TURKEY COOKIE TREATS: Thanksgiving

Here's a fun and simple recipe that will bring a smile to kids and adults at Thanksgiving.

I found this recipe for Turkey Cookie Treats on the Betty Crocker Website, a great resource for decorating tips and recipes. The recipe calls for using the Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix and decorating gels. You can substitute any of your own cookie recipes and frosting, but if you're in a hurry, mixes are easy and fast!

I've made these adorable Turkey Cookies with a chocolate cookie recipe because you can never have enough chocolate.

Turkey Cookie Treats

Ingredients

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped chocolate frosting
Candy corn
1 tube (4.25 oz) Betty Crocker® yellow decorating icing
Miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate baking bits
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Frost and decorate 1 cookie at a time. After spreading frosting on cookie, add candy corn for feathers. Pipe yellow icing for beak and feet. Add baking bits for eyes; pipe black gel for center of each eye.

Bûche de Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Patch Cake Roll

Here's a great Retro 1970s Thanksgiving dessert recipe from Libby's for Pumpkin Patch Cake Roll. It's a pumpkin spice cake roll with cream cheese filling and frosted with chocolate! This would look  great on your Thanksgiving table. I like to think of it as a Bûche de Thanksgiving!

PUMPKIN PATCH CAKE ROLL: Bûche de Thanksgiving! 

Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Libby's canned pumpkin (or another canned pumpkin--but not with any pumpkin spice)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate buttercream frosting
Candied leaves or candied pumpkins for decoration

Directions

FOR THE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 F. In small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat well. Stir in pumpkin.
Sift together dry ingredients; fold into egg mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
Spread evenly into greased and floured waxed paper-lined 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes.
Immediately loosen sides of cake. Invert onto towel lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper.
Starting from narrow end, roll cake in towel. Cool on wire rack.
Unroll cake; spread with cream cheese filling.

FOR THE CAKE ROLL FILLING & FROSTING
Combine cream cheese and butter. Cream until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar and vanilla; beat until well-blended. Spread over cool, unrolled cake.
Roll; frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.
Decorate cake roll with large or small orange gumdrops or leaf candies. Use your imagination. 

Treat this like a Thanksgiving Bûche!

***

You can always save this recipe for your Bûche De Noel...just decorate with holly, berries, and mushrooms.

ESPRESSO TRUFFLES: 2 Recipes for National Espresso Day!

Today is National Espresso Day. I'm always looking for an easy way to combine the food of the day with chocolate, and what could be easier than Chocolate Espresso Truffles? Following are two recipes. The first is a very easy recipe. The second comes from RealSimple.com. The results are different, so you might want to try both and compare.  Enjoy!!

Espresso Truffles I

For Ganache:
8.5 ounces of Dark Chocolate (70% or so)
1/2 cup heavy Cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp finely ground Espresso

For Coating:
Cocoa powder

Directions
Grate or chop chocolate
Heat cream just until boiling. Add espresso and mix well.
Pour cream over chocolate and using double-boiler method, melt chocolate. (Place pan with chocolate and cream over simmering water,  stirring until  chocolate is melted).
Add vanilla extract to melted chocolate and mix well until smooth. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator. Place cocoa on plate.
Using small cookie scooper or two spoons scoop chocolate. Roll into a ball using hands.
Roll chocolate balls in cocoa, thoroughly coating truffle. Place truffle on parchment lined tray.
Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for later use.

From Real Simple:

Espresso Truffles II

Ingredients
20 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces (or semisweet chocolate chips)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp finely ground espresso coffee
1 cup confectioners' sugar or shredded coconut

Directions
Make filling:
Place 8 ounces chocolate pieces and butter in large bowl. In small saucepan over low heat, bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat and pour half cream into bowl. As chocolate melts, slowly whisk mixture together until smooth. Then gradually add remaining cream until completely incorporated and  ganache is thick and shiny. Whisk in coffee.

Form truffles:
Pour ganache into 2-inch-deep baking pan, spread evenly, and place in freezer for 30 minutes or until set ( should have consistency of fudge). Using  melonballer or small spoon, form rounds and place on baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Let truffles harden in freezer for about 15 minutes. After removing from freezer, roll truffles between hands into marble-size spheres, squeezing slightly (try to do this quickly, otherwise they'll become too soft).

Make coating: 
Let truffles rest in freezer while you make chocolate glaze. Place remaining chocolate pieces in large bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir occasionally, until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until chocolate starts to set at edge of bowl. Drop truffles into melted chocolate and retrieve with fork, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off. Garnish immediately or leave truffles plain and proceed to next step.

