Pumpkin Gingersnap Trifle

I decided to mix things up a bit this Thanksgiving--and I'm so glad I did! This seasonal, scrumptious trifle mixes textures and flavors amazingly well. Plus, having revised the recipe a bit for my family, I came out with a delicious dessert that we didn't have to feel as guilty about at gobbling down.

While working at Every Day with Rachael Ray, I came upon this recipe and made sure to tuck it away for fall. I was excited for days leading up to the big Turkey Day experiment.

As my dad's a diabetic and my work to lose weight, I took advantage of my grocery store to make this recipe lighter on our diets and my day of kitchen work. Cool Whip Free makes me so very happy so very easily. I subbed about two thirds of a regular container of thawed Cool Whip Free for the whipped cream in the original recipe. As with all things pumpkin in my kitchen, I spiced the heck out of a can of pumpkin puree, then folded in Cool Whip Free and Marshmallow Fluff in two batches of each. That done, I placed about a third of the pumpkin mixture into a trifle bowl and covered it with crushed gingersnaps. After repeating these two layers once more, a layer of Cool Whip Free and a sprinkling of more crushed gingersnaps completed the beauty.

The airy mousse is rich in flavor and the spices strike a perfect balance between providing kick but not distracting. The gingersnaps add to the spicy flavors and lend a great bit of crunch to the texture combination. I love the pairing. It's marginally addictive. A couple of gingersnaps on the side are great for scooping up the tasty mixture for those who don't mind ditching the spoons. No one misses pie at all.

Dessert must have been done in 10 minutes. Thanksgiving means I usually bake AT LEAST one kind of pie, which takes hours for prep, baking, and cooling. This year, I was thrilled to save the time--and calories!--with this delicious and gorgeous treat. We'll definitely be making this a new tradition for the holidays--and maybe more often. Too yummy and easy not to!

Glamor-shot Cookie Sandwiches

As the weather gets colder, I often find one of my favorite low-key nights is staying in with friends, watching The Office or a movie, and doing some cooking. So, as I cook up some favorites both old and new, thought I'd post the results, tips, and tricks along with the food reviews, political musings, and entertainment stories.

These particular cookies came to mind immediately when I started thinking about night-in treats. Here are cookies worth making just for the chance at replicating the gorgeousness of these temptresses. But they're also delicious. And--an even bigger perk for many--really baking-cheater friendly!

Inspired by a recipe for Rocky Road Sandwich Cookies I perpetually drooled over while working with the web team at Every Day with Rachael Ray, I knew a girls night dinner at my apartment was the perfect venue to try them. Given the busy weeknight and my hungry friends, however, I knew I needed to get both dinner and the anticipated dessert ready as soon as possible. The results were so pretty, I became a smidge obsessed with the photos I took for the magazine's blog. Well, in all honesty, I repeatedly exclaimed things like, "it's like a fucking glamor-shot!" But these photogenic goodies aren't just picture-perfect.

I take a lot of pride in the things I cook, and I love to spend time in the kitchen, but I'm not above a few shortcuts sometimes. Let's face it: we don't all have time, and it can be fun to cheat the system while not sacrificing taste in the least. So, I picked up the dry chocolate chip cookie mix at my grocery store, snagged a bag of slivered almonds, and got that nostalgic jar of gooey, sugary goodness known as Marshmallow Fluff.



Simply add about half a cup of the slivered almonds--or chopped walnuts, if you prefer--to the cookie dough after preparing by the bag instructions. If the dough seems too tough, try adding two tablespoons more liquid. Also, if you prefer a cakier cookie, with results more like a whoopie pie, add another egg instead. Once baked, you just sandwich two cookies together with the marshmallow fluff. This recipe is also great for informal gatherings like my girls night because you can let everyone sandwich their own--and sneak extra fluff into each cookie sandwich!

If my friend's goofy cookie enthusiasm here is anything to go by, I'm sure these cookies will be a hit every time!