year, I combed through the box, searching for recipes I know I'd miss while I was away. We hadn't made these that often, but I had faint memories of Christmases past when I had happily gobbled down cookie after cookie, so I took my chances and copied it down. Thank goodness I did.

These toe the line between soft and pillowy and a little bit chewy. Their sweetness doesn't hit you in the face; it's mellower than that. They are lovely to look at and fit right in at this time of year. And no one will complain if you make them.

Aunt Milly's Ginger Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat canola oil, sugar, egg, and molasses together with an electric mixer. Whisk together dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Transfer dough to a plastic bag and place in freezer for thirty minutes to allow dough to become firm. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.

More Festive Desserts
Spiced Ginger Cakes
Maple Walnut Custard Pie
Pecan Brown Butter Cakes

Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Butterscotch Sauce

Guess what.

 I'm hungry. Yeah, I guess really no surprise there. Even if I'm not actually hungry, I find myself craving something. Sometimes it's chocolate chip cookie dough. Sometimes it's pumpkin soup. A lot of the time it's roast chicken. Strange, I know.

Oftentimes, my cravings are incited by my near constant blog-trolling. My roommates can attest to the fact that I am frequently flipping from blog to blog in search of the next delicious and inspiring thing. Luckily, my favorite websites never fall short. There is always something that sets my stomach grumbling away. And what my stomach wants, my stomach most definitely gets.

A few days ago, a recipe for spiced apple cupcakes caught my eye while I scrolled through Raspberri Cupcakes. I set my computer aside, rolled out of bed, and padded down the stairs to inspect my cupboards. For once, I had everything I needed. Except the maple syrup. As I weighed my options, deciding whether it was worth the long trek to Tesco (it is literally right across the street), I remembered that I had a huge vat of butterscotch sauce I had made only the day before hanging out in my fridge.

Jackpot! Because homemade butterscotch sauce makes everything better. I won't even tell if you drizzle a little in your morning Greek yogurt.

  Spiced Apple Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 medium crisp apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Cream butter and sugars together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and egg and beat to combine. Beat in grated apple. Beat in dry ingredients slowly until just combined. Divide batter between muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, until cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Dip each cupcake in finished butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce
You will have lots of leftover butterscotch sauce, but it keeps in the fridge and is great for spooning over ice cream or other tea cakes


3 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups water, divided
10 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan with tall sides, mix 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water until it has the consistency of wet sand. Turn heat on high and cook until deep amber in color and slightly smoking. Carefully pour in remaining 1 cup water. It will splatter. Whisk constantly over medium heat until caramel reduces slightly and become sticky. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, cream butter and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar in an electric mixer. Beat in salt. Slowly pour cooled caramel into mixer and beat until combined.

  More Fall Desserts
Apple Cider Doughnut Pancakes
Baked Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Pear, Cranberry, and Gingersnap Crumble

Baklava

Reposted from Small Kitchen College

 My 'To Make' list is getting out of control. In my mind, it's sort of separated into two distinct categories. One is for recipes I stumble upon on the internet or in a book that really and truly whet my appetite. These are usually recipes like Ginger Scallion Noodles or Moroccan Red Lentil Soup that are fairly straight-forward and would easily slide into my weekly dinner routine. This category, while useful, isn't as satisfying as the other, more terrifying category— Things Everyone Must Make At Least Once.

 Let's call this the TEMMALO list. I've checked off fresh pasta and buttery brioche. I've tackled macarons and soufflé. And I've even made homemade marshmallows. But one item has been lingering on that list for far too long. Baklava. Something about brushing endless layers of filo with melted butter, trying not to tear the papery sheets, just frightened me out of my wits. It is so complexly spiced and beautifully presented, I really thought it couldn't be done at home. But I forged ahead for the good of humanity (hey, this was a true sacrifice!). The filo takes a bit of getting used to, but, like so many things, the repetitive motion becomes rhythmic and really almost therapeutic. This recipe is from the host mom of a friend who did her gap year at my high school, who, in my opinion, makes the best baklava around.

Baklava
Adapted from Cris Cain
Makes 75 diamonds

  For the sugar syrup:
1/2 cup honey
 5 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
  For the assembly:
2 pounds raw unsalted pecans
1/2 pound raw unsalted walnuts
1/2 pound raw unsalted almonds
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 pounds filo, defrosted
2 pounds butter, melted
75 whole cloves

 To make the sugar syrup: Heat the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and the juice and rind of the lemon (seeds discarded) in a medium saucepan until sugar dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Set aside. For the filling: Pulse the pecans in a food processor, careful not to turn them into nut butter, until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with walnuts and almonds. Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and mix to combine.

 To assemble: Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease an 11x16x2-inch roasting pan. Open filo packages and lay on a clean surface lined with parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment; lay a damp tea towel over top. Lay one sheet of filo on the bottom of the pan and brush with melted butter, pressing out air bubbles. Repeat until you have a base of 25-30 sheets of filo. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup nut mixture over filo. Cover with 2-3 sheets of filo. Repeat until all the nuts have been used. Top with 10-20 more sheets of filo, brushing melted butter over each sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1-inch wide lengthwise strips, then cut across diagonally to make diamond shapes. Press one whole clove into each diamond. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until golden and fragrant. Bring syrup back to a boil and pour over warm baklava- it should sizzle. Cool before cutting.

