Pals and Pumpkin Spice: KidLit Confections Pumpkin Spice Teacakes

Happy almost Thanksgiving, all! I was going to share another pie recipe with you this week, because Thanksgiving always makes me want all the pies, but then I read this adorable picture book and had an idea for the perfect cookie to pair it with, so I had to pivot!

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

I won a copy of this book through the #SeasonsOfKidLit Halloween giveaway, and it is so adorable! The perfect holiday read-aloud for the little ones at your Thanksgiving feast. (And maybe not just the little ones. When it arrived in the mail, my grandson was in the middle of his nap, and I didn't want to wait so I read it to my husband. He enjoyed it just as much as the grandson did!)

The Book:

PUMPKIN DAY FOR BOO AND BELLE by Laura Sassi and Farah Shah

Description from the Publisher:

Join Boo and Belle for a heartwarming autumn adventure filled with friendship, thanksgiving, and a dash of misunderstanding!

When Boo's invitation to Belle's Annual Pumpkin Tea is swept away by the wind, things don't go quite as planned. But will these two dear friends let a little lost mail spoil their time together? Or will they find a way to weather the storm and come together in the spirit of forgiveness and thankfulness?

In this delightful, rhyming tale, Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle brings the cozy wonders of fall to life, with adorable forest animals navigating life's little challenges. As Boo and Belle work through their differences, they discover the importance of empathy, understanding, gratitude, and the power of friendship.

My Thoughts:

When Boo doesn't show up for her Annual Pumpkin Tea, Belle assumes he's running late. Or maybe he forgot... Or maybe he's just not her friend after all???

Meanwhile, when Boo doesn't receive his invitation to Belle's Pumpkin Tea, he wonders why she forgot about him. Maybe she was just pretending to be his friend??

I can absolutely relate to the anxiety that comes from miscommunications like this. "Was my invitation lost in the mail, or did my friend decide not to invite me?" "Is my friend ignoring me on purpose, or do they have something else going on that I'm not aware of?" We've all likely experienced something like this from time to time. And it's easy to point out, when we're snuggled on the couch with our favorite mug full of tea (or hot cocoa) and a cozy blanket across our laps, that the characters in [insert your favorite holiday rom-com here] would have solved the conflict immediately if they just had a conversation. But in real life, those conversations can be so difficult to start! "What if it's NOT a misunderstanding after all? What if I discover that my friend doesn't want to be friends anymore?" The anxiety is practically universal, and it doesn't have an age limit. 

This book is a great way to open the conversation with the little ones in our lives, to talk about the ways we might approach our friends when the inevitable conflicts and misunderstandings arise. And what better way to reconnect with friends than over a nice cup of tea and a plate full of cookies?

The Recipe:

This recipe is based on the Russian Teacakes recipe I learned from my mother-in-law when I got married. I have made lots of different cookies in this style over the years: a crisp, bite-sized cookie coated in powdered sugar that melts in your mouth. (The most popular of all my variations is the Lemon Snowball Cookie that all my friends ask for at Christmastime.) 

Reading this book about Boo and Belle's annual Pumpkin Tea made me want to reconnect with all the friends I haven't seen in far too long. And fall is the season for Pumpkin Spice Everything... (Did you know that most "pumpkin spice" goodies don't actually contain any pumpkin? Just the spices that are so closely connected with pumpkin desserts!) These little teacakes with their spiced sugar coating won't be mistaken for snowballs, like their predecessors, but they're so delicious, they're likely to disappear just as fast as a pile of melting snowballs!

Pumpkin Spice Teacakes

Walnut Teacake Cookies:

2 c. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. vanilla extract

4 ½ c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 c. chopped walnuts

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Coating:

2 c. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

 

Cream together butter and sugar, mixing at high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Add vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Slowly increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy.

Mix in flour until thoroughly combined, then stir in chopped walnuts.

