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Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Disclosure: These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are part of a sponsored post on behalf of GOJO, the makers of PURELL ® Multi Surface Disinfectant. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Growing up, I used to always laugh at my mom. No matter how many times we asked her what she wanted for any holiday, her answer was always, “to just be happy and with her family.” “That’s not a gift,” I would always snap back. To her it was the only thing that she truly wanted. It took me a long time to realize why, but now that I’m a mom, I realize that being with the ones you love and being happy together with them is really the only thing that any of us need. I also always remember the joy she had when she
was gifted something that was homemade.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a gift being purchased off my actual ongoing wishlist; however, there’s something just warm and fuzzy that happens when you know someone took the time out to hand make you a gift. Knowing that someone labored over something brings so much joy to me.


For me, with close friends, I love making goodies for them.

Sometimes I take goodies to parties or luncheons. My favorite of all is taking a new mom delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies along with a delicious meal. While these cookies are good for everyone, they are especially great for their combination of oatmeal, flax seed, and peanut butter for a new mom who happens to be breastfeeding. But I also love wrapping up these Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies and making it part of a holiday present.

One thing I always make sure to do is to clean my kitchen down before I start making food for other people. I try to honestly keep my kitchen the cleanest place in our house because we are always having friends over and I want them to feel confident that the food they are getting from our house is safe and made in a clean environment.

Keeping it all WORRY-FREE!

I’m currently loving the . Not only does it kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria in 30 seconds, but it is also formulated for food surfaces and is worry-free around pets and kids. Essentially, PURELL® Multi Surface Disinfectant uses alcohol to work like bleach would, but there’s no harsh chemicals or fumes that will irritate you. And you don’t have to worrying about rinsing afterwards. Easy peasy.

Once I make sure the kitchen is disinfected and clean and I’d be willing myself to eat off the counters, it’s time for cookie making. These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are such a fun little homemade treat to gift to anyone. They are so simple to make with minimal ingredients.

Tip: The secret ingredient is always love.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp flax seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1 cup  peanut butter 
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup pb chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, add the oats, brown sugar flax seed, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. Stir to combine.
  4. In the same bowl, stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and egg.
  5. Stir together until very well combined.
  6. Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
  7. Scoop out 1 tbsp balls onto a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet.
  8. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until beginning to turn golden brown. Don't overcook.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool.
  10. Once cooled serve immediately or store in an air-tight container.

The BRAND NEW is currently available online at Amazon.com, Jet.com and Walmart.com. In addition, it is available at select grocers including: Publix, H-E-B, Shoprite and Harris Teeter in January 2018. Go grab some today!

 

Cranberry Cheesecake Cookies

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My entire life, the Christmas season has been my most favorite time.  Growing up, it meant lots of time doing fun activities with my family, fun trips to see different lights, and of course presents.  Joyous is how I always feel this time of year. One of my favorite activities growing up was our annual Christmas Cookie day.  We would go to my oldest aunt’s house and spend the day making and decorating cookies.  It was always so much fun.

I love making unique cookies that are crowd pleasers. 

Today, we don’t have a ton of family around, but I do love carrying on this tradition with our girls.  I always try to work throughout the year to create one new recipe that we are going to create as our signature holiday cookie.  This is one that we take on Christmas to our family’s house that we attend for the holiday festivities.

Introducing Cranberry Cheesecake Cookies 

This year our signature cookie is going to be these cranberry cheesecake cookies.  They are phenomenal and a total game changer in the cookie field. We start with a delicious graham cracker dough with dried cranberries. Then, make a hole similar to thumbprint cookies. Next, fill with a cheesecake filling and bake! It’s super easy!

In the end, you have a sure hit thats going to please everyone! Check out our Cranberry Cheesecake cookies here:

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Cranberry Cheesecake Cookies
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
Cookie dough
  • 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers about 9 crackers
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg white save yolk for filling below
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Cheesecake Filling
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Lemon zest from 1 large lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 egg yolk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar.
  4. Add the egg white and vanilla and beat until well combined.
  5. Add to the graham cracker crumbs mixture and blend until just combined.
  6. Fold in cranberries.
  7. In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
  8. Using a small scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on nonstick baking sheet.
  9. Using the back of a teaspoon, make an inverted dome in the center of each cookie.
  10. Spoon the cheesecake filling into the indents in the cookies.
  11. Bake for 12 minutes. The cheesecake should be just set and cookies starting to turn golden brown.
  12. Allow to cool a few minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
  13. Serve or keep leftovers refrigerated.

