The 9th Day: Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.
‘Tis the season for warm treats! I created this recipe especially for the awesome folks at The Epicurious Community Table and Reynolds to Make Meal Magic, and I am thrilled to share it with you today! Pumpkin adds a delicious twist to the good old-fashioned oatmeal cookie. Who says that pumpkin is only for Thanksgiving? I so disagree. Drizzled with maple glaze, this delightful indulgence will give you a hankering to cozy up with a book by the fire while Michael Buble croons from your docked iPhone :) Effortlessly prepare large batches of these treats in less time by using the cookie baking sheets. Then simply enjoy serving the most popular treat at this year’s holiday gathering! 

Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Prep:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line cookie sheet with Reynolds® Cookie Baking Sheets Nonstick Parchment Paper.
3. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Add the egg and vanilla, return the mixer to medium speed, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl.
6. Add half of the reserved flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
7. Add half of the pumpkin and beat until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and pumpkin until combined.
8. Drop 2-inch dough rounds on cookie baking sheet, staggering them 2 inches apart.

Method:
1. Bake cookies for 12 minutes.
2. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back.
3. Bake the cookies for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove cookies from the oven. Using oven mitts, simply slide cookie baking sheet onto wire rack and let cool completely.

For the Glaze:
1. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until evenly combined.
2. Dip spoon in glaze and drizzle over the cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit on the cookie baking sheet at room temperature until the glaze has set, about 20 minutes.

REYNOLDS KITCHEN TIP: You can cook large batches by preparing one set of cookies on the cookie baking sheet while another batch bakes. Then simply slide the cookie baking sheet with the baked cookies onto a cooling rack and you can immediately put another batch of cookie dough in the oven. It saves time and – BONUS – makes clean up a breeze.

Get to it!
I hope you enjoy making these for your loved ones during the holiday!

First published on Epicurious and Parade here with paid sponsorship by Reynolds Consumer Products. Used with permission of Tidal Labs. Thanks for supporting this sponsor and allowing me to create fresh and unique content like this for Oy!

TASTE: Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets

Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets.
Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm sure your home is buzzing with holiday plans, presents stealthily hidden into musty closets waiting to be wrapped, kitchen working overtime pumping all kinds of toasty delicious aromas throughout the house. This is the beginning of the most wonderful time of year!

I wanted to share with you my favorite holiday dessert. I've made it every year for Thanksgiving at my parent's house, but I love it so much that I continue to make it for festive gatherings through New Years - who says pumpkin is only for Thanksgiving? That's just crazy talk. These tartlets are perfect for keeping that sweet tooth in check, because they are bite-sized bits of decadence. And seriously, seriously easy to create. They have a creamier, lighter flavor and texture than regular pumpkin pie, which provides that much-needed refreshing twist on the whole pumpkin-at-Thanksgiving thing. My personal secret is that I like to use a Ziploc bag to pipe everything beautifully into the tarts, because it makes them seem fancy. But if you need really delicious recipe and you're short on time, you can easily spoon them into the little filo dough cups and experience the same rich taste. This would be a great addition to any dessert buffet because they are just so pretty and dainty. And for real, TASTY.

Ingredients:
- 1 can organic pumpkin (I like this Trader Joes version)
- 3 packages frozen mini filo cups (You can find these in the frozen section next to the puff pastry, 3 packages makes 45 tartlets)
- 1 3.4-oz. package of instant cheesecake pudding (I use this Jello version - haven't been able to find a good replacement for this... yet)
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream (divided)
- 4 tbsp. Sugar in the Raw
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

// Isn't this mixer a beaut? It's my mom's, but I'm hoping Santa brings me one this Christmas... //

Method:
1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal mixing whisk in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Pull frozen mini filo dough shells out of the freezer to thaw while preparing the filling.

3. Once 15 minutes has passed, place the 1.5 cups of heavy cream and 4 tbsp. sugar in the mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high until soft peaks form (this could take 3-5 minutes).

4. Divide the fresh whipped cream in half by scooping half of the cream into another bowl (set one portion aside for later.) Add to one bowl of fresh whipped cream: the can of pumpkin, package of instant cheesecake and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined and smooth.

5. Scoop mixture into a piping bag (or in my case, a large ziplock bag with a corner cut) and pipe into the individual filo cups. Top with the remaining fresh whipped cream (I also like to pipe it on top) and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Voila!

Happy Thanksgiving. 
Let me know if you decide to add these to your Thanksgiving dessert line up this year! Would love to know how it worked out! And I especially wish you a week chock-full of indulgent treats, delicious fireside chats and most of all, ridiculous amounts of family time. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

Picking Muscadines & Scuppernongs.

Picking Muscadines & Scuppernongs.
Whew! Happy weekend to you! Our weekend got off to a bit of a shaky start. My little Everett decided to turn his behavioral clock back to when he was a brand-newborn and wake up all through the night again. This has gone on for four nights in a row. Just when I thought we were on to something! Any new mom tips on getting your child to sleep through the night are much appreciated. ALSO. I wanted to thank all of you who gave such encouraging feedback on last weeks post about Mompetition. I'm astounded at how many people have felt that icky mom-judgement. But all your kind words, camaraderie and commitment to stop judging and start loving on other mamas really touched me. Let's keep it up! Every time we have a "judgy" thought about another mama, let's squash it and take the time to encourage her instead. It's the best thing we can do for each other!


