Fill the Cookie Jar with Biscoff Chai Cookies

Can you believe that it is already November?  The only great thing about the beginning of the month that it is time to Fill the Cookie Jar again.  This month's theme is Thanksgiving.  Do you have a favorite cookie that you serve on Thanksgiving?

Fill the Cookie Jar with Thimble Cookies

Are you a procrastinator like me?  I am such a procrastinator.. once again I left my Fill the Cookie Jar post until the last minute.  You would think I would get them done a head of time.. but no, last day busy baking and fingers crossed that my cookies turned out....

Flower Cookies for Momma ~ #fillthecookiejar #mothersday

It's time to fill the cookie jar again... and mine is getting a bit empty.  This month's theme is mom's favorite cookies... Although that it isn't really what I did as I was thinking the theme was cookies for mother's day

Fill the Cookie Jar with Bird's Nest Cookies #fillthecookiejar

 April is here and so is spring...  Well maybe not so much if I look outside of the windows, but I am pretending.  With spring comes Easter and I love Easter and all the bright colours and candies...

Time for a cookie exchange at Foodie Friends Friday.

This time of the year it is always fun to have a cookie exchange that way you don't have to make so many different types of cookies but you can still have them.
So we here at Foodie Friends Friday are going to have a virtual cookie exchange.  Bring over you best cookies for us...

First Highlights from Last Week's Party

Host Favorites

Head over to the Daily Dish Magazine to check out the wonderful pies

My Host Favorite

I am not a big fan of eggnog.. it is much to thick for me but I love the flavor in baking and cooking.  I use it all the time and even freeze some at the end of the season so that I can have some eggnog baking during the year.  Nicole from 365ish Day of Pinterest brought over a wonderful Eggnog Pie.  It is also a no-bake recipe which is also perfect during the holidays when your oven is full.  I do need to make this recipe soon and check it out.  I know it will be perfect.

picture credit: 365 (ish) Days of Pinterest

Recipes with the Most Clicks

 Let's Party

 

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Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

-b

Pumpkin Chai Biscotti ~ #fillthecookiejar

It is time to Fill the Cookie Jar again.  Mine is getting down to the bottom, so it worked out perfect.  This  month's theme is Thanksgiving.  When I think of Thanksgiving, it is a time of being thankful... Can I be thankful that we don't have snow yet... Well I am, there is snow all around us but thankfully we have only received a small dusting but I do know that there is more to come.  Even though I am thankful that we don't have any snow, I am thankful of the season and the nature that is given to us.. the splendid colours of the fall with the dusting of snow.. Beautiful.

But .... I am getting a bit sidetracked as the snow and the seasons have nothing to do with cookies and I need to Fill the Cookie Jar.  This group was started by Cynthia from Feeding Big .  Each month we are given a theme and we can decide to accept this challenge or not.  As I said before this month theme is Thanksgiving.  When I think of Thanksgiving I think of turkey, dressing and all the fixing ~ Well I didn't think that would make a great cookie but pumpkin pie is a part of Thanksgiving and you need cranberries when you eat your turkey and that is something that I can work with.

I have always wanted to make biscotti and my BBF Marlene from Nosh My Way made some Cracked Pepper Chocolate Chunk Biscotti for one of the Fill the Cookie Jar months and it just made me want to make them even more.  I love biscotti and it is a cookie that is great for dipping either in tea, coffee or hot chocolate.  So, I decided this month I was going to make some with Pumpkin, Chai and Dried Cranberries... They turned out wonderful and every day they even taste better as they get crunchier and the flavours mesh together.  This recipe was adapted from a basic biscotti recipe that I found on  Allrecipes.com.

Pumpkin Chai Biscotti

adapted from Allrecipes.com 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup sugar ( I use Morena Pure Cane Sugar)

1 cup pumpkin

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat and 2 cups white flour)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/8 cup spiced chai instant powder ( I used Dove Chocolate Discover Spiced Chai)

3/4 cup dried cranberries

coarse sugar (optional)

Salted Caramel Icing (optional)

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In mixing bowl, mix together vegetable oil, eggs and sugar.  Add pumpkin and mix well.

In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and chai powder.

Mix flour mixture into egg mixture until it makes a heavy dough.

Mix in cranberries

Divide dough into two piece and roll out on greased cookie sheet * to the length of the cookie sheet and about 5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick

Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Once baked cool off slightly until you are able to cut.  Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.  Places slices back on cookie sheet cut side up.

Place bake in oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes each side, until lightly toasted.

Once toasted, cool.

While cookies are cooling make Salted Caramel Icing:

In sauce pan melt butter, add milk and brown sugar and bring to boil.  Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat

Add vanilla and icing sugar and mix well.

Drizzle over top of cookies.

Enjoy with a cup of Chai Tea

Writer's Notes:

* I used my baking mats and the cookies stuck slightly to it... I just needed to use a spatula.  Next time I will try parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet to see if it makes any difference.