 

Welcome to Houseful of Cookies

This year we are happy to have created this recipe for Houseful of Cookies.  It’s a fun link-up of some of my favorite bloggers (and a few I don’t know yet) all creating spectacular cookie ideas for the holiday season.  Some are traditional, while others, like our Cranberry Cheesecake Cookies, are a bit of grandma’s beaten path. All though, I’m sure, are deliciously amazing.  Here’s the recipes that these amazing creators have thought up for you!  Check them each out!

Happy Holidays!!!

Crispy Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

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The ultimate oatmeal cookies.  The Crispy Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

Name your favorite cookie….

Not like a brand. Like a type. Go ahead. Whats your favorite kind of cookie?

I already know what your gonna say. Better yet, you already know what most people would say. If this was Family Feud… and Steve said, “Name a kind of cookie that is everyone’s favorite?” You would say it, wouldn’t you? You would slam your sweaty palm, on the red buzzer, as fast and hard as you can, to tell that bald headed man that cookie!

But I am not here to talk about that cookie. Nope! Not today!

I am here to talk about this cookie! The Underdog…

The Dark Horse.

The Out-of-Towner.

The Black Swan!!!!

THE OATMEAL COOKIE!

Not just any old neglected, in the back of the cabinet, oatmeal cookie. Im talking about the…..

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

Say whhaattttt???????

Yes, this is the Cadillac of cookies right here.

I mean once you Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookie. You never go back!

Bullshit! I go back all the time. But I like variety. But not you my friend. You will fall in love. Hand them out like flyers to strangers. You will make these and put them out for Santa. And as for the gift you will get from Santa that night…. Let’s just say you may want to get the kids some quality headphones so they can sleep tight. Can I get an AMEN!?

Okay, let me stop.  Here’s the recipe:

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Crispy Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 

The ultimate oatmeal cookies.  The Crispy Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 344 kcal
Author: Andrew
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 14 tbsp unsalted butter slightly melted (1 stick + 6 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
  3. Add in vanilla and egg and beat until just combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  5. Slowly beat into wet ingredients until combined.
  6. Fold in oats, cranberries and walnuts.
  7. Roll into 1 inch balls.
  8. Place on baking sheet.
  9. Put in oven for 8-10 minutes of until golden brown.
  10. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in air tight container.
Nutrition Facts
Crispy Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)
Calories 344 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 256mg11%
Potassium 128mg4%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 435IU9%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

So what are you waiting for?  Go! Right now.  Get in the kitchen and start whipping these up right now.  Then report back with how much you loved them.  We also understand if you don’t want to share them.

Consider pinning this image below so you never loose track of this delicious cookie recipe that you already know is going to be a favorite-

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

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Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.

Chocolate plus peanut butter has to be one of our household’s favorite combinations.  Especially, our girls. The girls have been asking to make cookies recently, but I didn’t feel like baking them. Then, I remembered a no bake recipe I’ve made in the past.  Taking one bite of these chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies will leave your mouth full of deliciousness. The fact that kids can make these pretty much on their own is another added bonus. I’m constantly looking for ideas to let the girls explore in the kitchen and expand, not only their taste buds, but their love of cooking and enjoying treats that are healthy for them.

Watch the girls make them!

These no bake cookies are packed full of protein, so they are the perfect treat for high energy summer days where your kids have been going full steam.

I know, for us, many summer days are spent swimming for hours on end, which means they need to have energy to keep up. These chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies do just that. I’m also hoping to get out more this summer and explore some hiking trails and lakes local to us. That’s something we have never done but I’m really excited to try it as a family. We recently found a local park that allows you to rent canoes, so we would really like to do that too. I’ll be making sure that I pack some of these treats with us for whatever we do this summer!

This recipe is super simple.  It’s just eight ingredients and while a stove is involved, it’s still just a little help needed on your own. You can make them as thick or thin as you want. In a time crunch, throw them in the fridge to harden faster. Keep in fridge to up to 5 days in air tight containers.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 stick butter
  • 3 cups oats
  • 1 cup PB
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Line sheet with wax paper.
  2. heat sugar, milk, butter and honey until butter is melted. Boil for 90 seconds.
  3. Add in PB, oats, and vanilla.
  4. Fold in chips and cranberries
  5. Using spoon, drop cookies onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten to round cookies
  6. Set 30 mins before serving.
  7. Air tight container for 3 days

What’s on your summer fun list? Leave a comment and let us know.

Apple Cookies Four Ways

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Looking for a quick and simple snack for warm weather days? You’ll want to make these apple cookies! 

