Sugar Cookie Decorating Party for Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!

For many years, I succumbed to the commercialism of this holiday, usually in the form of a depressed single woman with no date for the big day. One year, I realized that I didn’t need a special man in my life to make the day special. Instead, it dawned on me that surrounding myself with my beloved family and friends made for the perfect celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Even though I am now married and have that special man to celebrate with, I still think the essence of love is sharing time with others, especially on this particular day and especially sharing it with others who feel the pressure of this extremely commercialized holiday.

So today, I invited a handful of friends to my place for a sugar cookie decorating party. We had a blast. We learned some new skills. We bonded. We felt loved.

The basic details, in case anyone is interested:

• I used the Lemon Vanilla Bean recipe from Annie’s Eats. I quadrupled the cookie dough recipe.
• I made 6 batches of royal icing: 1/3 white, 1/3 red, and 1/3 pink.
• I filled 6 piping bags, 2 of each color, for outlining and design work. We used #2 & #3 sized tips for decorating and outlining.
• I also filled 3 large condiment containers with icing for flooding.
• I placed all decorating materials on a large baking sheet in the middle of the table, along with a small damp towel for each guest.
• I baked about 100 3-inch heart cookies (so start ahead of time and freeze them!) for four people.
• I bought aluminum cookie trays at Smart and Final so the guests could store their cookies on them and take them home. At the table, though, we used my flat cookie trays for decorating. Before guests arrived, I filled each cookie tray full of cookies.
• I collected images from google.com of sugar cookie heart designs, saved them on my laptop, and showed those to the guests for ideas. Then, I had traced the cookie cutter heart on paper for each guest and had them sketch out some designs before we began.
• The night before, I had flooded a dozen cookies of each color, so each guest started with 4 red, 4 pink, and 4 white cookies. On these, we began our first round of designing. Lots of laughter as our designs often failed, but it was the company and the learning that we cherished, not the final designs.
• It was time for a lunch break after all that decorating. I served a Southwestern Tomato Soup from Cafe Sucre Farine, Grilled Cheese Croutons from Food Network(smoked gruyere makes awesome sandwiches!), and salad. Later, for dessert, we had Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes baked in mason jars (from Simply Recipes) served with Raspberry Whipped Cream! To die for dessert, I tell ya.
• For round two of cookie decorating, we watch SweetAmbsCookies videos to learn how to marble using wet icing design.

All in all, the party lasted about 4-5 hours and was a lovely way to spend Valentine’s afternoon.

Now, off to stuff myself with sugar cookies!

French Toast Berry Bake

French Toast Berry Bake

Happy 2015!

So, today marks four years that this blog has chugged along. I began with a list of my favorite recipes to share but have gotten sidetracked by trying tons of new dishes I’ve discovered along the way.

This French Toast Berry Bake, though, is on ol’ favorite that comes from a high school friend who serves it at her Christmas Brunch each year. Of all the goodies in her luscious spread, this is the one I look forward to most. She graciously shared the recipe with me many eons ago.

However, I rarely make it because the butter and sugar and bread creates a total calorie bomb. So darn fluffy and sweet and tart and crunchy, though, as you combine all that with berries and pecans.

I always feel guilty about making this. You see, in my mind I associate this with special holiday events, and considering that I’ve feasted for weeks on sugary treats during the holiday season, my mind tells me to avoid making one more sweet and calorie-laden dish.

However, this year, my mom sent me home on Christmas day with a leftover baguette. Perfect excuse to make this fruity french toast dish, right?  This time I attempted to modify the recipe and reduce the fat content. I used less sugar, for starters, and I used dark brown sugar to deepen the flavor. Then I swapped the butter for coconut oil. Still tasted sweet enough.

Then I started wondering how many fewer calories were used with coconut oil vs. butter. To my surprise, they are nearly equal!! Loads of articles out there about how coconut oil isn’t necessarily better than butter nor vice versa. So much for my great idea to seriously make a dent in calorie reduction. I’m happy that I managed to cut back on the sugar, at least, and not reduce the love I have for this ol’ fav.

By the way, much of this can be prepared a day in advance, making it an easy breakfast meal to pop in the oven upon waking. Always a good thing, right?

