Pumpkin Spice Fudge

This past weekend, my brother and family came to visit and I was able to cook with my niece.  It was so much fun.  I was able to teach my niece how my mom taught me to make fudge and how she showed me  what a soft boil stage was and when the fudge was ready.  She did this by dropping a small amount of the candy into cold water and move it around with her finger, if it made a small ball then it was ready.  I still use this method, although I do have a candy thermometer.   As my mother passed away many years ago, and this was a way that my niece could learn something about her grandmother.  My niece also loves to cook, so hopefully in the near future I will be able to cook and bake with her more.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge 

adapted from Pumpkin Bliss Fudge  Dawn's Divine Delight

2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

4 oz white chocolate ( I used Ghiradelli Vanilla Dream, approx 1 and 1/4 bar)

1 bag Hershey Pumpkin Spice Kisses

1 7 oz marshmallow creme (1 used 1 cup homemade marshmallow creme RECIPE)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract - (I forgot to put this in...but my white chocolate has vanilla)

Butter a 9x13 pan or place tin foil in it.  Unwrap kisses and chop up chocolate.
Place sugars, butter, milk, pumpkin puree in a saucepan cook over medium heat until sugars are dissolved. Then continue this until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly.  Boil until the mixture is in a soft- ball stage, approximately 234 degrees on the candy thermometer.
Take off heat and add chocolate,and marshmallow creme and mix until well mixed and smooth. Stir in vanilla (if you are using) and mix well
Pour into your prepared 9x13 pan.  The fudge is already setting at this stage and place in refrigerator to set.

*I took mine out in an hour and was able to cut it and serve it. (my company was leaving and I wanted my helpers to be able to taste it).  The fudge was still a bit warm on the bottom but cut easily and stayed in pieces while we ate it.   So smooth and delicious.  I w it.   It is so smooth and a wonderful pumpkin flavor.  My brother told me we could come for Christmas as long as we brought this with us.  So glad that I bought many bags of pumpkin spice kisses!

the process in fudge making.... with the help of my nieces!
They were so much help.

and one last picture because it is oh so yummy!

                                                                                                         
               

Linked up here:  Mix it up Mondays, Sunday Sweet Confessions Link Party,Manic Mondays, Wednesday Extravaganza

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

There are many recipes out there for pumpkin spice latte.

 This one has something special in it.... A pumpkin spice kiss.

It also has the wonderful flavour of  Don Tomas Coffee.

 It just makes it a little more special.

.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

5 oz evaporated milk

1 tbsp condensed milk

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 pumpkin spice Hershey kiss

1 cup strong coffee ( I used Don Tomas Coffee)

cool whip or whipped cream (optional)

nutmeg to sprinkle on top (optional)

Place evaporated milk, condensed milk, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in small pot.  Whisk and heat over medium heat until milk becomes frothy.  I whisk the milk the whole time.  In coffee cup place a pumpkin spice hershey kiss, add milk mixture and hot coffee until cup is filled.  Whisk again to melt the pumpkin spice hershey kiss.  Add cool whip or whipped cream if desired and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Enjoy!

* If the pumpkin spice Hershey kiss doesn't melt completely.. that is ok, It tastes good at the end of your coffee.

I was given a sample of Don Tomas Coffee along with other members of Foodie Friends Friday to review.  As I don't drink that much coffee anymore I decided to make a speciality coffee and this is what I came up with.  I was pleasantly surprised of the robust taste that Don Tomas Coffee has and I made the coffee very strong to put into this drink.  I find that many coffees if you make them strong, they are bitter but not this one.  It has a great flavour and wonderful taste.  I will be doing a more thorough review of this coffee when Foodie Friends Friday has their Coffee Party on November 16th.  My plans are also to do some baking with this coffee and I am also going to have guest over, so that I can serve it and get more reviews. 

   

                                                       

Links Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Foodie Friends Friday, Tasty Thursdays, Sweet Confession Sunday Link Party

Pumpkin, Biscoff YUM and in a Cookie.....

When I saw this recipe on last week's Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party... I just knew that I had to make them.  For one thing they had pumpkin, second biscoff and then third I can add whatever my little heart desired to make them mine.  They had everything I loved in a recipe.  And I had to make them right now, no waiting, no hesitating but right now... But first I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store to find some Hershey Pumpkin Spice kisses as that is what I wanted to put on them for sure.... Well, the grocery store didn't have them and I really didn't want to run 14 miles to Wally-world to get them so I thought I would stop in Shopko to see if they by chance had them... SCORE! they did... I did have to buy more then one package and a few other candies... Harvest M&M's and Candy Corn M&M's but those will be used for the next great discovery..
Onto where I found these great morsels... I found them at Cooking to Perfection.

Pumpkin Biscoff Cookies

adapted from Cooking to Perfection

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup biscoff spread

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar ( I didn't have any brown sugar)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract  

1 cup Pure Pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
optional:
dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, pumpkin spice kisses
Icing:
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp Oregon Chai Tea Latte Concentrate

* note links on some of the ingredients are so if you haven't seen these ingredients you would know what to look for, they are not where I buy them from.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with baking mats or parchment paper.
In mixing bowl, add butter, biscoff spread and sugars, cream for 1 -2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.  Mix in Pumpkin making sure to scrape sides and mix thoroughly.
In separate bowl  mix cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and flour.  Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend until just combined, do not over mix.  Add optional ingredients of cranberries, white and milk chocolate chips.
I added the cranberries and white and milk chocolate chips to half the mixture and left the rest as original.  Drop large tablespoon size dough onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes until set (they should not be brown).
If using kisses, unwrap kisses before cookies are ready to come out of the oven and once out place on top of baked cookie pressing slightly. Do this while warm or they won't stay on cookie.  I use the original mixture for the cookies with the kisses on.
Mix icing ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.  Place small amount of icing on top of cookie once cooled.  I iced the plan and some of the cookies that I put the dried cranberries and chips in.  Enjoy, I bet you can't eat just one.

   Til next time <3 <3 <3 Marlys

Links:  Lemon Sugar ~ Fall Roundup, 2012 Cookie Party, Foodie Friends Friday