The girls are constantly go, go, go. With the weather warming up, we are already finding ourselves outside more. They are running around, playing frisbee, and seeing who can go faster down the slide.  Storm loves to swing, while Serenity is constantly pushing herself to learn the monkey bars. While they are running around and playing, they stop and notice the yellow dandelions in the yard. I use this as a learning experience to teach them the life cycle of a dandelion. Explaining to them how it goes from vibrant yellow to a white puffy flower and every time that they blow on that flower they create a new yellow flower. Serenity’s mind was blown. When we came inside and I found some cool time-lapse videos online of the process. It was amazing!

It was also time for a snack.

In the summertime, I love letting them explore with food. We take toppings outside to the table and let them go to town on creating their own unique flavor combinations. It’s really crazy to see the unique flavors the come up with on their own.  Ones that you wouldn’t think necessarily go together, yet they do.

One of their new favorite things to make are these apple cookies.

YES! APPLE COOKIES! 

Watch us make them!

It’s such a simple and quick snack to make and they get to be the creators of their own imagination. Plus, telling your kids it’s a “cookie” if guaranteed to at least get them to try it. It almost feels funny calling this a recipe because there isn’t much too it, but that makes it even better for you!

First, core and slice your favorite apples (granny smith works great for these!). Then, spread a “butter” and add toppings.  We’ve spread peanut butter, cookie butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, almond butter, caramel, and more. Toppings we’ve done include all types of nuts and dried fruits, chia seeds, pretzels, chocolate chips, and more. The possibilities are really endless. Here’s four of our favorite combinations-

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Apple Cookies Four Ways
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1 apple per person
  • Spreadable option - peanut butter hazelnut spread, almond butter, cookie butter, caramel, etc
  • Toppings - nuts dried fruit, pretzels, chocolate chips, chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Core and slice apples.
  2. Spread desired "butter" on top of each apple slice.
  3. Add toppings. (Great creative!)
  4. Eat & enjoy!


Smores Chocolate Chip Cookies

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S'mores-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-Recipe

Over the weekend, Skibbles, our toddler, was begging to go outside.  Unfortunately, it was raining again. I don’t think we saw the sun for at least seven straight days. I always heard the phrase, “April showers brings May flowers”, yet it always seems to rain a ton in May. Anyway, I ended up building her a fort with the chairs in our living room and it got me thinking about once she’s older it would be fun to take the girls camping in our backyard.  Now, I say our backyard because I don’t think I can do wilderness camping out in the middle of nowhere.  I need access to the actual bathroom and the ability to escape in case I hear some funky noises out there.

I’ve actually never been camping of any sort, so I started talking to Larisha about things that people do when they go camping and she told me about a time when her class in elementary school went on a school camping trip.  They had this group scavenger hunt through the woods, swam in a river, and more, but the most fun thing she told me about was cooking all the food.

She explained how there was this huge bonfire and they found sticks in the woods and cooked hotdogs and made s’mores. It’s definitely something that I wished that I would have had the opportunity to experience growing up, but made me think that it’s going to be even more enjoyable being able to experience it with my girls instead.

making smores chocolate chip cookies

Since we weren’t able to go outside because of the rain, I decided to take the outside inside for the recipe this week.  Larisha loves my homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe that I’ve been working on for awhile now and I decided to kick it up a notch and make these homemade Smores Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Larisha and I were both impressed with just how amazing they turned out.  They are definitely going to be our go to recipe to take to get togethers now, especially in the summer.

making smores chocolate chip cookies recipe

thick cookie dough batter

The dough is not like your typical chocolate chip cookie dough recipe.  This is a thick and dense dough batter so that the fudge sauce and marshmallows stay inside properly. The end results are these thick, yet soft and amazing cookies bursting with chocolate sauce and melted marshmallows.  Just the things that get you excited about eating S’mores in the summer.

mini chef mondays smores chocolate chip cookies

I mean …you guys….look at this.

homemade smores chocolate chip cookies

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Smores Chocolate Chip Cookies
Author: Andrew
Ingredients
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter slightly melted (30 seconds in microwave)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 egg
  • 1 cup chocolate chip chunks
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 120 mini marshmallows 1/2 of standard size bag
For fudge sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Make fudge sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together butter, white and brown sugars, and vanilla on low speed.
  5. Add eggs in ones at a time.
  6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl. *You will have to mix some by hand as this is thick dough.
  7. Add in the chips until combined.
  8. Roll the dough out into 3in balls.
  9. Flatten the balls and add 4 mini marshmallows and a tsp of fudge sauce.
  10. Fold up and bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  11. Remove and let cool on baking rack.