Scoop into ½-inch balls with a small cookie scoop. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. (Cookies won’t spread, so you can place them quite close together, as long as they aren’t touching—I can fit about 8 dozen at a time on my large baking sheet!)

Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes (up to overnight, if desired).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set but not browned. Cool for 5-10 minutes on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, combine powdered sugar and spices for coating. Transfer cookies carefully to the bag and zip it closed, then carefully shake to coat cookies with sugar mixture.

Makes about 16 dozen bite-sized cookies.

*Optional: Bake a few cookies & freeze the extra cookie dough. Prepare and scoop cookies as directed onto parchment-lined baking sheet (no space necessary) and freeze for 2-4 hours. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag and return to your freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Then, cool and coat with the pumpkin spice powdered sugar mixture as directed for freshly-baked cookies anytime you want!

This recipe pairs well with PUMPKIN DAY FOR BOO AND BELLE by Laura Sassi and Farah Shah.

 

Printable PDF Recipes

Twisting the Timeline: KidLit Confections Cheesecake Stroopwafel Cookies

I'm a sucker for time-travel stories and alternate timelines... and today's #KidLitConfections book is one of the best I've read in a long time! It's definitely on my "read it again soon" list!

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

It's not often that I have my stuff together well enough to post one of these on a book's release date, but I had the privilege to read an advance copy of the book a few months ago, and I immediately knew which recipe I wanted to pair it with. And when I was trying to decide last week which of the books on my backlog of #KidLitConfections possible pairings I wanted to write about next, I saw that this one was releasing today, so it jumped right to the front of the line!

The Book:

I'LL FIND YOU WHERE THE TIMELINE ENDS by Kylie Lee Baker

Description from the Publisher:

A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister while trying not to fall for a handsome rogue agent in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker's magical new YA romance, I'll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.

“Here's one thing I know for certain: I’ll never see you again. And if I never see you again, then in fifty years, the world will end.” -Yejun

Yang Mina, descended from a Japanese dragon god, was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. But since moving to Seoul, everything is falling apart. Mina has discovered that the Descendants are corrupt, that her sister has been erased from existence, and that she can’t pass Calculus, which puts her mission to kiss the cutest boy in her year at risk.

With her very existence on the line, Mina decides to tread a dangerous path: team up with a handsome rogue agent named Yejun, who has a plan to free the Descendants from the corrupt influence, and (hopefully) restore Mina’s sister. Between class and their time travel dates, Mina can’t stop herself from falling for the mysterious Yejun. Yet, as Mina grows closer to Yejun, she also grows closer to discovering the truth, which may be the very thing that breaks her…

My Thoughts:

This book gave the same vibes as the TV show Loki, with the same struggle to fix the timeline against the wishes of a powerful organization intent on bending the timeline to suit its own purposes. But I definitely not dismiss it as simply “Loki, but with dragons.“

There’s a strong thread of familial love and obligation, and what it means to be a part of a family, both the small immediate family you’re born into and the larger extended family or community you exist in. How far would you go to save a sister no one even remembers? Is it worth putting your own existence in jeopardy?

It’s a very well-written story, with fresh twists on the time travel and “coworkers to something more” tropes that I love so much. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and alternate realities, with a touch of “soul mates” and destiny thrown in.

The Recipe:

As with many of my most unique cookie recipes, this one was a challenge from one of the missionaries who write to me in exchange for the promise of "any cookie you want." This one was for a sister missionary who spent so much time at my house that she felt like one of my own daughters. And when she went home again after her mission was over, she came back to visit with her whole family, so I got to meet her parents and siblings... and I made these cookies to share during that visit. I've since lost touch with her (as happens far too often when friends move away), and I hope she's doing well.

