Chef John's Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Lambage Rolls)

If you haven't been introduced to Chef John, Allrecipe.com's own pun master, let me be the first to introduce you.  Pinterest has led me astray many times with recipes, but Chef John never has.  I love his videos and I swear by his techniques.  Enter a chilly day in Missouri and I was ready for comfort food.  Chef John suggested cabbage rolls. Turns out I happened to have had a pound of lamb in the freezer.

Game on.

I highly recommend you check out his video for Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.  I added some cubed granny Smith apples to the casserole dish.  Winner, winner, lamb and rice dinner.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

An Allrecipes.com favorite.  Over 7000 reviews and still maintains 5 stars.  What else can I add to this except....I modified it.  Don't worry, the modifications are minor.  This is an excellent pumpkin bread recipe.  I urge you to try it sooner rather than later.

Ingredients

15 oz. pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup veg oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 cups sugar
3.5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one extra large loaf pan, a Bundt pan, two large loaf pans, or 3 small loaf pans.  Set aside.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, applesauce and sugar in a mixer.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and spices.  Whisk to combine.

One low speed of mixer, combine the wet ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients in thirds until combined.  Then add the walnuts and raisins.

Pour mixture into loaf pan(s) and cook 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Who doesn't love fall?  The beautiful colors on the trees. The crisp chill in the air as summer steps aside.  The way that we all begin to look forward to the holidays.  For me, one of the best ways to get in the fall mood is to pick up a sugar pie pumpkin and put it in absolutely everything!

Found this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and the Food Network and knew it had to happen.

To prepare the pie pumpkin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a large chef's knife, split the pumpkin in half.  Using a sturdy spoon, scrape out the fibers and seeds.  Don't throw the seeds away!  They are great toasted later.

Place the halves of the pumpkin cut side down on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserts smoothly.  After the pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the pulp and place in a food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Then put that stuff to good use.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 raw sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon purple maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour, oats, cinnamon, soda, salt, and allspice.  Whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract and raisins.  One cup at a time, add the dry to the wet ingredients, stirring to completely combine.

'

Using a mini cookie scoop, scoop onto a prepared cookie sheet (either lined with parchment or using a silicon mat).  Sprinkle with a bit of sugar before baking.  Bake 20 minutes.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Similar to the chocolate snowballs cookies recipe (the one from Dan Savage's mom), this recipe is a traditional Mexican wedding cookie and is so easy and delicious.  The sugar is primarily on the outside, so if you are watching your sugar, you can moderate.  However, this is a butter-based cookie, so if you are watching fat, I'd try a different recipe.

These are so stinking good and remain one of my favorite cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
Confectioners sugar (for rolling)

Combine butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until well combined.  Add pecans and salt and mix well.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough comes together.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set but not browned.  Cool cookies completely before rolling in confectioners sugar.

Yum.