Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

I know there are people out there that slap the store-bought cranberry sauce out of the can and just love it. I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with that. I never liked that congealed cranberry jello... I always wanted the homemade, chunky stuff that sticks to your ribs. I love the spiced, zesty flavor that you can add to it, and I just love love love the texture. So, when I decided to come up with my own recipe, I knew that I wanted one that had a sweet little kick, and a great chunkiness to boot. But, how do you achieve that when you are cooking down the cranberries until they lose all substance whatsoever? You add dried fruit that can re-plump in the sauce. And while at the grocery store, I reached for some dried cranberries, and saw dried cherries, and I thought that cherries would add an amazing sweetness to the sauce to help with the depth of flavor. The mixture of cranberries & cherries is awesome, and I still can't get over this compote-like sauce that develops. As the sauce cooks down, your house starts to smell like a big ole' batch of mulled red wine, and what's not amazing about that? I really love this stuff. It stole my heart on Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to make it again next year!! Enjoy :)

Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

For the Sauce:

1C Orange Juice, Freshly Squeezed

1C Water

1C Sugar

2 Oranges, Zested

2 Cinnamon Sticks

½t Ground Cloves

Freshly Grated Ginger

4C Fresh Cranberries

1C Dried Cherries

1C Dried Cranberries

¼C Honey

Directions:

1. Wash and Pick over the cranberries. In a saucepan, bring the orange juice, orange zest, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries burst.
2. Add the dried cherries and dried cranberries to the cranberries and simmer for about 5 minutes or just until the cherries begin to plump, but still remain chewy. Add honey to sweeten slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Remove from heat and cool completely at room temperature, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée

Apple pie is just the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert in my opinion, over pecan pie or anything else for that matter. There is just something so comforting about the cinnamon-y apples that are baked until tender and then surrounded by a beautiful pastry crust. Well, even though classic apple pie is always a hit, I thought that for such an important family holiday that we should do a different spin to make it that much better. To start with the filling, I tossed a variety of my favorite apples in lemon juices and seasonings, and then layered them into a pie dish with a homemade salted caramel sauce. But the most important part of any pie to me is the beautiful pastry crust (it is obviously the best part to me). I made a traditional Pâte Brisée, which is a French all-butter dough that yields the most flaky layers. But for my own little twist, I added about 4 vanilla beans into the dough, so that when it baked, the essence of vanilla bean would perfume the rest of the pie. However, what I was most excited for was the pattern that I turned out as decoration for the recipe. I topped it with the ever-popular lattice crust, and then I used dough to form braids that I laid along the rim of the pie dish. And, make sure that you brush it with egg wash, drizzle with a little more caramel, and sprinkle it with raw bourbon vanilla sugar & fleur de sel. This pie was amazing, I honestly can't think about anything else. Actually, it was so popular that my family & friends ate the whole damn thing before I could even take a picture of a slice (bummer). I know this recipe seems like so much work, but oh man will you devour it!! Enjoy :)

The Apple Pie Before Being Baked

See those tiny black specks... those are vanilla beans (delicious)

Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée 

Up Close & Personal of the Beautiful Golden-Brown Topping

For the Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée:

3 ¾C AP Flour (plus extra for rolling)

3 Sticks of butter, Chilled & Cut into ½inch Cubes

1 ½t Salt

1T+1 ½t Sugar

12-18T Ice Water, Very Cold

4 Vanilla Beans, Sliced & Scraped for Beans

For the Salted Caramel Sauce:

2C Sugar

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

2t Fleur de Sel (plus a little extra for sprinkling on top of the finished caramel)

1 1/3C Heavy Cream, Room Temperature

For the Apple Pie:

6 Medium Apples (Two of Each: Granny Smith, Gala, & Fuji) Sliced Thinly

4 Lemons

1/3C Gourmet Raw Bourbon Vanilla Sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top)

2T Flour

2T Cornstarch

½t Cinnamon

¼t Ground Allspice

Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg

2-3 Dashes of Bitters

Prepared Vanilla Bean Pastry Crusts

Prepared Salted Caramel Sauce

1 Egg Beaten

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

   

Directions:

1. To Make the Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée: Start by cutting the sticks of butter into ½inch cubes and placing in the freezer bag, along with the flour, salt, and sugar. Place the bag of flour into the freezer and chill for at least 1-2 hours. In a food processor, pour the frozen flour bag in, as well as the scraped vanilla beans, and pulse 6-8 times until the mixture resembles a course meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1T at a time, pulsing until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch of some of the crumbly dough and it holds together then it’s ready. Remove the dough from the machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully split the dough into two pieces (the first piece should be roughly 2/3 of the dough the second piece should be 1/3 of the dough) and shape into discs. Do not over knead the dough. You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. Sprinkle the discs with a little flour on all sides and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove the discs from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12inch circle (1/8inch thick). Place the larger (2/3) rolled out disc on to a deep dish spring form pan, lining up the fold with the center of the pan, trimming the excess and crimping the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.
2. To Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: In a large saucepan, bring it up to medium-high heat. Pour in sugar and keep continuously whisking until the sugar begins to melt and the lumps dissolve. This sugar will begin to turn a light caramel color, at this point add in the salt and all of the butter. The mixture will begin to bubble, but keep stirring. Finally, take the pan off the heat, and pour in the heavy cream (once again, it will bubble, but just keep stirring) and stir until it is a smooth, consistent sauce. Pour this caramel into a bowl and let it cool completely before layering it into the pie.
3. Preheat the oven to 375-400 degrees and position an oven rack in the upper-middle position.
4. In a large mixing bowl, juice the lemons and add in the thinly sliced apples (I used a mandolin) and coat them with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Set the apple slices aside while you make the apple filling seasoning.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, spices, and bitters. Toss well to combine. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples in the mixing bowl, using your hands to gently mix and coat the apples, and drain excess lemon juice. 
6. Assemble the Pie: When the bottom crust has finished chilling, begin by layering 1/3 of the apple mixture in the bottom of the crust. Pour 1/3 of the salted caramel over the apples. Add another 1/3 of the apples and caramel for a second layer and repeat for a third layer until all the ingredients have been used. Dot the surface of the apples with the pieces of cold butter. Roll out the remaining pie dough onto a floured work surface. Cut out numerous shapes or use do a latticework crust and use these to cover the top of the apple pie. Brush the top and edges of the crust with the egg wash, vanilla sugar, and fleur de sel.
7. Place the pie on a baking sheet (because the caramel will bubble over) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 25-35 minutes.
8. Let the pie cool. Slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, and enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Hello everyone, I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! I'm still stuffed, but of course I'm managing to do one last round of tailgate food today for the Iron Bowl. I will be posting a few Thanksgiving recipes in the next week so look forward to Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pastry Crust, Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce, and a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. Anyway, today's recipe is Jalapeno Popper Dip. As I have obviously mentioned before, we love jalapeno poppers, and we will make just about anything inspired by this appetizer. Well this dip does NOT disappoint, I just love it. It's so creamy and has the best kick from the fresh jalapenos, roasted poblanos, and candied jalapenos. But my absolute favorite part is the thin layer of apricot-pineapple preserves on top of the dip. It is a sweet little surprise to balance out the heat. Also, I finish the dip with a crispy layer of buttery panko breadcrumbs that mimics the breading of a deep-fried jalapeno popper. Serve this dip warm with some chips, and just go to town... you won't regret it!! Enjoy :)

Crispy Panko Topping

Jalapeno Popper Dip

For the Dip:

2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Softened

½C Mayo

½C Sour Cream

½t Garlic Salt, Cayenne, & Cajun Seasoning

4 Jalapenos, Diced

3 Poblano Peppers, Roasted & Diced

2T Candied Jalapenos, Diced (optional)

8 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Cubes & Fried until Crispy

1 8oz Block of Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded

½C Apricot-Pineapple Preserves (or Hot Pepper Jelly)

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

½C Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

3T Butter, Cut into Small Cubes   

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, garlic salt, and cayenne until smooth. Stir in the diced jalapenos, roasted poblano, candied jalapeno, and shredded pepperjack until well incorporated. Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish into a smooth layer. Spread a thin, even layer of preserves on top of the creamy dip.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the panko and Parmesan. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the preserves. Top the breadcrumbs with the cubes of butter.
4. Bake the dip for 30 minutes until the dip is hot & bubbly. Broil the dip for a few minutes to toast the breadcrumbs to golden brown.
5. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and like every year, I am in charge of most of the sides and the desserts. I usually make two desserts and this year I decided to make a Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust & a Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pastry Crust topped with Cinnamon Ice Cream. But... back to the cheesecake. This delicious cheesecake is like two famous Thanksgiving desserts, smashed into one. Almost every household has either a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie at their table during the holidays, so why not combine them together and make the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. I actually doubled my recipe to make two cheesecakes, so we could enjoy one before (shh don't tell anyone), and my Mountain Man has already had three slices! The crust is perfectly cinnamon-y & crunchy... I like a really thick crust, so if you don't, then definitely reduce the cookie crumbs. The pecan pie filling is sweet, gooey, and nutty, which perfectly balances the more-savory & spicy pumpkin cheesecake layer. I know it may be short notice, but go and run to the grocery store now and buy all the ingredients to make this cheesecake, your friends and family will thank you!! Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Beauty Shot of the Whole Cheesecake 

Layers of Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pecan Pie, & Thick Gingersnap Crust

For the Cookie Crust:

2 ½C Cookie Crumbs (I like Biscoff Cookies, Gingersnaps, or Cinnamon Graham Crackers)

¼C Sugar

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Pecan Pie Filling:

1C Sugar

2/3C Dark Corn Syrup

1/3C Butter, Melted

2 Eggs

1 ½C Chopped Pecans

1t Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Filling:

2 Blocks of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 ¼C Sugar 

2T Sour Cream

1C Pure Pumpkin Puree

3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature & Separated

1T Cornstarch

½t Salt

1 ½t Vanilla Extract

1 ¼t Ground Cinnamon

½t Ground Ginger

Pinch of Ground Cloves

For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream:

½C Heavy Cream

1T Sugar

¼t Vanilla

1 ½t Bourbon 

Directions:

1. Prepping for the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and spray with Pam, and set aside

2. For the Cinnamon Cookie Crust: Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they resemble a cookie crumble. Stir in the melted butter along with the brown sugar until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack, and then wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the pecan pie filling.
3. For the Pecan Pie Filling: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat & simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the pecan pie filling into the crust and set aside.
4. For the Pumpkin Pie Filling: Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides, about 3 minutes. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, salt, and all of the spices. Beat until just combined. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then gently fold the whites into the cheesecake batter. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared spring form pan, on top of the pecan pie filling (making sure to smooth the top evenly). Gently the roasting pan with the cheesecake in it into the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the spring form pan (this helps for even baking). Bake until the outside of each cheesecake sets in the center but is still loose (about 1 hour). Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for another 45 minutes to a hour (this step will help prevent cracking on the top). Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen it from the sides of pan. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 
5. For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream: Whip the cream in electric mixer, adding the sugar, vanilla, and bourbon as it starts to thicken. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If your cheesecake happens to have any cracks in the top, the bourbon vanilla whipped cream is the perfect solution to cover them, and no one will ever know... shhhhh :)
6. Serving the Cheesecake: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating. Serve with a dollop of the bourbon vanilla whipped cream.

source: pecan pie cheesecake.

Soup Sunday: Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Whenever we go out to eat at a restaurant, I always take little mental notes in my head of the dishes that I loved, so I can try to recreate them at home. Well, when we went to lunch at one of my favorite little cafes in Savannah, Cafe Zeum, we had the best thai tomato soup with goat cheese. We seriously gobbled it up, and I knew that I just had to make it. However, I make tomato soup all the time, and since it is pumpkin season, I decided to switch out tomatoes with roasted pumpkin. The soup was so hearty and delicious. I put my own little twist on the recipe by frying goat cheese balls, drizzling it with chive cream, and topping it with candied pumpkin seeds. This seriously is the oddest soup, but somehow all the components come together to make a tasty Thai concoction. And for all you people who love to kill yourself with spicy food (like we do... we like to be in pain from heat), drizzle some Sriracha on top to really put the dish over the top!! Enjoy :)

Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs are the Best Ever. Trust Me. 

For the Soup:

2 Small Pumpkins, Cut into Halves & Roasted

1 Onion, Roughly Chopped

1 Pear, Chopped

3T Butter, Room Temperature

2 14oz Can of Coconut Milk

1C Chicken Stock

1T Lemon Juice

4oz Thai Red Curry Paste

4 Thai Basil Leaves, Minced

Sugar, To Taste

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pepitas:

1 ½C Pepitas, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon & Cayenne

For the Chive Cream:

¼C Sour Cream

½C Heavy Cream

Handful of Chives, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs:

Goat Cheese, Rolled into Golf-Size Balls & Chilled

½C AP Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

2T Milk

½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling 

 

Directions:

1. To Roast the Pumpkins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully cut each pumpkin into halves and slather them with butter and sprinkle with salt. Place on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down, and place in the oven. Roast the pumpkins for about an hour or until they are tender throughout. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. For the Candied Pepitas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the walnuts to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before garnishing on top of the soup.
3. To Make the Soup: Melt the butter and sauté the onions and pear until tender. Add in the roasted pumpkin. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemon juice, Thai basil, and curry paste to the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. Bring up to a simmer again and season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. For the Chive Cream: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream. Add in the minced chives and seasonings, and then blend with an immersion blender until a smooth cream is formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs: Set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, use the Italian Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the balls of chilled goat cheese into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded balls on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the sticks rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the goat cheese balls for 1-2 minutes or until golden-brown & crispy (without over-melting the cheese). Place them onto a baking sheet & sprinkle with salt.
6. To Assemble the Soup: Ladle the pumpkin soup into a large bowl and drizzle the top with some of the chive cream and Sriracha. Sprinkle some candied pepitas and minced chives around the edge, and then place a crispy goat cheese bomb on top of the soup, and enjoy immediately (before the crispy ball becomes soggy from the soup).

source: thai-spiced pumpkin soup.