Besides the obvious reason for pairing this cookie with this book (Mina loves a delicious cheesecake, and she and Yejun make a couple of time stops in this book to get a yummy slice!), this cookie is a reminder of a joyful connection with someone who was almost like family, who I hope to meet again someday (maybe when we reach the point where the timeline ends...) Sometimes, I wish I could twist the timeline to keep the folks I've drifted away from in my life a little bit longer, but I'm also just really grateful for the sparks of joy they leave behind. And I honestly believe that the connections we make here on Earth aren't as fleeting as we might think. I'll meet these special someones again. If not in this life, then maybe in the next.

Cheesecake Stroopwafel Cookies

Waffle Cookie Wafer:

3 eggs

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. canola oil

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. cream of tartar

1 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Caramel:

1 lb. brown sugar

1 c. corn syrup

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Make Cookie Wafers:

Whisk together eggs & sugar. Beat in oil, vanilla, soda, and cream of tartar. Stir in flour, just until fully incorporated. Drop batter in 1-tsp. dallops onto an electric waffle cone maker.* Bake 2-3 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Set aside. (Makes approximately 60 wafers—enough for about 2 ½ dozen cookies)

Make Cheesecake Filling:

Mix together until creamy. Drop with 1-tsp. dallops about 1-2 inches apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until ready to assemble. (Makes about 4 dozen cheesecake discs—extras can be frozen)

Prepare Caramel:

In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt together sugar and corn syrup, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter, then milk. Return to medium heat and bring back to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. (Makes enough for several batches.)

Assembling the Cookies:

Spoon a dollop of caramel onto one wafer. Place a cheesecake piece on top of the warm caramel. Add a second wafer on top of that, pressing down just slightly so that the caramel sticks all of the layers together. (If the cheesecake piece covers all of the caramel, you may need to add a little bit of caramel on top to stick the layers together – but don’t go overboard, or you’ll end up with a sticky, too-sweet mess! Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe pairs well with I'LL FIND YOU WHERE THE TIMELINE ENDS by Kylie Lee Baker

 

Printable PDF Recipes

*If you don’t have a waffle cone maker, you can cook the wafers on a cast-iron griddle, pressing them flat with a hot cast-iron skillet with a greased bottom. (Please forgive the shaky footage below... I was trying to film with one hand while working with a hot cast-iron skillet as a makeshift press in the other hand. (My regular phone stand didn't work to record from this angle.)

Fibs and Family: KidLit Confections Apple Walnut Pie

I'm generally known as "The Cookie Queen," and most of the #KidLitConfections I share are cookies. But when November rolls around, my thoughts turn to pie and all of the delicious variations of this "easy as..." dessert! 

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

Today's book isn't a new release, but it's one I only discovered recently. (Isn't it lovely the way books don't expire? We can pick up a book that's several years old and enjoy it just as much as one that came out yesterday!) 

The Book:

THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus

Description from the Publisher:

Failing math but great at writing, Gregory finds the poetry (and humor) in what's hard.

Gregory K is the middle child in a family of mathematical geniuses. But if he claimed to love math? Well, he'd be fibbing. What he really wants most is to go to Author Camp. But to get his parents' permission he's going to have to pass his math class, which has a probability of 0. THAT much he can understand! To make matters worse, he's been playing fast and loose with the truth: "I LOVE math" he tells his parents. "I've entered a citywide math contest!" he tells his teacher. "We're going to author camp!" he tells his best friend, Kelly. And now, somehow, he's going to have to make good on his promises.Hilariously it's the "Fibonacci Sequence" -- a famous mathematical formula! -- that comes to the rescue, inspiring Gregory to create a whole new form of poem: the Fib! Maybe Fibs will save the day, and help Gregory find his way back to the truth. For every kid who equates math with torture but wants his own way to shine, here's a novel that is way more than the sum of its parts.

My Thoughts:

I relate to Gregory K. in so many ways! I love language and writing, I'm a huge fan of a delicious apple pie, and I also used to tell myself I wasn't very good at math (until one of my math genius friends pointed out how many complicated equations I can do in my head whenever I'm figuring out a recipe)! Math is a subject that a lot of us love to hate (even when we're better at it than we think we are), and I love the way this story explores the fun side to our favorite "worst subject." I'm also a big fan of word play, so the play on words with "Fib" representing the complicated web of lies Gregory K. gets himself tangled up in, as well as the super-fun mathematical poetry he discovers ... well, that made this book a winner in my opinion!