French Toast Berry Bake

French Toast Berry Bake

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INGREDIENTS

French Toast & Batter

• 1 24-inch baguette
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3/4 cup light brown sugar)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Topping

• 1 cup pecans
• 2 cups blueberries or any combination of mixed berries
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (original recipe calls for 1/2 stick butter)
• 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup light brown sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1. Butter a 13×9-inch baking dish.
2. Cut baguette into 1-inch slices; arrange in baking dish.
3. Whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt; pour over bread. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the dish overnight until ready to bake the following morning.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Toast pecans by stirring them in a pan over medium heat until they smell toasty. Coarsely chop and sprinkle over mixture in pan.
6. Sprinkle berries over mixture.
7. In small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup coconut oil with brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over mixture in pan.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

SOURCE: my high school friend Gina

Sparkling Sugared Cranberries

Sugared Cranberries

Sparkling Sugared Cranberries

I remember seeing this recipe last year and having no desire whatsoever to make it. I had zero affinity for cranberries other than in juice form.

Then this year, I loved the look of this Lemon Cranberry Cake and made it for Christmas, which left me with extra cranberries. I needed to do something with them and thought I might as well give this sugared cranberries recipe a whirl.

I bit into a raw cranberry and promptly spat it out. Not tasty in the least! But I had all these extra cranberries, so what did I have to lose?

Biting into a sugar-coated cranberry is a totally different story than biting into a raw one. Like, WOW! That sugar crust offsets the tartness, creating a pleasant balance of tart and sweet. It tastes kind of like a natural version of Sour Patch candies.

I made everyone try it at Christmas dinner, and to everyone’s surprise, they liked it.

I added them around the Lemon Cranberry Cake, which gave it a sparkly decorative touch.

I’m going to make them again this week for the Book Club meeting, and this time I’m going to try them atop crackers and brie, as seen on Annie’s Eats.

Sugared Cranberries

Sparkling Sugared Cranberries

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• optional: 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• optional: 1/2 tsp. orange extract
• granulated sugar
• optional: chunkier sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Make a simple syrup by combining the 1/2 cup water and the 1/2 cup sugar in a small pan; heat over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. If desired, add vanilla and orange extracts.
2. When simple syrup cools, add cranberries and stir to coat.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove cranberries and allow excess syrup to drain.
4. Transfer berries to a rack placed over a piece of foil to capture excess drainage of syrup. Allow berries to dry for an hour or two. They should have a sticky coating.
5. Place several berries into a bowl of sugar and use a spoon to gently toss them until thoroughly coated. I like to coat first using a thicker-grained sugar (I used a sugar sprinkle I had in my sugar cookie decorating container), then I place the cranberries into a bowl with granulated sugar to fill in the gaps. The thicker sugar creates more crunch, but using only granulated sugar works well, too.
6. Place coated cranberries on parchment-lined paper and allow to dry for another hour or so. At that point, you can store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for about a week. I actually left mine on the counter for a couple days and they fared well.

SOURCE: adapted from Annie’s Eats via Bakingdom

Lemon Cranberry Cake

Lemon Cranberry Cake

Lemon Cranberry Cake

Until this cake, I thought I wasn’t a fan of cranberries. However, its festive look captured my eye, and I figured it would be fun to try something other than chocolate cake or cheesecake for the Christmas dessert.

The recipe begins with brown sugar on the bottom of the bundt pan and fresh cranberries piled on top of that. When it cooks, that brown sugar caramelizes with the cranberries as they burst and soften, creating a compote-like topping. The sugar tempers the tartness of the cranberries, too, which then complements the slight tartness of the lemon cake. Top it all off with a lemon sugar glaze and you have one heck of a festive cake, perfect for the holiday season … or any gathering.

By the way, the sugared cranberries placed around the cake add a decorative touch, and I’ll post that recipe as soon as I finish this one.

Lemon Cranberry Cake

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INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a bundt pan with butter or shortening.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of the bundt pan, then layer the cranberries over the sugar.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. In a large bowl, use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it is infused with the lemon fragrance.
6. Add the butter to the sugar; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
8. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine buttermilk and 2 tbsp. lemon juice.
9. With mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Add 1/2 the buttermilk mixture; mix until just incorporated. Repeat. You should end with the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
10. Spoon batter into the bundt pan over the cranberries, smoothing out as needed.
11. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until golden brown on top and knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
12. When cool, carefully transfer cake to serving platter (scooting it onto a cookie sheet works well for the transfer).
13. For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cake; let set before slicing.