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

So even though I really like my first recipe for Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles, the texture wasn't exactly what I was looking for from a cookie. I wanted a chewy cookie with a crispy outside, kind of like a chocolate chip cookie. However, apparently pumpkin puree doesn't allow cookies to be chewy, but very very cakey. The solution? Pumpkin Butter. These cookies were exactly what I wanted. Definitely try these, you won't regret it! Enjoy :)

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

For the Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled (I browned the butter for extra flavor)

1C Brown Sugar, Packed

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

½C Pumpkin Butter

2 ½C AP Flour

3T Cornstarch

½t Baking Soda

¼t Salt

1-2t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cream of Tartar

1 ¼C White Chocolate Chips (optional)

     

For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar:

½C Sugar

1T Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cinnamon

¼t Salt    

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam.

2. To Make the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and egg yolk. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin butter, blending to combine. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, & pumpkin pies spice. Slowly add in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape down the sides occasionally, and beat until combined. Beat in the white chocolate chips if you are using them (I didn’t because I wanted to keep them classic). Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough balls and roll them into balls using your hands. Place them onto the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour, so that the dough firms up.

3. For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar: In small mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, and then set it aside.

4. Making the Cookies: Once the dough has chilled, roll them into the pumpkin pie spice-sugar mixture until completely covered, and then place onto your prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with a little more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar.

5. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through) or until the cookies look crackled and they are slightly cooked through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Once they have cooled on the sheet, remove them to a rack to finish cooling for 5-10 more minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy!

source: chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

I have made Snickerdoodles before, and they were a big hit with my Mountain Man. So I thought, why not make these delicious classic cookies, but with fall flavorings! The cookie base has pure pumpkin puree in it, and then it is coated in a pumpkin pie spice rolling sure. They really do taste delicious and they create the most amazing holiday smell in your house while they are baking. My only complaint of this cookie was how cakey they were, so I decided to use another recipe that would feature a chewy pumpkin cookie with an amazing gooey center. So, I will be posting that recipe in a day or two! Enjoy :)

Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

For the Cookies:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1C Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

¾C Pure Pumpkin Puree

1 Large Egg

2t Vanilla

3 ¾C AP Flour

1 ½t Baking Powder

½t Salt

½t Pumpkin Pie Spice

For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar:

¼C + 2T Sugar

1T Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cinnamon

¼t Salt

Directions:

1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in the egg and vanilla, and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time until just incorporated.

3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for an hour, or until the dough becomes slightly firm.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silpat. Mix all of the ingredients of the pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar in a small bowl until well incorporated, and then set it aside.

5. Using an ice creams coop, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Using your hands, roll the dough balls in the pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar, making sure that they are completely covered. Place the sugar rolled dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat.

6. Once all of the dough balls have been rolled in sugar and placed on the baking sheet, flatten the cookies with a glass by pressing the glass evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with a little more pumpkin pie spice sugar.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are slightly firm to the tough. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

source: pumpkin snickerdoodles.

Classic Low Country Boil

I'm sorry I didn't post much this weekend, one of my best friends came to visit me in Savannah this weekend! This was her second time coming to visit, so we just hung out, went to lunch, and explored downtown. And whenever I have a visitor, I always try to cook them a dinner that they would love! Well, she loves seafood and Savannah is known for our wild Georgia shrimp, so I knew I had to use them in a recipe. We finally decided on a classic Low Country Boil with shrimp, red potatoes, corn, and sausage. I had never made a Low Country Boil before, but I heard that it was super easy & also super tasty! Well it definitely was, and I'm so glad we made it. I honestly can't believe how we ate all that food, but it was truly delicious. We will certainly be making this again soon, it was just perfect! Enjoy :)

Classic Low Country Boil 

For the Boil:

1 Bag of Seafood Boil Seasoning

4Q Water

4 Lemons, Cut into Quarters

1 Onion, Cut into Quarters

28oz Baby Red Potatoes

1 Package of Conecuh Smoked Sausage, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

6 Ears of Corn, Cut into Small Rounds

3lbs Fresh Shrimp, Unpeeled

Tartar Sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Hot Sauce

Cajun Seasoning

Soy Sauce

Directions:

1. Fill large pot with enough water to cover all the ingredients. Add in the seafood boil seasoning, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil (do this to taste, make it as salty/spicy as you want). Add in the quartered lemon and onions. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage, and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the corn and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and sprinkle the ingredients with Cajun seasoning. 
2. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce for dipping.