The Recipe:

My great grandmother's apple pie recipe was a coveted family secret. She brought it to all the family gatherings, and for years all the aunts, uncles, and cousins asked her for the recipe, but she wouldn't spill. Then, my mom married my dad, and for some reason, Great-Grandma Wells decided that Mom was the one worthy to receive the recipe. (Probably because Mom was the kind of person who, every time she brought the pie to a family gathering, would proudly say "Thank you, it's Grandma's recipe" to anyone who complimented her. She respected the origins of the pie and gave credit where it was due.)

When I read  THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus and saw the subplot wherein Gregory K's best friend's mom making the best apple pie ever, I immediately thought about Great-Grandma Wells, and my mom, and the amazing apple pie recipe that even people who didn't usually care for apple pie would line up to get a slice of.

The Apple Walnut Pie featured here isn't quite Grandma's recipe, because that's not mine to share. But this one is close, with just a bit of a spin to make it my own. And don't worry, it has been thoroughly taste-tested and given an enthusiastic thumbs-up from my test audience.

 Apple Walnut Pie

 2 (9-inch) pie crusts*

3-4 lbs. apples, cored & sliced

¼ c. butter

¼ c. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

6 Tbsp. instant tapioca**

2 ½ c. walnut halves & pieces

Roll out one pie crust and place carefully in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, making sure the edges overlap the rim evenly. Keep the other crust covered, so it won’t dry out, and set aside for now. Stir together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. (Optional: Transfer to a jar with a sprinkles lid, if desired, for easy application of the cinnamon sugar to the pie as you’re building it.)

Sprinkle the bottom of the pie crust with a generous layer of cinnamon sugar. Then add apple slices in a spiraling layer to fully cover the bottom of the pie crust in the dish (about 3 apples worth of slices per layer).

Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. instant tapioca and approximately ¼ of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Dot with 1 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces. Then spread 1/3 of the walnut over it all.

Repeat layers (apples, tapioca, cinnamon sugar, butter, and walnuts) 2 more times.

Add another layer of apples, cinnamon sugar and butter. Carefully spread top crust evenly over the top of the pie, making sure to match up the edges of the top and bottom crusts.

Crimp the edges together, then use a sharp knife to cut a fun design into the center of the top crust to vent steam. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 more minutes, without opening the door. Let cool a bit, then serve & enjoy either on its own or with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.

Serves 8.

* For an easy pie crust recipe, see my blog post for my Super-Simple Strawberry Cream Pie Recipe. When I need a gluten-free crust, my favorite is Chef Alina’s Gluten-Free Foolproof Cream Cheese Pie Crust (not my recipe, but quite delicious!)

**NOTE: This is not instant tapioca pudding—don’t go looking for Jell-o brand—but instant tapioca pearls, like you would use to make homemade tapioca pudding. A popular brand is Minute Tapioca (same brand/logo as Minute Rice)

This recipe pairs well with THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K. by Greg Pincus

Printable PDF Recipes

Myths and Magic: KidLit Confections Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

 Oops! I meant to post this #KidLitConfections pairing nearly a year ago, and I thought I had... but my ADHD brain never actually followed through with finalizing and sharing the post! I only realized this oversight when I tried to share the link to the post with someone ("You have to read this book! It's amazing!! You'll love it!!!")... and the link didn't exist!

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)

I discovered this book on TikTok, when I saw a post from the MacMillan Kids account and immediately knew I had to have it for my home library. I tracked down the author (amazing coincidence: he’s local!!) and met him at a nearby indie bookstore where I talked him into signing 5 copies (for me and nearly everyone on my Christmas list)! This quickly became one of my favorite books, and I am still thinking about it a year later! (I also love his second book, which released just over a month ago! I guess this means Craig Kofi Farmer is officially one of my favorite authors.)