More Nutty Desserts
Dacquoise
Pumpkin and Nut Pastry
Rugelach Pinwheels

Carrot-Squash Muffins

Good lord. I had no idea that surgery would take so much out of me. I am supremely exhausted. Even a morning spent running errands leaves me drained, a little achy, and ready for a nap. So you can only imagine how tiring baking was. But I couldn't leave you hanging, could I?

 In addition to the flour, carrots, eggs, and spices it took to make these tender little muffins, it also took a 3-hour nap. Don't get me wrong. I've really enjoyed all of the movie-watching and relaxing, but I do get a little stir crazy from time to time. And when I do, I end  up getting a little over-ambitious. Which leads to more sitting on the couch, browsing the Netflix library. So it's a sort of vicious circle, really.

When my mom and I went to Whole Foods a few days ago, I spotted some adorable little pattypan squash, and I tried to resist. They were just so tiny and a lovely pale celery color. I have a weakness for miniature things. An eensy jar of jam at high tea doesn't stand a chance. Even little bottles of ketchup find their way into my cupboards. So it was only natural for the squash to find their way into my grocery cart.

 Because I've been so inactive, I haven't been quite as ravenous as usual. Which left the beautiful squash to sit untouched in my crisper drawer. Blasphemy, I know. So before they got all squishy and brown, I decided to grate them along with a few carrots and whip up a batch of moist, sweet muffins. They are studded with toasted walnuts and tart dried cranberries and warmly spiced with allspice and cloves. And they make a wonderful addition to a rainy afternoon spent on the sofa watching Chocolat.

  Carrot-Squash Muffins
Adapted from The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook
Serves 12

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup finely grated carrots
1 cup finely grated summer squash
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, and cloves. In another bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, carrots, and squash. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, but do not over-mix. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool completely before turning out.

  More Carrot Recipes
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Carrot Cookies
Gingered Carrot Cookies
Carrot and Orange Cake

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

I am well aware that some may consider pumpkin to be a little trite by this time. Starbucks churned out its Pumpkin Spice Latte in the lead-up to Thanksgiving, restaurants proudly presented their own interpretations of pumpkin soup (sprinkled with caramelized bacon, topped with toasted sweetcorn, swirled with cream, and infused with the spices of Thailand), and every bakery happily announced the arrival of a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. Pumpkin even managed to make its way to Christmas via pumpkin truffles in my stocking, but is January really too far to take it?

Once you taste these little cookies I promise you won't think so. In fact, I think they would be the perfect antidote to the blues that are slowly settling in here at St Andrews. It's beginning to hit everyone just how imminent exams are. Throughout the whole first semester and during the holidays, we all had a vague notion of exams. They were to come at some time 'in the future', but we didn't really need to worry about them. We would deal with them when the time came.

Sadly, the time has come. The libraries are filling up, and study sessions are beginning. Russian flashcards are being made, anatomical diagrams are being pored over, and mathematical formulas are being memorized frantically. Everyone is entering the zone, or trying to at least, but it's always nice to have a little break now and again to sip a warm cup of tea and nibble on a little something sweet.

I had these at home and couldn't stop myself from going back to the bell jar where we keep treats every hour or so. They fueled me in my work, and helped motivate me. A bit of studying was rewarded with a cookie! They are pillowy and soft, almost like a whoopie pie. However, they are much more flavorful than a traditional whoopie pie.

The pumpkin flavor really sings when brought out by the cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. They are just moist enough and still feel substantial, despite their airiness. All of those things are great, but the brown butter icing really makes these cookies. It's nutty and warm and just so delicious. The icing is perfectly smooth and doesn't leave the roof of your mouth feeling tacky like some frostings do. They are so quick and easy that you could probably even whip up a batch during a study break.

Pumpkin Cookies

Makes about 6 dozen

Adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookies

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon allspice

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups canned, solid-pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Put on a wire rack to cool.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it is dark amber in color and is aromatic. Whisk the butter, powdered sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Spread a generous dollop of icing on each cookie.

More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing and Coconut

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Brownies

Ukrainian Honey Cake

I have good news. My dorm has a kitchen! And it's not an itty bitty little thing either. It has two ovens, two stove tops, and ample counter space. Now how did I get so lucky? I couldn't have asked for a better kitchen situation in my first year of college.

So, the real question is whether I have been baking or not. Drumroll please................................I have baked twice already! It seems that baking is a pretty good way to make friends. The smells the ovens sent floating through the halls brought some people into the kitchen and had others waiting outside the door in hopes getting a treat or two when everything was finished.

Sadly, what I am sharing with you today is neither the bread pudding nor the sugar cookies that I made. Trying to convert temperatures and measurements really complicates things. Both the cookies and the bread pudding were delicious, but neither were particularly photogenic. The sugar cookies didn't hold their shape and spread out, looking more like drop cookies than the pumpkins I had set out to make. They did taste awfully good though.

