I made these Chewy Molasses Cookies to go with my Pumpkin Mousse and they were a hit. The cookies come out soft and chewy. This is a good traditional Molasses Cookie recipe that has the perfect amount of spice. It’s also a kid-friendly recipe.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses, mild flavor

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

1.In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture.

Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll dough with the palm of your hands into small sized balls,(I use a small scoop to measure exact size) and roll them in the remaining white sugar. (This is a step your kids can help with) Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. (Oven temperatures vary) Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!

During the holiday season I’m always inspired to try new recipes. After the hearty Thanksgiving meal and the glorious abundance of desserts, I thought I would try a dessert that was a little on the light side but still incorporate the holiday theme foods.

This is my first time creating this recipe and it would be a great alternative to your traditional pies for holiday desserts. The textures and flavors really come together after chilling in the refrigerator and the texture had turned from whip cream, into this deliciously creamy, silky smooth mousse. I definitely recommend making this dessert the day before you plan to serve it.

Normally I see this dessert served with ginger snaps but my husband is not a huge fan of those so I tried it with Molasses cookies.  It was delicious!

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin puree

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Dash of nutmeg

Directions:

Combine pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups cream, sugar and spices in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into a mixting bowl. Cool completely.

Whip the remaining heavy cream and vanilla until it forms soft peaks and fold into the cooled pumpkin mixture.

Pour into a serving dish or glass, add a dash of nutmeg and serve with a molasses cookie over top before serving.

 If you would like a new and different pumpkin desert that is creamy and delightful, try this!

Every year I like to try a new recipe for my holiday menus. The dressing has always been my favorite side dish of Thanksgiving dinner. This year I tried a new dressing recipe with Artichoke and Sausage. I find it helpful in preparing the dressing when I make the  seasoned bread crumbs and corn bread the day before. This recipe is very delicious and even better the next day. The Italian sausage truly adds a lot of flavor to this dish and great texture. For those of you who are not big fans of artichoke hearts, they can be omitted and it would still be a delcious dish.

 Artichoke Sausage Dressing

Ingredients:

2 14 oz bags of seasoned bread crumbs (or make your own seasoned bread crumbs)

2 cups corn bread, cubed

2 cups  chicken or vegetable stock

1 pound Italian sausage, with casings removed

1 pound packaged sliced mushrooms

1 cup diced onions

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 jar (about 14 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut bread into 1-in. cubes and put in a large bowl.  Add corn bread. Add stock and mix to moisten bread; set aside.

2. Add sausage to a 12-in. frying pan over high heat. Cook, breaking sausage into ½-inch lumps, until meat is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic and poultry seasoning; reduce heat to medium-high, cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are juicy, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, turn heat back to high, and cook, stirring often, until juices have evaporated and vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool.

3. Meanwhile, add parsley, artichoke hearts, and cheese to bread cubes in bowl. Add sausage and vegetables; mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon dressing into a casserole dish.

4. Put dressing in oven and bake until top is browned and edges are crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and set aside.

Are you one of those Black Friday Shoppers? Are you famished after a long day of grabbing all those holiday bargins? This is a perfect recipe that is not only quick and easy but very comforting after a long day shopping and even perfect for a weeknight meal. Put all the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and it will be ready when you get home. These great flavors together will add zip to your meal.

Southwestern Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded turkey meat

2 cups pinto beans, drained

2 cups kidney beans, drains

2 cups garbonzo beans, drained

1 cup diced mild green chilies

2 cups diced and peeled tomatoes

2 cups yellow corn

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons Southwestern Seasoning Mix

2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low heat 6-8 hours.

The longer it cooks, the more the flavors come together. Serve with corn bread or tortilla chips.

Holiday Entertaining Ideas

This Thanksgiving I decided to plan a wonderful array of different recipes for our Thanksgiving feast, starting from the appetizers all the way to the dessert. If your having guests this Thanksgiving, serving easy, quick appetizers will definitely impress your guests. If your refrigertator is well stocked, than you can prepare something quickly.

Easy Appetizer Recipes

Brie is a fun cheese to work with during the holidays and just plain simple for a quick get together with family or friends. Brie is perfect with fresh fruit, crackers or a simple baguette.

Melted Brie with Mango and Apricots

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Apricot preserves
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 Tablespoon orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 pound wedge Brie cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh mango
• 1 baguette, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Mix preserves, orange peel, orange juice, lemon juice and cinnamon in a bowl .
2. Cover apricot sauce and heat in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Pour apricot sauce on a microwave-safe appetizer platter. Place Brie wedge on apricot sauce.

Return to microwave, uncovered and heat until Brie is slightly melted. Garnish with fresh parsley and assort mango pieces on platter.

Place baguette slices on platter and serve.