Mickey And Friends Fall Recipe Cards

Don’t You Just Love Them!!!

Image is compliments of http://family.disney.com

Minnie, Mickey and Daisy are available to give you a hand in getting your favorite fall recipes in order. You may want to print out dozens on either card stock or plain copy paper. I prefer the card stock, but use what works best to you.

I don’t know about you, but some colorful recipe cards are exactly what I need to get in the mood to bake up batches of cookies, pies and other delicious fall concoctions. When I see these cards in my recipe box, I immediately know to pay attention to them.

These are also great when you’re sharing recipes with family and friends.

Here’s your first recipe Mickey and Mini’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

This is what you’re going to need:
  • Dig in the kitchen cupboards and drawers for: mixing bowls, whisk, electric mixer, wooden spoon
  • 2 cups of flour — your choice, try out the gluten free variety that seems really popular
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg that you’re going to beaten ever so lightly
  • 1 cup cooked pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Goodness, I never thought this list was going to end!

You’re going to need some more stuff to put these delicious whoopie pies together:

  • For you fancy and seasoned bakers out there, you’ll need a Pastry bag with 3/4-inch  opening OR, if you want to do it the easy way, I’d go for a Large Plastic Food Storage Bag and snip out a lower corner, but don’t snip it out now 🙂
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooling rack
  • Cream cheese frosting — use your recipe or go for the store bought — or use a frosting of your choice

Let’s get these whoopie pies made, shall we:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a second mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy.
  4. Beat in the egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
  5. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
  6. Then spoon the batter into the pastry or plastic food storage bag. Once it’s filled, snip off a corner, if you’re using a plastic food storage bag. You may want to experiment with your snips 🙂
  7. For the Mickey faces, pipe 2.5-inch blobs of batter on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, not too close. Remember, you need two for each whoopie pie. Use a clean fingertip to gently flatten the blobs into uniform circles. You’re going to have to keep your fingertip clean, so a wet paper towel works well or you can dip your fingertip in water — the batter is going to be sticky.
  8. Pipe small ear blobs at the top of each batter face, keeping them as close in size as possible. Again, use a wet fingertip to flatten them.
  9. Pop them in the oven and bake the Mickey pumpkin cakes until they spring back when you press down on the center. This will take 8 to 10 minutes.
  10. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Spoon cream cheese frosting into a pastry bag or get another handy dandy plastic food storage bag and snip off the corner.
  12. Pair up the baked pumpkin cakes, matching the shapes and sizes as best you can.
  13. Working with one pair at a time, turn one of the cakes face down and pipe moderate mounds of frosting on the face and ears.
  14. Top the frosted cake with its match and gently press down to spread the filling and hold the whoopie pie together.

Well, there you have it. And, I would say it is definitely worth it when you see your kids gobble them up. There is definite satisfaction in knowing you made these yourself. The big plus for me is knowing exactly what’s in it.

Enjoy the recipe cards and this great Mickey and Mini Mouse Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe.

November Has Arrived

November has arrived with wonderful rain.

Many of you may not agree and many of you may be experiencing other weather. I do enjoy the rain, especially when I don’t have to be out in it. I love sitting at my breakfast table, looking out the window while I’m writing this blog on my laptop.

My power-walkers have been out earlier. Those are brave dedicated women who won’t let a little rain dampen their spirits. I do hope they didn’t get a chill. I’ll find out as the days progress — if I see them . . . or they’re in bed with a cold.

Tis the season for colds . . . be sure to take care of yourself.

My little Yorkie, Abby, is sleeping. She’s tired from the excitement of seeing so many children in their wonderful costumes last night roaming the neighborhood for good treats. I did hear someone remark about the number of granola bars they received. Hummmm, I gave out candy.

After the trick-or-treat crowd disappeared, Abby and I did take a leisurely walk around the neighborhood. There were lots of interesting smells that caught her attention. We returned before the rain began to fall. It was a wonderful evening.

For a Friday night, I was surprised Halloween ended as early as it did. I suppose they had other things to do. I know after my walk I read Legend of Sleepy Hollow and some Edgar Allen Poe. It’s a tradition I established to settle down to get thinking about Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I realized fall has much more to offer until winter sets in.

I know many are thinking ahead to Christmas. Wanting to get started with their Christmas shopping. I think that’s wonderful. I, too, should be adding some Christmas ideas for your shopping pleasure, but for today I prefer to enjoy this rainy fall day and to think about the season and the way it makes me feel.

On my home page I have some thoughts and a fall video. I do feel much more nostalgic than at the beginning of the season, but I did feel it coming through.

I have always had a special liking for fall. There seems to be a special energy in the air. There’s something new with the beginning of a school year for children . . . then the whole Halloween thing. Now, it’s time to relax a bit and enjoy the beauty of the season.

Yes, there’s putting away many Halloween decorations, but I can keep out the pumpkins that haven’t been carved to be enjoyed until I decorate for Christmas. Yes, there’s that word again . . . of another holiday season . . . yes it does want to crowd right in . . .

I also keep out the haunted house and the village. This is something that doesn’t change just because Halloween is gone. Haunted houses do have their “season” of recognition, but if you’ll notice, that spooky old house is still there and still in spooky during the rest of the days, months and years to come.

It’s our focus that changes.

In the still of the night while Abby and I walked around. I thought of the peacefulness, the calm stillness of the night . . . then I remembered it still was Halloween and quickened my step for home.

Once inside, I did think about Icabod Crane and his adventure and mysterious disappearance. It is a wonderful story of a time long ago . . . with a mystery at the end . . . and the possibilities for imagination. I do believe and have thought that since Icabod was unable to capture the heart of the woman he desired, it was time for him to move on. He did get the wits scared out of him . . . but once he was able to think clearly again, he could move on to the next town and discover the opportunities open to him.

I like to think of this as an on-going adventure for him. Just as fall can open up many opportunities for all of us.

As I watch and listen to the rain . . . I pour another cup of coffee . . . thinking of this day and how wonderful it is to be alive to experience it.