Finally Fall!
I wanted to share a suuuuuper fun Autumn activity! A few weeks ago Stevie and I packed up Everett (in his fancy new Baby Gap outfit from his surrogate Auntie Natalie) and ventured out to pick muscadines in our hometown. I can't believe I never did this growing up! It was so invigorating to finally feel a chill in the air and actually experience the weather of the season. This fall has been so different in our household... instead of apple picking and devouring cider donuts (like we did when we lived in Boston), we've been up to our ears in swaddles, lullabies and trying to get our baby to take a bottle. It's just a whole new experience this fall. So while the hayrides and corn maizes will have to wait 'til next year, I couldn't bear going the whole season without heading out to a farm and picking something. Since all the good apple farms are at least two hours away (and that drive seems a bit daunting with our spirited newborn), the next best thing was picking muscadines. Literally right around the corner from our house.

I had a vague idea of what a muscadine was (a super thick-skinned spicy grape), but scuppernongs escaped me. What a funny word to say. Try to say it out loud. SCUPPERNONG. See? It's just so silly. Anyway, I was uber disappointed to learn that scuppernongs are just a lighter-colored muscadine. There is practically no difference. The disappointment lasted for about 6 seconds, because then I tasted one. They are so delicious. PEOPLE. Why do apples get all the good press in the fall? MUSCADINES ARE THE NEW APPLE. Now go pick you some.

// Ready to dive //

// Fruits of our labor //

// My little bear slept the whole time! //

// Those bubbles. Those paws. //

// Gotcha, mom!! //

// We stumbled across this beauty in the parking lot. My favorite part might be the photo bomber, though :) //

Happy Fall Weekend to You!
I hope you have the happiest, most fulfilling, adventurous AND restful weekend. Is it possible? Hmm I like to think so. Enjoy your Saturday!

TASTE: Pumpkin Beer Bread

Pumpkin Beer Bread. 
There's really no need for explanation here. I mean, does one need a reason to make something called Pumpkin Beer BREAD? Dear Lord Almighty, no. It's an autumn recipe necessity. It's the reason why I fall for FALL. When you have all the ingredients, you should just make this recipe over and over and over again. It's the happiest taste. And it will make you super popular with your people. I mean, my crew over here (AKA my parents and Stevie, who will eat practically anything) have nominated me queen of the pack, all due to my production of this breaded treat. And seriously, created by a mere 6 ingredients, this recipe is one of the easiest EVER. Make, enjoy, and let me know when you win popularity points, people.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 12-oz. bottle beer (I gleefully used Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale)
- 3 tbsp. melted butter

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Dump the bottle of beer into the dry ingredients. Combine until mixed into dough. Scoop dough into the loaf pan.

4. Melt butter in a small bowl (I did this in the microwave). Drizzle butter over top of the dough.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Once you remove from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes before you slice.

Savor the Autumnal Flavor.
It's as easy as that! This is a great treat to pair with an autumn soup, like my Turkey Kale Chili, my Spicy Sausage Chili, or my extra-special seasonal favorite, Grandma Soup. I hope you enjoy!

Because Honestly... THIS is New York in the Fall.

// My view from Belvedere Castle in Central Park. //

Central Park. In the Fall.
I don't mean to brag. I really don't. But I do mean to be shamelessly thankful. I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY. I can't say it enough. I can't stop thinking it. Every single day I wake up, so thankful to be living in this vibrant, pulsing metropolis. Even when I see the rats saunter around the subway tracks. They saunter. Because they have no reason to scurry. They own those tracks. And even when my lightyears-old radiator decides to wake me up in the middle of the night, hissing like the soundtrack from a horror movie. And even when I go on auditions and, you know, get rejected (don't cry for me, Argentina.)  I am still happy to be here. So over the moon. And why shouldn't I be? This place is a dreamers city. Full of bright-eyed crazies and cold-blooded cynics alike. What an effervescent kind of mess.

Even those of you who don't care for NYC at all have to admit - the fall foliage in Central Park this year can't compete with even the most picturesque of New England's Berkshires. This autumn has been outrageously gorgeous, and having previously pounded a lot of New England pavement, I can speak from experience when I say that this autumn has been utterly mesmerizing. The papery leaves continue to fall like confetti, swirling around and having a parade in the sky before finally landing and collecting in a decorative array all over the great yard. The temperatures are continuing to drop, but I just had to share these beauties with you before the winter wonderland overtakes my Instagram.

// Classic panorama. Stevie is so good at taking these. See midtown in the distance? //

// We are children. The end. //

// The sun is SO bright. I'll take it. //

From Glory to Glory.
I just love autumn. So tell me. What has fall been like in your neck of the woods - Dreamy? Dull? Comment below!