Feed Your Kids

This recipe is adapted from an old Pillsbury recipe booklet (the kind that you see at the supermarket checkout). They turned out pretty yummy, even though I didn’t bake them quite long enough. I also made them too long the first time, so if you follow the recipe exactly, yours will look half as long as the ones in the photo. I’m probably going to bake another batch for Thanksgiving, so I’ll have another shot to get them PERFECT.

Iced Cinnamon Shortbread Sticks

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon spice blend, divided (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 – 4 Tbsp. unfiltered apple juice

In a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter, vanilla and egg; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon spice blend; mix well until dough forms a ball. Flatten the ball of dough slightly, until it forms a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a square about 12 X 12 inches. Cut dough into 1 X 3 inch strips with a pastry wheel or sharp knife, using a clean ruler as a guide. Place sticks 1/2 apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes or until edges are browning slightly. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend powdered sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp of spice blend, starting out with 2 Tbsp. apple juice, until smooth, adding more apple juice, if needed, for desired glaze consistency. Spread glaze on tops of cookies. Let stand until glaze is set before storing.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Cinnamon Spice Blend

6 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. dried orange peel
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Mix all ingredients together until blended. Store leftover spice in a tightly lidded glass jar or small airtight plastic container. We use this mixture in just about anything that calls for cinnamon. It’s great when mixed with sugar to use for cinnamon toast.

(Another great recipe that uses the Cinnamon Spice Blend can be found here.)

Don’t be put off by the multiple steps; these are actually surprisingly easy to make and are a unique and tasty alternative to pumpkin pie for this time of year. The only “special” equipment that you need: two pastry bags and two tips (#11 and #6).

For Eclair pastry:
3/4 cup water
6 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. granulated sugar
3/4 all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon spice blend (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, granulated sugar, cinnamon spice blend (1/8 tsp.) and salt. Bring to boiling over medium heat. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.

Load batter into a large pastry bag fitted with a #11 tip and pipe dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet into “fingers” about 3/4-inch wide and 3 1/2 inches long – it should make about 2 dozen. They can be piped fairly close together, but a second baking sheet may be necessary. