Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 C butter
1 tablet Mexican hot chocolate drink mix (I use Abuelita)
1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1 C miniature semisweet chocolate chips


Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
In saucepan, melt butter and hot chocolate tablet over low heat, stirring constantly.
Place cookie mix in large bowl.  Stir in melted butter mixture and egg until soft dough forms.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in cinnamon sugar; place on cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.  Cool and place in covered container.

Pumpkin Spice Fruit Dip

1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
2 C Confectioners Sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

In a large  mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and sugar, and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the pumpkin, spices and vanilla, and beat until smooth.  Serve with cut up apple slices or other fruit.  Refrigerate leftovers.  Makes about 3 1/2 C.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Recipe originally from Annie's Eats

1 1/4 C flour
2 TBSP. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground cloves
1 C milk
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 TBSP. vegetable oil or melted butter

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a fork to combine.  Mix together milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil/melted butter.  Add these ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk together.  The batter might be a little lumpy.
Cook batter as you would normal pancake batter, using about 1/3 C scoop for each pancake.  Let small bubbles form on top of pancake, then flip and cook a few minutes longer.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Recipe originally from Annie's Eats.

For filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C. confectioner's sugar

For muffins:
3 C. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C pumpkin puree
1 1/4 C. vegetable oil

For topping:
1/2 C sugar
5 TBSP flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 TBSP cold butter, cut into pieces


To make filling: combine cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth and well blended.  Place mixture on a piece of saran wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Wrap tightly, and then reinforce with tin foil.  Transfer to freezer to chill, for at least 2 hours.

To make muffin mix:  preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda.  Whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.  Mix until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make topping:  combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl, whisk to blend.  Add in butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two forks.  Cut until mixture is coarse and crumbly.   Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble muffins:  fill each muffin liner with  a small amount of muffin mix, just enough to cover bottom of liner (I used a heaping TBSP full), around 1-2 TBSP.  Slice the log of cream cheese into 24 pieces.  Place one slice in each of the muffin liners.  Divide remaining batter among the muffin cups, making sure to cover the cream cheese.  Sprinkle desired amount of topping over each of the muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack completely.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Original recipe by Annie's Eats.

2 C flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 C sugar
1/2 C vegetable or canola oil
1 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Whisk to blend, then set aside.  Using a large mixer and another bowl, combine the eggs and sugar; beat until smooth and light in color.  Blend in the oil, pumpkin and vanilla until well combined.  Add dry ingredients until mixed well. Fold in butterscotch chips.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet (I sprayed mine with cooking spray).  Bake about 14-16 minutes, then allow to cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack.  Keep in an airtight container.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 C. butter
2/3 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 C dried cranberries (Craisins)
2/3 C. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Combine oats, baking soda, flour and salt in a separate bowl.  Add to butter mixture slowly, mixing well.  Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, then cool on wire rack.  Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe originally from "Too Busy To Cook" Cookbook.

1 C chopped onion
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can Chicken Gumbo Soup
1/4 C ketchup
1 TBSP. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 TBSP. mustard
2 1/2 C cooked ground beef
1/4 C green pepper (optional)

Mix everything together in large pan. Cook till hot all the way through. Serve on hamburger buns.
***This is also a freezer recipe!!!***