the perfect combination

Last night we went to my office's Halloween bash (4 of my nieces came too and they got to dress up and trick or treat around the office and paint pumpkins...fun, fun time). Afterwards we went to our friends birthday party. Today we had plans to attend a fall party in the metroparks (complete with homemade chili around a fire in a pavillion) then afterwards my friend's housewarming party. Unfortunately I woke up feeling a bit under the weather and wasn't able to make it to either...

In case you didn't pick up on it, we had 4 events to attend in a matter of 24 hours. Believe me, I don't mind it as I love being busy and spending time with friends and family, but when you're a little bit OCD (as some people suggest I am) and when each of the 4 events invite you to "bring a side dish or dessert to share", one can get quite overwhelmed with the possibilites of what to bring.

I had grand thoughts and plans of making a separate dish for each event and we could pack the cooler if needed so while sitting in the car one wouldn't spoil before we go to the next destination... Luckily Brad brought me down from the clouds and suggested I just make one giant batch of cookies and and divide so I could share at each event. That's not exactly what I did but close enough...

Ginger Snaps (makes 75)

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
cinnamon-sugar for rolling - 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix until the egg is completely combined. Stir in the molasses.

Fold in the dry ingredients until completely combined.

Turn on the oven to 375° and refrigerate the gingersnap dough while the oven is preheating.

When the oven is hot, measure out rounded teaspoons of dough. Roll the dough between your hands to shape balls, and then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Position the balls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

recipe from thekitchn.com

Pumpkin Dip

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 apple slices

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.

recipe from myrecipes.com