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!
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:
Description from the Publisher:
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:
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.
