Pumpkin Spice Latte Snowball Cookies

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Have you ever heard about snowball cookies or Russian tea cakes or polvorones or wedding cookies? They are all the same, they are usually made with butter, powdered sugar and nuts (I prefer to use toasted pecans). They’re very popular during Christmas time in the United States or Europe. You might think they are hard to make but really they are not. Because it’s pumpkin season, I decided to give a new twist in this classic recipe. I added pumpkin extract, pumpkin pie spice and espresso powder so I can have a “Pumpkin Spice Latte Snowball Cookie”.

Hope you all are doing great! Let’s start with the recipe! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @Pastry_Tales for more Fall inspiration!

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

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Happy Friday!! Yes, pumpkin season is everywhere ! My husband told me that we already had 2 months of pumpkin (I started Fall baking at the beginning of August), but who doesn’t like pumpkin stuff? I know there are some haters about this, but hey it doesn’t last that long! Pretty soon, we’ll be baking peppermint stuff so for now… let’s just enjoy apples, pumpkins, cinnamon and the wonderful colder weather that I don’t get to enjoy because I live in California.

I posted this recipe last year but I wanted to make sure that all the ingredients and instructions were correct so you can have tasty cupcakes! The directions are super easy to follow.

 Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram : @Pastry_Tales

Let’s start with the recipe!

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Orange Bread

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I wanted to have a break from pumpkin (for just one day) … so I thought why not baking with oranges?, they are still orange like pumpkins, right? Ok… that doesn’t make much sense lol. Anyway, This bread is very aromatic, it has fresh orange juice and zest, it will make your house smell like a bakery! I added mini chocolate chips and walnuts (you can use pecans too). This bread is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It goes perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Sorry I cheated on you, pumpkin. Oranges deserve a recipe too. Here it is.

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Apple Pie Bars

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Happy Sunday! It’s very windy this morning here in the valley. We’re suppose to go boating this afternoon, hopefully it doesn’t get that chilly. Weather here has been awful, sometimes it’s hot, then gets supper chilly and now it’s crazy windy! I can’t wait for cold and rainy weather, I’m so done with warm days.

A few days ago, I was in the mood for apple pie but I just didn’t want to deal with making a perfect lattice pie crust (don’t judge me! lol ). Also, I wanted to bake something easier to share. My husband takes a lot of what I bake to his work, so I thought pie might be a little messy. These apple bars are super easy to make, easy to share and delicious! You can make this recipe for Thanksgiving or any other potluck you might have during Fall or Winter! I had Jonagold apples, so I used them for this recipe.

If you would like to make a larger batch (I just made an 8-inch pan), you should just double the recipe.

Ready for the recipe? Here we go….
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Peanut Butter Cookies With Brix Chocolate Chunks

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Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup  packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup  creamy peanut butter ( I used the one from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1  large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups  all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Brix Chocolate Chunks

Directions:

Red Wine Pear Chocolate Cake

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Happy October! Finally my favorite month is here! I love pumpkins, Halloween, apples, candy, Fall, spooky decorations, etc. I’m drinking pumpkin spice coffee right now (I bought it at Trader Joe’s and it’s very good). I felt that I was baking with pumpkin a lot so I decided to stop for a day and bake something that includes chocolate… so I came up with this idea of mixing chocolate and wine (what can go wrong with that, right?) but… I also wanted to incorporate something fresh (because I knew the cake was going to be rich)… and I decided to add pears. This cake is fabulous to make and share with your friends during Halloween time (or anytime…).

Let’s talk about the wine I used to make this cake. This wine is from my favorite winery “Castello Di Amorosa”, it’s an old vine Zinfandel called Zingaro. If you live close to Napa Valley area and you haven’t visited this winery yet, make plans and drive up there, it’s beautiful and their wine is absolutely amazing.

Are you ready to bake? Let’s start with the recipe.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Scones

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This is the season for pumpkin baked goods. Have you had any pumpkin coffee drink yet? I won’t tell you how many pumpkin coffee drinks I’ve had so far because they are too many. So… how about we mix pumpkin and espresso to make scones? The result of this experiment is pretty good, I wish I added more espresso powder but if you are having a cup of coffee while you enjoy these scones, then you have everything you need for a perfect chilly Fall morning.

Let’s start with the recipe.

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Pumpkin Alfajores

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Happy FALL! Finally it’s here and I can’t wait to keep posting pumpkin recipes like this one. Have you ever had Alfajor Cookies? These are very popular in South America. They are shortbread cookies filled with dulce de leche (which is like a caramel but made from milk). I thought about this recipe a couple of months ago, I was just waiting for pumpkin season to start. Alfajores make me think of my childhood, I remember my mom baking these every year for my birthday when I was a kid. These sandwich cookies have for sure have a special place in my heart.

About the dulce de leche filling : You can buy a can of dulce de leche (you usually find it in Mexican stores OR in the Hispanic food aisle in your regular grocery store) the brand I like to use is LA LECHERA By Nestle). Don’t worry if you can’t find dulce de leche at the grocery store, just get a regular condensed milk, remove the label, put the can in a pan, filled it with water covering the can and let it simmer for 2-3 hours. Always make sure the pan has enough water to cover the can,  keep an eye on that. After 2-3 hours you’ll get dulce de leche! I think Trader Joe’s has dulce de leche too.

Do you want something new and fun to share with your friends during Halloween- Thanksgiving time??… you should make alfajores!

Let’s start with the recipe:

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Apple Bread With Bourbon Glaze

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Happy Monday! I just came back from my first hike after 2 months! I didn’t complete the whole trail (it’s a 4.4 mile uphill trail) but hopefully I’ll make it to the top in the next days. I really missed exercising, I can’t believe I stopped doing it for 2 months but I’m happy that I decided to start today again.

My husband likes Bourbon and last time we went at Trader Joe’s he bought a bottle. He also brought home some apples that he found at work (I think a co-worker has a big apple tree at home).  I was thinking what I can make with those apples… and something came to my mind… an apple spice cake with bourbon glaze!!! The result = Very Good!

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more Fall recipes! @pastry_tales

Let’s start with the recipe.

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