I am hosting Mini Chef Mondays along with 8 fabulous bloggers! Read how Mini Chef Mondays started, plus how to link up!

daddy and me making chocolate chip cookies

S'mores-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies

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Be sure to check out each of their Mini Chef posts as well!

  1. Banana Split Frozen Yogurt Bark // Courtney’s Sweets
  2. Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie Bowl // Momma Lew
  3. Strawberry Cucmber Lime Infused Water // Baby Loving Mama
  4. Smores Chocolate Chip Cookies // We’re Parents
  5. Super Moist Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe // Eating Richly Even When You’re Broke
  6. Ginger Snap Cookies // Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps
  7. Strawberry Lime Frozen Pie // Vegging at the Shore
  8. 5 Ways to Get Kids Involved in the Kitchen // O’Boy! Organic
  9. French Style Yogurt Cake // Can’t Google Everything


Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

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peanut butter stuffed chocolate chip cookies

Peanut butter for our family is one of those “deadly food sins”.  We’re all obsessed!  So sense my frustration for the past 5-ish months when I haven’t been able to consume ANY nuts because it was making the baby extremely colicky.  Fast forward to the last week or so, and it seems like her virgin gut is starting to be able to handle it much better.  Imagine my joy and happiness that I could crack open the peanut butter jar with Skibbles and dig in with her.  I know that we had to make something to celebrate and being that November is National Peanut Butter Month, there’s really no other excuse needed.  I came up with these Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip cookies and trust me, you MUST make these.  The sooner the better really.

mini chef mondays cookies

Of course, we had out mini chef in the kitchen with us for this one.  We actually made these a family affair and it was super fun for all of us.  Like with our other Mini Chef Mondays posts, this is a huge opportunity to build fine motor skills and explore sensory play.  Skibbles loved rubbing the cookie dough on her hands and watching and it rolled into a ball as she did it. She also thought it was extremely hilarious that if she put her hand into the dry ingredients that her handprint was left behind.

kids in the kitchen

Of course, her favorite part was being able to eat some of the batter.  We don’t let her have much, but we do let her enjoy some of the same fun memories that we remember growing up — how can we not, LOOK AT THAT FACE!

mini chef mondays

These cookies are actually extremely easy.  We used our triple chocolate chip cookie recipe and then chilled the dough and froze dollops of peanut butter to place inside. Rolled them back into balls and baked until perfection oozed out of them. It’s really important that you freeze the peanut butter.  If you don’t, it will just melt into the cookies and won’t ooze out like you see in our photos.
pb chocolate chip cookies tutorial

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter softened (NOT MELTED)
  • 3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Organic Sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup Cacao Chocolate Chips
  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter we use this one
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degree F.
  2. Scoop out 1 1/2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter onto a baking sheet until you have 24 dollops of peanut butter. Place in freezer until ready to use (let set for at least an hour).
  3. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt and set to the side.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter with the white and brown sugar until well combined. Add vanilla and combine. Then add eggs, one at a time, and mix until everything is combined well.
  5. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture making sure to get all the flour combined together.
  6. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips.
  7. Chill dough in fridge for 20 minutes.
  8. Roll 2-3in balls of dough and the flatten with your hand. Place a dollop of frozen peanut butter inside and then fold edges back up and around the peanut butter, sealing any edges.
  9. Place each ball onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-12 minutes depending on your oven.

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I am hosting Mini Chef Mondays along with 11 fabulous bloggers!

Be sure to check out each of their Mini Chef posts as well. We would love it if you would share your Mini Chef posts with us each week, too! Follow along socially and join in on the fun by using our hashtag #MiniChefMondays to share creations your mini chef created in the kitchen. Additionally, if you have a kid-friendly recipe that kids can easily recreate link up! Don’t have a blog? Share the URL of your instagram photo in our linky below.

  1. Inside Out Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipe // Courtney’s Sweets
  2. Cherry Banana Yogurt Smoothie // Baby Loving Mama
  3. Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies // We’re Parents
  4. French Toast Muffins // Frugal Novice
  5. Goat Cheese Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Recipe // Eating Richly
  6. Simple Pumpkin Hummus with Pita Chips // Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps
  7. Baked Apple Pie Bites // Step Stool Chef
  8. Pumpkin Granola // Vegging at the Shore
  9. Apple French Toast Casserole // The Shirley Journey
  10. Apple Pie // O’Boy! Organic
  11. Snicker Doodle Cookies // Can’t Google Everything


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