The bread pudding was equally yummy, but it got a little singed on top, making it unfit for your discerning eyes. As a cliched bargain-hunting student, I accidentally grabbed a loaf of whole wheat bread rather than a white bread simply because it cost 35 pence. This gave the pudding a strange nutty flavor that I could have gone without, but it was definitely edible.

Obviously none of this matters, as it is not what I am showing you today. This cake is wonderful. I am sitting at my desk writing this and sipping a cup of cinnamon tea, badly wishing I had a slice. Its flavors are hard to place- very complex. Its sweetness is rounded, not abrasive or cloying, and the coffee undertones work surprisingly well with the honey and spices. If you make this, won't you send me a slice?

Ukrainian Honey Cake

Adapted from Home Baking

Makes 1 loaf

2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled to lukewarm

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and dust it with flour. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and smooth. Pour the honey and melted butter into the bowl and mix until the batter is well blended. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, stir in the coffee, and incorporate the remaining dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold them carefully into the batter, stirring a few times after to ensure that batter is smooth. The batter will seem very wet, but that is how it should be. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing. Eat plain or buttered and drizzled with honey.

More Ukrainian Sweets

Ukrainian Cheesecake
Kolatki
Ukrainian Almond Crescents

Iced Hermit Cookies and Homemade Thin Mints

I am so sorry. I'm just going to get this out of the way. These pictures are absolutely horrendous. What began as homely, oddly shaped cookies slowly became battered and bruised, while still delicious, confections with their stay in my refrigerator. Hermit cookies are no beauties, and, to my surprise, homemade thin mints are not at all photogenic, although they are nice to look at in person. Despite their looks, both of these cookies are unbelievably addicting. I also want to mention that I added categories to the sidebar! Now you can head right to all of the chocolaty desserts if you need a little chocolate goodness or find a nice scone or simple cake if you want something special for breakfast, so I hope this new feature helps.

If you read through these recipes, something may strike you as being a little strange. Do these flavors really scream summer? No, no they do not. In fact, they seem a little more fitted to Christmastime. Before you send me off to be evaluated, let me explain myself. My friends and I decided that we needed to celebrate Christmas in July. It gave us an excuse to gather together, cozy up in the kitchen, and do some real baking.

The weather actually cooperated, bringing in a torrential downpour to set the mood for our festivities. We strung twinkle lights in my room and let the Andrews Sisters and Bing Crosby serenade us with their jolly tunes. Winter always brings both minty and spicy desserts. Of course we could not decide between the two, so Christina and Mary "twisted my arm" into making both. To make ourselves feel a little better about consuming inordinate amounts of dough and cookies, we turned to Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks, one of my favorite blogs, for cookie inspiration.

Everything on her website and in her book is drool-inducing, and she didn't let us down this time either. The hermits are tender and fun, drawing another flavor into your mouth with each bite- spicy cinnamon, wine-like currants, and warm cloves. The thin mints are a joy to make, and you can cut them into any shape you please. To be perfectly honest, they taste even better than the little boxed cookies that Girl Scouts sell every year. Make these now, or save them for December. But why would you wait?

Since I didn't really make any adaptations to these, I figured I would send you straight to 101 Cookboks. She has some beautiful shots of both of these cookies that may be a little more enticing. I should mention that I did substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla extract in the thin mints; I think the cookies would not have been minty enough without them, so I definitely recommend making that change. I promise that I will post something extra delicious and extra beautiful very soon just to make up for this post. See you soon!

Homemade Thin Mints

Iced Hermit Cookies

More Cookies for Christmas in July (Almost August)

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Molasses Cookies

Winter Spice Cookies

Panforte

It really does pain me to say this, but I suppose I must. This actually may be the single most disgusting thing I have ever eaten. In my life. I know that is a strong statement, but sadly, it's true. It has no redeeming qualities. Nothing about it is appealing whatsoever.

It is nearly impossible to cut into, as it is very hard and very sticky. The combination of spices is actually sickening, as strange flavor combinations can sometimes be. The presence of nuts, which I usually heartily welcome, only furthers the disgusting-ness of this candy. No wonder I had been avoiding this.

I love telling you about recipes that went well. There was nothing disastrous in the making of this "candy", but the end result was catastrophic. I know that it is a popular confection in Italian bakeries around the world, but this is one things the Italians definitely did not get right. Even my father, who cannot smell or taste, wouldn't touch it after the first bite. Yuck.

Panforte
Serves 16-20
Adapted from Room for Dessert

5 tablespoons cocoa, plus 2 for dusting pan
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped candied citrus
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of chili pepper
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup honey
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Dust with 2 teaspoons cocoa. Chop chocolate and let it in a dry bowl set over simmering water. Stir together the hazelnuts, almonds, flour, 5 tablespoons cocoa, candied citrus, and spices. In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, mix the sugar and honey and heat to 240 degrees. Stir melted chocolate into chopped nut mixture. Stir in honey syrup. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread batter evenly. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 30 minutes. While still warm, remove panforte from springform pan and cool completely. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Wrap tightly in plastic and store in a cool, dry place. Keeps for 1 year.

More Panforte Recipes

Panforte di Siena

Caspar Panforte

Panforte with Warm Pecorino