4.50 to paddington

Inspiration: So when my bakes fail, they do so in spectacular fashion….The first and only time I attempted to use my set of cookie stamps, I set one tray of cookies on fire, singed the second pan, and wildly overbaked the third. Then, staring at the fourth prepared pan, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and my quest for cute cookies wasn’t worth setting off the apartment building’s fire alarm system.

(BTW: You NEVER want to be the person who causes a building-wide evacuation at 11 pm or explain to the fire department that you really can bake whilst briquettes sit smoldering in the sink.)

Since we no longer live in an apartment, I decided to give my festive set of stamps another try, only this time, using a recipe created for the express use of the cookie stamps. Perusing the Nordic Ware site, I found this recipe, which turned out great on the first try!

(BTW – this is not a sponsored post. I happen to like their bakeware.)

Surprisingly, I didn’t change a thing — though I must admit these were a touch too spicey even for me. Next time I’m going to cut down on the cloves to a heaping 1/8 tsp rather than a heaping 1/4 tsp and see if it helps. Though I suppose if you eat these cookies with ice cream, it would balance the flavors rather neatly….something to keep in mind.

Christie: I can see Inspector Japp and/or Captain Hastings enjoying these cookies with a bowlful of vanilla ice cream during the holidays!

This Week’s Recipe: Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins

Inspiration: Okay, so….On a sorta foggy brain day I decided to make bread. Then while waiting for the first and second rises to finish I decided to make blueberry muffins….and the batter turned out odd.

But hey, it happens sometimes.

So I stuck it in the oven.

Then….

Whilst cleaning up the kitchen I opened the microwave….and discovered the butter I’d melted sitting inside. (Insert some kind of comic crescendo of music here.)

Sigh.

Letting the butter-less muffin bake, as I thought they could still be edible (btw – they weren’t), I started flipping thru the newest issue of the Bake From Scratch magazine. Happily, it’s the September/October issue so there were a few pumpkin based recipe inside and I found one for these muffins. Stubbornly, and still wanting an easy breakfast bite, I decided to give this recipe a go.

And they turned out great!

(I composted the rock like blueberry ones.)

Christie: Honestly, I can see Lucy Eyelesbarrow whipping up these for Miss Marple, had she come to help her during the fall rather than Christmas. Or perhaps Tuppence baking these for her children during the Autumn season!