SOURCE: Annie’s Eats via Williams Sonoma

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Kahlua Balls

Kahlua Balls

Scrolling through my massive list of recipes to try, the Kahlua Balls jumped out at me. Good way to use up some of that homemade Kahlua I tried last summer!

(Note: I never blogged about the homemade Kahlua, but here are a couple notes if you use the linked recipe: you can replace the chocolate liqueur with 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, and using coarsely ground coffee beans rather than dried espresso gave a richer flavor–I tried both methods.)

So think graham crackers spread with chocolate and doused with a bit of Kahlua, but imagine all that rolled up into a ball. Yep, that’s what these are like. As you bite into a dense ball of sweetness, that Kahlua flavor pops out at you.

Good news: these come together easily and require no baking. A small cookie scoop makes the process go much more quickly, by the way.

So if you need something to bring to a party or to grace your holiday cookie tray, give these little sparkling balls of flavor a try.

Kahlua Balls

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Yield: about 50 1-inch balls

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped semisweet chocolate (I used 4 oz. dark chocolate and 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup Kahlua
• 3 tbsp. brewed coffee or espresso
• 3 tbsp. agave (or corn syrup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar in which to roll balls

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl or food processor, mix crushed graham crackers, chopped chocolate, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. (I actually roughly chopped the dark chocolate bar first, then placed that and the semisweet chips in the food processor and pulsed until finely chopped, then I added the other dry ingredients and pulsed until combined).
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the Kahlua, brewed coffee, agave, and vanilla extract. Add to the food processor bowl; pulse until the dough forms a ball.
3. Shape into 1-inch balls (a small cookie scoop speeds up this process). Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
4. Store in an airtight container, either in the refrigerator or on the counter.

SOURCE: adapted from Sugarcrafter

“8-Layer” Truffles

Traditional 7-layer cookies made into truffles (or add another ingredient to make 8 layers, like I did)

Seven-Layer Truffles. The title intrigued me. The concept of taking the seven-layer cookie bar and transforming it into a bite-sized truffle tantalized my mind.

To make the truffles, instead of layering the ingredients like you do for the cookies, you mix it all together, slightly underbake, then scoop into balls, chill, and finally dip in chocolate. And then you get to bite into a divine ball of rich, chocolately sweetness. And swoon.

I ran short on graham crackers when I made these, so I substituted with some Oreo cookie crumbs; hence, my truffles were very chocolatey. Not that I minded one bit, though!

My truffle, then, isn’t quite the 7-layer…more like 8 layers. Even more flavors to delight the palate!

“8-Layer” Truffles

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Yield: I got about 4 dozen truffles using my small Oxo cookie scoop

INGREDIENTS

Truffles

• 1 stick butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup)
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I only had 1 cup, so I used 1 cup finely chopped Oreo cookie crumbs, too)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened, condensed milk

For Dipping

• 8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp. safflower oil
• graham cracker crumbs and shredded coconut, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and graham cracker crumbs.
3. Add the chocolate chips, coconut, toffee bits, and pecans; stir until evenly distributed.
4. Add the condensed milk; stir until completely combined.
5. Transfer mixture to the 8×8 dish; distribute evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. While dough is still warm, scoop about 1 1/2 tsp. into mounds on parchment-lined baking sheets, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm. Dough will likely be very soft and won’t shape into balls initially, but after refrigerating, you can easily roll them between the palms of your hands to make balls.
7. To prepare chocolate for dipping, place chopped chocolate in a double boiler (I place a glass bowl over a small saucepan filled with about an inch of simmering water), stirring frequently until chocolate melts.
8. Remove pan from heat but keep bowl over hot water so chocolate will stay melted. Add oil and stir to combine.
9. Dip truffles in chocolate and place on parchment paper. To garnish, sprinkle with shredded coconut or graham cracker crumbs while chocolate is still soft and melted. To dip truffles, I use a plastic fork from which I’ve removed the inner tines. This allows me to easily scoop the balls out of the melted chocolate. I lightly tap the fork on the edge of the bowl and allow excess chocolate to drip off before transferring dipped balls to the parchment-lined baking sheet. I also use a chopstick to push the dipped balls off the fork.
10. Transfer coated truffles to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to harden the shells. After the shells harden, I usually trim excess chocolate from the bottom of the truffles. I simply use a small knife for the trimming.
11. Truffles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.

