Slow Down ya Move too Fast . . . Festive Holiday Cookies

"Slow down 
and everything you are chasing 
will come around and catch you"

 -- John de Paola

Winter's here and Christmas

is coming.

I just want to stop for a minute and wait for life to catch up a little bit . . .

(Emmy out on a walk . . .

I thought the photo was so perfect with the accidental capture of the speed limit sign ;)

. . .and remember

the colors just outside my window
last week . . .

 

. . . and the grateful feeling of

Thanksgiving . . .

 (Klein family Thanksgiving - we missed ALL of you who were unable to join us!

This is after the turkey trypophan has kicked in and were all playing a game of Sixes and 

lounging about)

(even Cleo, the dog, is worn out from the events of the day!)

 . . . and the festive holiday cookies I made!

Sooooo yummy!

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Maple Brown Sugar Frosting

(that's REALLY what they're called!)

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.
• Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
• Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions. Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.
• Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chunks.
• Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about four dozen cookies.
• Let cool.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp maple flavoring

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn.
• Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.
• Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.

Spread on top of cookies with an knife or offset spatula.

Okay - I'm ready to start unpacking the Christmas stuff!