Season's Change

My favorite time of the year is just about to start! I LOVE the smell of Fall & the anticipation of the holidays coming! This weekend we have had BEAUTIFUL weather! Yesterday's high was only in the 80's! I love that cold crisp feeling that comes when the temperature starts to drop.  :)  SOO, along with my mind racing with new decorating ideas, I'm also wanting to try new baking recipes! I'm not sure why, but like most I'm sure, I do most of my baking around the holidays. I go to Better Homes & Gardens' website for a lot of my ideas! I LOVE that place! Here's a couple recipes I found that I will try in the near future:

Apple-Toffee Tartlets (website)
Makes: 24 tartlets

Prep: 25 minutes 

Bake: 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust (2 crusts)
• 2 medium baking apples, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup toffee pieces
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions
 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let piecrusts stand according to package directions. In a medium bowl, combine apples, toffee pieces, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, unroll one piecrust at a time. Using a round 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out dough. Reroll scraps once to cut enough additional rounds to make 24 total. Press dough rounds into 24 ungreased 1-3/4-inch muffin cups. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the apple mixture into each cup.
3. Bake in the preheated oven about 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from muffin cups and cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar. Makes 24 tartlets.
4. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Mini Snowball Cakes (website)
Prep: 40 min.  
Bake: 10 min. 
Cool: 5 min.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 package 1-layer-size white cake mix
• 1/2 cup canned eggnog
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• Red or green food coloring (optional)
• 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canned eggnog

Directions
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat thirty-six 1-3/4-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray (or line muffin cups with paper bake cups); set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine white cake mix, the 1/2 cup eggnog, egg, the 1 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined, scraping side of the bowl often. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full (about 1 rounded teaspoon in each). Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups and place on a wire rack. Cool completely.
3. To tint coconut, if desired, combine some of the coconut and several drops of red or green food coloring in a small resealable plastic bag. Seal bag. Using your hands, knead the bag until all coconut is tinted, adding more food coloring as necessary to reach desired color. Set tinted coconut aside.
4. For frosting, in a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in enough eggnog (1 teaspoon at a time) to make a frosting of dipping consistency.
5. Dip tops of cooled mini cupcakes in cream cheese frosting. Immediately dip frosted tops into plain or tinted coconut. Set cupcakes upright.
6. Makes 36 mini cupcakes

You can download a FREE Bite-Size Desserts Cookbook from their website now!