~ my cookies weren't that hard.  I am thinking after the initial baking it would be better to lower the temperature and leave them in the oven longer or let them dry slightly in the oven when turned off.  Anyone have any suggestions?  They still tasted good but weren't as crunchy as the biscotti I have bought. Everyone that tried them at work said they were good.

Last month I Filled the Cookie Jar with Cobweb Cookies (AKA Lace Cookies).

If you would like to join our group, head over to Feeding Big and fill out  this form.

LINKS: In and Out of the Kitchen, Foodies & Crafties Soirée

31 days of .......................... Cookies

Where has October gone?  It is already the end and I don't think I even saw the beginning.. Does it feel the same for you?  October is a great food month.  Not only is it National Pizza Month, it is National Caramel Month, Dessert Month and Cookies Month.  Who in the right mind doesn't like October.

 g C is for Cookies that is good enough for me... C is for Cookies that is good enough for me.... Cookies, Cookies Cookies n.... I love Cookie Monster and Cookies..  So this month is perfect for me... the best month ever.

One of my favorite all time cookies in Peanut Butter Blossoms but because of a peanut sensitivity in the house I try to stay away from making anything with peanut butter so have had to come up with a new alternative.  I think I have come up with the perfect one.... This cookie is full of flavour and goodness.

Biscoff Chai Blossoms

adapted from Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour (I use 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/4 cup white flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp chai tea instant powder

1/2 cup  sugar ~ I use Morena Pure Cane Sugar 

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter  

1 egg

1/2 cup biscoff

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

48 chocolate Hershey Kisses (I only got 36 cookies and used chocolate and pumpkin spice kisses)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In medium mixing bowl combine flour, soda, salt and chai tea.  Set aside.

In mixing bowl cream together both sugars and butter.

Add egg and mix well.

Add biscoff, milk and vanilla, blend on low speed until mixes

Slowly add dry ingredients and blend on low speed until stiff dough forms.

Shape in 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Immediately after removing from oven press candy kiss into top of each cookie.  Press firmly so cookies crack around the edges.

Cool and enjoy.

I did say 31 days of cookies so here are some more great cookies for you to enjoy.....

Scandinavian Spice Cookies
Cobweb Cookies AKA Lace Cookies
Lemon Lime Sugar Cookies
Lemon Myers Shortbread Cookies
Peanut butter Cookies



Triple Chocolate Biscoff Cookies
Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Craisin White Chocolate Marshmallow Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Biscoff Cookies
Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies 

 I belong to a Fill the Cookie Jar Group and each month we are given a theme and make cookies.. Here are a few from there.  There are no pictures as I didn't get permission from the bloggers so will just leave you the links.  To find all the cookies that have been linked up to this group and more great cookie recipes head over to the Fill the Cookie Jar Pinterest Board.

Nosh My Way ~ Cracked Pepper Chocolate Chunk Biscotti 

From Calculus to Cupcakes ~ Soft Ginger Cookies

Hungry Little Girl ~ M&M Microwave Cookie for One

Six Feet Under Blog ~ Bacon Molasses Cookies

Spatulas on Parade ~ Orange Crinkle Cookies

Winelady Cooks ~ Witches Hat Sugar Cookies 

Yesterfood ~ Dark Chocolate Chews

Feeding Big ~Pumpkin Pie Slice Cookies

Edesia's Notebook ~ Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Growing Up Gabel ~ Sugar and Spice Molasses Cookies

I also want to share with you a couple of recipes from a great friend Isabelle of Isabelle at Home.  She is always making cookies and I get alot of my inspirations from her.

Parmesan Shortbread Cookies

Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Rolo Thumbprint Cookies

Found this picture on Pinterest

no recipe but loved the picture

My next search took me to Pinterest and I thought I would search Thanksgiving and Christmas Cookies to help you with your holiday baking..  I am giving you the link to the direct bloggers page and not the pinterest page.

Pilgrim Hats

Gobble Gobble ~ Turkey Cookies

Thanksgiving Cookie Cake

Plymouth Rock Cookies

Cran- Pistachio Cookies

Snowman Cookies

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Meringue Snow Flower Cookies

Photo credit: Pinterest

There you go 31 days of Cookies.... Now onto to finding caramel and dessert recipes ~ I still have 2 days before this month is over.

LINKED UP TO;  Fluster Buster's Creative Muster, The Weekend Re-treat, Craft Frenzy Friday, Fun Fridays Link Party, Four Season Blog Hop, Make it Pretty Monday, Inspiration Spotlight

Cobweb Cookies (aka Lace Cookies) #fillthecookiejar

This month I waiting until the very last day to make my cookies... I am not sure what my problem is ~ either I need more hours in the day or I just need to get more organized.  I am thinking that it is the organization part that I need to work on.  But I did get my cookies made and they turned out even though they are quite large~ but cobwebs are large aren't they.