The Book:

KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD by Craig Kofi Farmer

Description from the Publisher:

Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award

Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.

Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life.

He's definitely not ready when he's sucked into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando, the Ghanaian underworld. There, he comes face to face with his grandmother, who is very much alive, and somehow still...a kid? Together with his best friend, Autumn, and a talkative aboatia named Woo, Kwame must battle angry nature gods, and stop the underworld from destroying the land of the living.

But there's an even bigger problem: Only living souls can leave Asamando. In order to save the mortal world and return home, Kwame will need to find the courage to do the bravest thing of all -- learn how to say goodbye.

My Thoughts:

Fans of Percy Jackson will love this book! It has the same epic fantasy meets the real world vibe, but with the mythology of Ghana instead of ancient Greece. Our family loved reading Rick Riordan’s books together, so just on those vibes alone I knew I would love this one. But I didn’t expect to connect so solidly with Kwame! 

He’s reeling over the death of his grandmother and can’t wrap his mind around the fact that she’s gone. I think anyone who has ever lost a close loved one can relate! But when he gets accidentally sucked into the underworld and has the opportunity to connect with his grandmother all over again? Who wouldn’t jump at that chance?

I love the way this story explores ideas of family and heritage and the way our roots connect us to something so much bigger than ourselves. And this was the bright spark of hope I so desperately needed in a time that sometimes feels overwhelmingly dark. 

I need more people in my life to read this book too so we can talk about it!!!

The Recipe:

As you may have noticed, I love cinnamon rolls. I have several different cinnamon roll kinds of recipes on my website. There’s just something about the warm, comforting scent of cinnamon filling your kitchen cinnamon rolls are baking that can’t be topped. And for some reason, fall just puts me in the mood for a good, gooey cinnamon roll. But sometimes I want the flavor without the sticky, gooey-ness of an actual cinnamon roll. I think that’s where the inspiration for these cookies originally came from. I shared the recipe for the regular version of these a few years ago, before I started cooking gluten-free and it quickly became a family favorite. But when my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, I stopped making them. This gluten-free version is every bit is delicious as the original, and it’s almost as easy to make, so I'm excited to share it with my gluten-free audience! (The dough is a bit stickier, so it’s not quite as easily rolled up into the cinnamon roll log, but if you press the dough out onto parchment paper, and use the parchment paper to help you manage the dough while you form the roll, it’s basically the same thing.)

Cinnamon rolls play an important part in KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD. They're almost a symbol of the warmth and comfort we find in our family traditions, so I was only a few pages into the book when I knew that I was going to share this recipe along with the book. (In fact, I did share the recipe on TikTok last year. I just forgot to share it here on my website.)

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

 Sugar Cookie Dough:

2 c. butter

3 c. sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vanilla

6 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Dough:

1/3 sugar cookie dough

4 Tbsp. cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar, mixing at high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Slowly increase speed to high, and beat 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, just to combine.

Scoop 2/3 of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press dough to fill the pan, and chill 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator. Knead cinnamon into remaining cookie dough, until it’s uniformly incorporated. Carefully press this dough into a thin layer on top of the vanilla cookie dough, making sure to cover all the way to the edges of the pan. Carefully roll dough into a long tube, using the parchment paper to help you control the dough if necessary. Return to the fridge to chill for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Slice cookies approximately ¼ inch thick, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are slightly browned. Cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve as-is or frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

*Optional: Bake a few cookies & freeze the extra cookie dough. Prepare and slice cookies as directed. Place cookie slices on parchment-lined baking sheet (no space necessary) and freeze for 2-4 hours. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag and return to your freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Freshly-baked cookies anytime you want!

This recipe pairs well with KWAME CRASHES THE UNDERWORLD by Craig Kofi Farmer.

 

Printable PDF Recipes