Pumpkin. Need I say more?

Okay, I'll tell you a little more. I've had this jar of Libby's pumpkin puree in my cupboard a long time, saving it for the perfect recipe. (Don't worry, it hasn't expired yet!) I decided the perfect recipe for it would include cupcakes. And something that tasted like pumpkin chocolate chip cookies-my favorite! So I planned my recipe and today I discovered a bonus! Libby's is having a contest through Bakespace, and the winner gets a Kitchen-Aid mixer...and gets to choose the color! YES! Since I haven't heard anything more from Ellen's peeps, I figured I'd try to win the contest. I REALLY need a new mixer.

So the pumpkin spice chocolate chip cupcake turkey with pumpkin spice mousse was born!

To decorate, I used circus peanuts, mini chocolate chips, and orange slices candy. These would make an awesome Thanksgiving dessert for the kidlets.

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cupcakes - by the doughdough herself

1 Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

2 cups Libby's Pure Pumpkin

4 medium eggs (all I had was med., you could substitute 3 large eggs)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup flour

2/3 cup Nestle mini chocolate chips

Add everything to a mixing bowl except the chocolate chips. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 24 mouth-watering, moist, eat-so-many-you-will-gain-1o-pounds cupcakes!

Seriously. I do have a sinus infection, but these are the best things I've ever tasted. Can you see the steam rising from these warm cuppies? They are the best hot out of the oven, so feast away if you are too lazy to make frosting!

Pumpkin Mousse Frosting

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 package Jello Instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups Libby's Pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup whipped cream

This may be a weird way to make mousse because I made it up and have no idea how to make mousse! But it's delish, so that's all that matters, right?!

Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 1 package vanilla pudding and beat in. (On second thought, you may want to fold it in, but I beated it in, which is probably why it started to look weird. But it comes out yummy, I promise!) Add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and gradually beat in powdered sugar. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream.

Okay, so I was a little worried about not having the best sense of taste and smell today, so I went outside and recruited the neighborhood sixth graders to be my taste testers (none of my friends were home, sorry guys). I told them I was bringing these to a get-together and I needed their opinion. They said, "If they don't like them, they're crazy!" Score! Of course, kids like anything with sugar and whipping cream and chocolate chips...

Note to self: Blogging the recipe is SO much easier if I do it while I'm throwing it together! No more lost recipes! Speaking of lost recipes, I found my Halloween Oreo cupcake recipe scribbled on a piece of paper mixed in with my baking cups. So next year I'll improve it and post it in time for Halloween. ;)

What's this? Cookies?

So I wanted to make cupcakes tonight, but was too lazy to make frosting, so I decided to make cookies instead. Like a true doughdough, I couldn't find my favorite cookie recipe so I had to check online to see what was in Ranger Cookies and throw something together from memory. They weren't the same, but they were yummy. Really sugary...I'm thinking my recipe didn't have brown sugar, or as much. Maybe just do 1 cup, not packed. Come to think of it, that may have been my mistake, so I'll put 1 c. brown sugar, not packed. The smart thing to do would be to put my recipe on, but I'll have to wait until it turns up!

White Chocolate Ranger Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar, not packed
2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. Rice Krispies
2 c. coconut

1 c. white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder and beat. Add flour and beat. Add rest of ingredients and stir into the mixture. (If you're lazy like me, you'll just beat it in, but that may be another reason the cookies aren't as perfect as they could have been, but they are really good!) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Made approx. 4 cookie sheets worth (I'm so technical, I know!).

Note to Self: So awhile ago I was talking to my friends about kitchen doughdough and my photography business and they asked, "What if down the line you had to choose?" I said definitely photography, since that is my real passion, this blog just gave me the courage to start a business! Who knew I'd have to choose so soon! I've been so busy with my photography business that poor kitchen doughdough has been ignored! (Well, trust me, the doughdough is still here, always doing silly things in the kitchen, just haven't had time to blog!) I'm hoping with the holidays here, I'll be baking more again and when I do, I'll be sure to share my creations. I still have a long list of cupcake ideas that I'll get to eventually, I'm sure.