SOURCE: Kitchn.com

Festive Fudge (White Chocolate Fudge with Cranberries and Pistachios)

Festive white fudge studded with cranberries and pistachio nuts

A baking frenzy took place in my kitchen yesterday. All day–from early morning until evening–I whisked, stirred, melted, rolled, filled, dipped, and baked an assortment of cookies and candies. I made ol’ favs: Walnut Pillows, Pecan Balls, Pecan Tarts, and Macadamia Nut Butter Cookies.

And I tried a few new recipes, such as this Festive Fudge: luscious white chocolate studded with green pistachios and red cranberries. Nutty and fruity. Tart and chewy. Perfect holiday fare.

Ever made fudge? It’s a hit or miss situation with me, kind of like my caramel experiences. But this one worked easily enough: dump a bunch of stuff into a pan, boil for 4 minutes, add to chips, mix in nuts and fruit, and voila–lovely, festive fudge!

Now on to today’s project: packing all these goodies to give away as well as freezing some for Christmas day.

Festive Fudge (White Chocolate Fudge with Cranberries and Pistachios)

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios (roasting optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. If you want to roast the pistachios, heat oven to 350 degrees F, spread nuts onto a pan, and roast for 5-8 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Prepare pan by lining with parchment paper. Tip: spraying the pan with a bit of oil helps the parchment paper to stay in place. If you want 2-inch high fudge, use an 8 inch x 8 inch pan. If you want 1-inch high fudge, use a 9 inch x 13 inch pan (I like this option because the pieces feel more bite sized and you get a lot more fudge pieces).
3. Place white chocolate chips in a large bowl and have electric mixer  or whisk ready. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
4. This next step involves boiling, so use a large saucepan (I used my 6 quart Dutch oven): over medium heat, bring the sugar, butter, cream, and salt to a full, rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to fully boil, set a timer for 4 minutes, continuously stirring at this point. If you use a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 230 degrees F.
5. Pour the hot mixture over the white chocolate chips and whisk on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until chocolate is completely melted.
6. Add cranberries, pistachios, and vanilla; stir until combined.
7. Pour the fudge into your parchment-lined pan; use a spatula to evenly spread it. Allow to cool, which will take a couple of hours, then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator to cool for a couple more hours before cutting. When ready to cut, use a pizza cutter to make smooth, even, and straight cuts.
8. The fudge can be stored in an airtight container, on the counter or in the refrigerator, for about a week or two. Or you can wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in resealable bag, and freeze for a couple months.

SOURCE: adapted from Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Cookie Round Ups from the Past Few Years

Looking for some cookie ideas? For the past few years, I’ve included a series of cookie posts prior to the holidays. Not happening this year. For some reason, I baked very few cookies in 2014. However, I thought I’d share the past Cookie Round Ups. They do, after all, include some of my very favorite sweet treats.

 

 

Cookie Round Up 2013

Cookie Round Up 2012

Cookie Round Up 2011

 

Pumpkin Tarts (Mini Pumpkin Pies)

Pumpkin Tarts with Cinnamon-Spiced Whipped Cream

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends and delighted in moist turkey, highly-caloric sides, and rich desserts.

With the past several weeks devoted to grading essays, preparing for a craft party, and baking for Thanksgiving, I finally have time to write a post. Yay!

Although I know I’m late to the Pumpkin Recipe Food Blogger Posting season, which runs from October 1st through Thanksgiving, I just have to share about these Pumpkin Tarts. Not only do these mini pies taste creamy and have an ever-so-slightly-tangy crust, but they have a lovely dollop of cinnamon-and-nutmeg-spiced whipped cream.

But I really want to share these today to tell you my tale of woe.

After slaving away at making the dough, the filling, and patiently waiting while they baked, the taste of the warm pumpkin tarts didn’t thrill me.

