Want your house to smell like a million bucks?  Have an hour to spare?  Just whip up a batch of cinnamon snaps!  My dad introduced me to cinnamon snaps last year and I knew right away I needed the recipe so I could make them again.  These cookies just ooze “fall”.  They bring to mind leaves turning and fires crackling (we don’t have a fireplace) and cookies baking (duh).  Suffice it to say they give me a warm fuzzy feeling.  Also cinnamon snaps are in the select group of “Jake-approved” treats, so you know they must be good.

Cinnamon snaps seem to be one of those unassuming cookies that people dismiss without trying.  I’ll admit they aren’t the prettiest cookies to ever pass through my oven.  I mean, they’re brown. And in a non-chocolate way.  It’s unfortunate though, because you are missing out if you don’t give them a shot!  Some people may be scared away because they contain molasses.  I feel like molasses has a negative connotation.  I don’t know why, but “molasses” sounds like something only old men like, which is funny because I liked molasses cookies even when I was a child.  I dare you to try these cookies even if you think you don’t like molasses.  You won’t be disappointed!

This batch of cinnamon snaps made its way to my brother and sister-in-law’s house for Thanksgiving.  I was so excited when my stepfather told me to make sure I bring them again for Christmas!  AAYSR (“Ask and you shall receive”).  As usual we had way too many Thanksgiving desserts, which meant we had lots of cookies left for munching on the next day.  Turns out cinnamon snaps go down a bit too easily–it’s hard to walk past them and not grab one or two!  I may or may not have eaten one before breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.  Oops!  It’s ok, I worked off the calories playing in the snow that day!

Here’s the secret for the perfect cinnamon snap (which I learned the hard way):  Do NOT overbake.  Bake them until they crack but still look gooey.  The first time I made them I baked until they were done, and they ended up hard.  Still good dipped in tea—none went to waste.  But only after making them again and baking for less time did I realize how amazing these cookies are.  Rolled in cinnamon-sugar.  Soft.  Rich.  Moist.  Chewy.  I wish we didn’t eat them all, because now I want one!

Cinnamon Snaps

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Yield: Around 30 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add egg and molasses, and mix to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and salt using a whisk or spoon.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with the electric mixer until combined. Continue mixing with your hands or a rubber spatula until a dough forms (around 1 minute).
6. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
7. Using your hands, form dough into 1 inch balls then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. I use a cookie scoop to measure the dough before rolling it into balls with my hands. This gives you uniformly sized cookies that bake evenly.
8. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, just bake on ungreased cookie sheets and wipe the cookie sheets with a paper towel between each batch to remove any grease.)
9. Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until tops are cracked but cookies are still slightly gooey in the center. Keep an eye on the cookies while they bake--they may reach the "cracked but gooey" stage sooner, depending on the size of the cookies.
10. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

2.6

http://www.sweetsbeforeeats.com/cinnamon-snaps/

My favorite holiday is almost here!  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it is hands down the best meal of the year.  When I was a kid, I hated Thanksgiving.  I was a picky eater (imagine that!) and didn’t like gravy, stuffing or sweet potatoes.  So my Thanksgiving consisted of dry turkey and mashed potatoes, although luckily my family always had THE BEST dinner rolls.  Nowadays my brother and sister-in-law host Thanksgiving.  Not only do they make a delicious meal, they also make the day super-casual (like “sweatpants casual”—right up my alley!).  Over the years my taste buds got with the program and I now like stuffing, gravy and sweet potatoes.  I still love mashed potatoes (when I make them I add melty mozzarella cheese…mmm…) and cranberry sauce (from the can.  I know, I know…but I like it!).  If I were hosting Thanksgiving it would include sweet potato pie with toasted marshmallows on top and homemade macaroni and cheese.  Some day…when we have a house with a dining room (or when they move Thanksgiving to July so we can party outside).

Let’s talk Thanksgiving dessert.  Um…YES PLEASE.  Oddly enough, I do not like pie.  Let me rephrase that—I do not like pie crust.  So I don’t eat apple or pumpkin pie (or any fruit pies for that matter).  I like pies with graham cracker crusts, like the German chocolate pie I make.  Even if you remove pies from the equation though, Thanksgiving always offers yummy desserts.  Since I’m traveling 3½ hours to my brother’s house for the holiday, I am bringing a few desserts that travel well—chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon snaps and Arlene’s Pumpkin Bread.

Arlene is my co-worker, and she always makes sure the office feels homey.  A few weeks ago, she brought homemade pumpkin bread to work.  It’s scary how quickly the four people in my office polished it off.  It was AMAZING.  I’ve never tasted a bread of any variety that was this moist.  It is the best pumpkin bread ever.  She kindly gave me the recipe, and now I bring it to you.

I made two batches of pumpkin bread, which yielded three loaves and 16 muffins.  I’m freezing one loaf for Thanksgiving, and I left another loaf forJay, Jake and I (mostly “I”) to pick at until I’m forced to freeze it for fear my pants will not button.  I donated the remaining loaf and muffins to this great local charity, Helping Hands in West Islip, that was hosting a Thanksgiving Drive.  Helping Hands was founded by a local mom over 20 years ago and provides local children in need with essentials on a year-round basis.  This includes food, clothing, shoes, toys, backpacks, school supplies and much more.  At the Thanksgiving Drive they were collecting homemade baked goods and Thanksgiving centerpieces, holiday food baskets, canned goods and food gift certificates.  I like knowing my small contribution will be enjoyed by a family in my own community.  As the holidays approach and I’m stressing over gift-giving, it’s a nice reminder that I’m lucky to have what I do and I can help others by spending just a couple hours in my kitchen (which, let’s face it, I’d find an excuse to do anyway!)

Arlene’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

Print

Yield: 2 loaves or 32 muffins or 1 loaf and 16 muffins

Serving Size: 1/16 of a loaf or 1 muffin

Ingredients

• 2½ cups sugar
• 1 8 oz pkg Philadelphia original cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick), softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl combine sugar, cream cheese and margarine with an electric mixer. Mix until well blended.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Add pumpkin, mixing until combined.
6. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and ground cloves. Stir with large spoon or wire whisk until blended.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until moistened.
8. Fold in nuts and raisins.
9. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
10. Bake 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Begin checking at 50 minutes.)
11. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

For muffins, pour batter into lined muffin tins filling each 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 15-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clear.

Recipe by Arlene.

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http://www.sweetsbeforeeats.com/arlenes-pumpkin-bread-and-muffins/