Friday Means Ice Cream

I actually had this ice cream last Saturday in Durham, but ice cream is a good idea of day of the week, especially when it is homemade! I visited The Parlour last week. It is a cute mini school bus food truck that open up a brick-and-mortar shop in Downtown Durham that offers some of the best flavors including my favorite, Salted Butter Caramel.

If you're in downtown Durham, go visit them at 117 Market St, or cross your fingers they show up at food truck rodeos/community events. I wish you all could lick your screens to get a taste of this ice cream, but sadly we don't have that kind of technology...yet.

Mmmmm... I can't stop staring at that ice cream...dripping down that waffle cone...

RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

WED Oct 3, 2012

It's October and you know what that means...ridiculous amounts of pumpkin-related pins, tweets, lattes, desserts and recipes! In honor of welcoming October - by the way... how the heck is October already here? - I thought it was only appropriate to share my favorite (and easy) pumpkin cookie recipe. Like...really easy.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies (makes about two dozen)

Ingredients
1 box of Spice Cake mix (18 1/4 ounce)
1 can of Pumpkin (15 ounce)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Spray cookie sheet lightly with vegetable spray, i.e. Pam
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin until well blended
4. Use a spoon to drop large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet
Cookies are soft and cake-like so they don't flatten in the oven. How you put them on the sheet resembles how they will bake
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes
6. Cool before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting via Sprinkles cupcakes - my favorite recipe!

Ingredients
8 oz Cream Cheese
4 oz Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
3 3/4 Powered Sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions
1. Make sure cream cheese and butter are softened. Stick in the microwave for a few seconds if need be
2. Mix cream cheese, butter and salt until light and fluffy
3. Gradually add powdered sugar until incorporated
4. Add vanilla extract and mix
5. Voila! My favorite cream cheese frosting recipe

Final step: After frosting your cookies, sprinkle a little cinnamon for a little kick!

These go pretty fast at parties so be sure to save yourself a couple cookies ;)
Enjoy!