FALLING IN LOVE WITH SEPTEMBER

I think it is something your born with...I definitely am a fall girl. I mean some people are summer people(Allison) and some are so into fall they can taste it. That would be me!
I can taste the crisp anticipation of the things to come, fall fairs, pumpkin everything, crisp leaves under our feet.
school has started, Allison loves it even if she trys to grumble about all the homework. she is already reciting things to us in Japanese(which is so cool). I am seriously thinking that if she were smart she would take as many years of it.
For me this time of year brings me back to a time of great excitement, that at an early age was created by my mother. She was the greatest mom in the world, having 7 children and on a tight budget we always had what we needed.
I can taste her apple dumplings and oatmeal cookies just thinking of our fall adventures. Not only did fall bring fun events like back to school, pumpkin carving (which by the way I won first place in 2rd grade with my pirate pumpkin she lovingly helped me create) or the homemade vampire costume which I took first place in 4th grade over all the kids whose parents bought their kids costumes ( I won a pac man game for that one...i remember Jolene, Jennifer and I played it for hours) but it meant feel good food too. You know on days I would rush home from school to the smell of her homemade chicken noodle soup which you cant have without fresh baked bread...life was good. I think that is why the minute it is chilly out I will try to duplicate that same tradition, in hopes that Allison will feel the way I felt.
On my day off I find myself hidden in a sea of cookbooks, planning my fall baking and deciding just what my menus will consist of. I have some new recipes that I want to give a whirl but my mom's favorites are on the top of my list of must haves.
Funny how my favorite things circle around fall. My mom, pumpkin everything, crunchy leaves, comfort food, Halloween, thanksgiving, the smell of cinnamon, the fact that it gets darker earlier so by 5pm the smell of a crisp autumn night has filled the air, and being able to wear scarves. Somehow I have this love of homemade scarves and the more deep the orange and brown the more I love it...
Below find a recipe for a new cookie that I will be baking in the next week(of course it would involve pumpkin...enjoy!

PUMPKIN-SPICED BALLS
prep:30min Bake:16min

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup Powdered sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Pumpkin pie spice
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup chopped Pecans,toasted
Pumpkin-spiced glaze
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1Tsp Pumpkin pie spice
3/4 Tsp half and half, cream, or milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on med. Butter that is softened, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in Pumpkin pie spice and as much flour as you can with the mixer. stir in remaining flour and pecans.
2. Shape dough into1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completly.
3. dip tops of cooled cookies into pumpkin spiced glaze. Place cookies on wire racks, glazed tops up, and let stand about 1 hour or until set.
Makes about 48.

PUMPKIN SPICED GLAZE:
Combine 3/4 C. powdered sugar and 1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Stir in enough half and half, milk or cream (3-4 tsp) to mmake glaze of desired consistency. Makes 1/2 cup.

I hope that you enjoy the cookie recipe and maybe share one of your own...

Happy Fall
Holly