Pumpkin Pie Cookies

I found some more free time, so I decided to do more baking and another blog post! As we are getting closer to Halloween, I wanted to make a recipe that had pumpkin in it. I should have made a more Halloween inspired recipe but maybe I can squeeze another baking session in before then, but for now we have a Pumpkin Pie cookie!! As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew that I had to try it out and I didn't really make that many changes except for using pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon and nutmeg. If you can't get pumpkin pie spice, it is very easy to make your own, I make my own from the last 4 ingredients on this recipe, you can change the quantities of the spices but keep the proportions the same and you have what they sell in some shops as pumpkin pie spice. These cookies turned out very moist and cake like, very yummy!

Recipe inspired by Very Best Baking

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Steps:
Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Grease baking sheets. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Mix together all ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Happy Halloween!

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Mediterranean Croissants

Finally a new recipe on here!! Sorry, that it is been so long since I have shared any recipes on here, life has been very busy the last few months but I am getting used to my new schedule and found time to write a blog post. About 2 years ago, we went on a trip to Greece and we frequently visited this little cafe in Athens for lunch. They had all types of baguette sandwiches and I particularly liked what I think they called a Greek baguette. It had kalamata olive tapenade, tomatoes, feta, and spinach leaves on it, simple but all the flavours that I love. Since that trip, I have recreated the sandwich at home but never thought about using similar flavours for baking a yummy treat. That is exactly what I have made today with some slight tweaks... I've added garlic in, replaced the tomatoes with sun dried tomatoes, basil in place of spinach, and a croissant instead of a baguette! Popped them in the oven and the smells coming out were so yummy, I couldn't wait to try them. These treats would be great starters for a little get together. I loved them!

Recipe inspired by my trip to Greece!

Ingredients:
Your favourite croissant dough
recipe or use shop-bought puff
pastry, enough to make 8 small
to medium size croissants

For the filling:
Jar of kalamata olive tapenade

100g Feta cheese

4 cloves of Garlic, crushed

8 large sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

Handful of fresh Basil leaves

Steps:
Preheat oven to the temperature according to your croissant dough or puff pastry recipe. Crumble the feta in a bowl with the crushed garlic and mix together, then set aside. Now, cut your dough into triangles then take a heaped teaspoon of the olive tapenade and spread across the top of the dough. On top of the olive tapenade, evenly place 1 sliced sun-dried tomato along the base of the dough triangle. Follow this with a spoonful of the feta mixture and then cover with 2 to 3 basil leaves. Slowly start to roll up the base of the triangle to the tip and place on your baking tray. Bake according to the dough recipe that you are using, let them cool for 5 minutes on the tray before serving.

Assembling the Mediterranean Croissants: 

Baked and ready to eat!

 

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