Garnish:
For coconut garnish, roll freshly coated truffles in shallow dish of shredded coconut. For confectioners' sugar garnish, set freshly coated truffles on plate and sift sugar over them. Turn truffles and sift again to cover completely.

Storage: 
Place truffles on lined baking sheet and allow to set in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Truffles will keep for about 2 weeks, chilled or at room temperature, when stored in tightly sealed container.

PUMPKIN PIE TRUFFLES: Thanksgiving

If you read this blog, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I love Truffles. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought I'd post some recipes for Pumpkin Pie Truffles aka Pumpkin Spice Truffles. Luckily you have the choice of buying or making them. They're easy to make, but I am also quite fond of See's Candies Pumpkin Pie Truffles. Other premium Pumpkin Truffles are delicate with a combination of burnt caramel (Socola Chocolates Pumpkin Burnt Caramel Chocolate Truffles) or smooth 'unrobed' Pumpkin Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles from Neo Cocoa (may not be available this season). Check out your local chocolatier for seasonal Pumpkin Truffles or scroll down for some favorites at the end of this post. Get your order in quickly, though, before they run out.

***

I always have 'natural' pumpkin in the cupboard. Besides using it for pies, truffles and cakes, it's great for doggie upset stomachs. I also have Libby's pumpkin puree because I grew up with it, and sometimes it's just what I want. I'm not much for making my own pumpkin puree, but don't let me stop you.

Truffles are simple to make. The first recipe is from FoodNetwork for Easy Pumpkin Truffles. They are just that--easy and delicious. The second recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles is adapted from a recipe from Kraft. And, in case you want to experiment, I've added links to other Pumpkin Truffle and Pumpkin Pie Truffle recipes.

1. Easy Pumpkin Spice Truffles

Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground gloves
2 cups cream
1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Grand Marnier

See's Pumpkin Pie Truffles

6 ounces melted dark chocolate
3 ounces cocoa powder

Directions
In medium saucepan over low heat, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until mixture reduces by half and pumpkin looks dry. Set aside.
In medium saucepan over high heat, add cream. When cream boils, take off heat.
In heatproof medium bowl, add chocolate and hot cream. Let mixture sit for minute, then slowly begin to stir, starting in center of bowl and working outwards.
Once chocolate and cream are evenly mixed, add pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine.
Add butter (and liqueur, if using) and whisk.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
On parchment-lined cookie sheet, scoop mixture into small balls using melon baller.
Place in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until chilled.
Remove truffles from refrigerator and dip each in melted chocolate.
Roll in cocoa powder and serve. 

2. Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, divided
8 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

Directions
Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add graham crumbs, sugar, and 3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well.
Scoop cream cheese mixture into 22 (1-inch) balls, using about 1 Tbsp cream cheese mixture for each ball. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Freeze 10 min.
Melt chocolate. Dip cream cheese balls, 1 at a time, into melted chocolate, turning until evenly coated with chocolate. Return to baking sheet; sprinkle with remaining pumpkin pie spice.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Other fun Pumpkin Truffle Recipes to check out:

Pumpkin Pie Truffles from Cake, Batter, and Bowl: Robed in orange white chocolate with insides of dark chocolate pumpkin ganache. Love the walnut half as a pumpkin stem.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles from The Yummy Mummy: White chocolate, gingersnaps, cream cheese and more. What's not to love?

Pumpkin Pie Truffles from Shugarysweets: Pumpkin-y centers robed in white chocolate.

Pumpkin Truffles from Cara's Cravings. Yum!

Pumpkin Spice Truffles from Elizabeth LaBau at about.com (these look like little pumpkins!)

Pumpkin Pie Oreo Truffles from WillBakefor Books

No time to make Truffles? Try these fabulous Pumpkin Truffles:

Socola: Pumpkin Burnt Caramel Chocolate Truffles: A rich blend of pumpkin pie spices, burnt caramel, Hawaiian sea salt and a splash of brandy.

Neo Cocoa: Pumpkin Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles. Infused with classic blend of spices traditionally used in making pumpkin pie. I love these smooth ganache shell-less truffles.

Coco Delice Pumpkin Spice Chocolates: Made with a ganache of white chocolate, pumpkin puree, and seasonal spices, enrobed in dark chocolate.

Godiva: Pumpkin Patch Truffles filled with creamy pumpkin-spice ganache and enrobed in milk chocolate.

See's Pumpkin Pie Truffles: Sweet spicy flavors of cinnamon and allspice combine with the rich mellowness of real pumpkin in these one-of-a-kind Truffles. Enrobed in See's traditional milk chocolate.

Delysia Fall Truffle Collection.

What's your favorite?