Autumn favorites

Pumpkin Pie granola

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, rolled oats, almonds, and pecans in a large bowl. Mix the applesauce, honey, and vanilla in a separate large bowl. Stir the oat mixture into the applesauce mixture, until granola begins to gather in clusters. Spoon granola evenly onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven, stirring every 20 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy, about 1 hour.
Remove from oven; cool to room temperature. Stir in raisins and cranberries; store in an airtight container.

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Pumpkin snowballs

Yummy little pumpkin and pecan cookies rolled in powdered sugar

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 cup ground pecans
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in pecans, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended.

2. Shape dough into 48 (1-inch) balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly on cooling rack.

4. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar then cool completely on cooling rack. If necessary, before serving roll cookies in powdered sugar again.


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Apple cinnamon Donut muffins

•1 3/4 sticks butter, divided, at room temperature plus more for pan
•3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
•2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/3 cup buttermilk
•1 1/4 cups chunky apple sauce
•3/4 cup dark brown sugar
•2 large eggs
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Butter and flour standard 12-muffin cup baking pan. Make batter in medium bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice.

In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and apple sauce. In large bowl, using mixer, beat 1 1/4 sticks butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the apple sauce mixture. Beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile in medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Working with one muffin at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with melted butter (1/2 stick remaining) and then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on wire rack.