The following morning, though, after a stint in the fridge, I took another taste test. Much better, worthy now of taking to the holiday extravaganza.

Then the cinnamon whipped cream piped atop with a star tip made them look so adorable. Great taste + adorable looks = winner winner winner!!!

Fast forward to after-dinner-let’s-bring-on-the-dessert time.

Uh oh.

Puzzlement.

The mini pumpkin tarts had vanished. I searched high and low. I searched my brain trying to remember if I had piled the tarts on the kitchen counter along with the other zillion desserts.

After ages of wandering in circles looking for them and wracking my brain, I finally remembered that after piping on those adorable little puffs of whipped cream, I had placed the container back in the fridge.

And totally forgot to take them out before leaving!!!!!!!

Utter disappointment that I didn’t get to share these.

But now I get to eat them all!!!!

And they taste mighty delightful for both breakfast and lunch.

So, here are a few notes about the recipe:

• I used the cream cheese dough from the Pecan Tarts recipe. Easy to work with. Can be rolled into balls and left in the muffin tins made a day or two in advance.
• The pumpkin filling takes slightly more labor than the usual recipe for pumpkin pie but bakes into the silkiest, creamiest pumpkin pie. Totally worth it. Can also be made a day or two ahead of time, which then allows for the flavors to marry and mingle.
• Cinnamon-spiced whipped cream. Takes this over the top. Don’t skip it!

Pumpkin Tarts

Pumpkin Tarts (Mini Pumpkin Pies)

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Yield: 6 dozen tarts

INGREDIENTS

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough

• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), room temperature
• 3 1/3 cups flour (14 ounces)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 (15-ounce) can of yams in syrup, drained
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (grade B used for cooking/baking: see Huffington Post info)
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt

Cinnamon-Spiced Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch (if you want to stabilize the whipped cream, which allows it to last longer, maintain its shape, and not separate after a day)

DIRECTIONS

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough

1. Allow cream cheese and butter to soften to room temperature. To speed this process, cut cream cheese and butter into small chunks.
2. Blend cream cheese and butter (use wooden spoon, pastry blender, or food processor).
3. Sift then measure flour; add salt and whisk to blend. Stir into cream cheese and butter until flour is absorbed.
4. Form 1-inch balls (I used my small cookie dough scoop) and place into ungreased muffin tins. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Remove pastry from refrigerator. Form shells by using tart tamper: Dip tamper into flour to prevent it from sticking to dough. Press tamper into the dough ball in each muffin well until the dough rises up the sides and to the top. If you don’t have a tamper, press dough with thumb around the edges and bottom until muffin well is evenly covered. Place tart shells back in refrigerator until ready to use. At this point, you can cover them tightly with plastic wrap and store in fridge for a couple of days.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine pumpkin purée, drained yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; bring to a sputtering simmer. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly and mashing yams, until thick and shiny. (I used my immersion blender to mash the yams.)
3. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. To remove any lumps and create a silky-smooth mixture, run it through a fine-meshed sieve. At this point, you can store filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or you can use immediately. If not using immediately, rewarm the mixture before filling tart shells.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Fill tart shells to the top. Carefully transfer muffin pan to preheated oven. Bake tarts for 30 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to wire rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight.

Cinnamon-Spiced Whipped Cream

1. Using an electric or stand mixer, mix heavy cream until soft peaks form. Start at low speed and increase speed to medium-high as cream begins to thicken.
2. When cream thickens enough to form soft peaks when you raise the beaters, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (and cornstarch if you want to stabilize the whipped cream). Beat until mixture thickens enough to maintain peaks, which shouldn’t take but a few seconds more of beating.
3. Either dollop the whipped cream onto the tarts that have chilled overnight, or pipe onto tarts using star tip.

adapted from the following SOURCES:

• Cream Cheese Pastry Dough: Scrumptious and Sumptuous Pecan Tassies via My Adventures in the Country
• Pumpkin Pie Filling: Brown-Eyed Baker via Cooks Illustrated
• Cinnamon-Spiced Whipped Cream: Serious Eats (and for fun, another site with whipped cream flavor variations: Splendid Table via Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts)
• Stabilizing whipped cream: Baked Bree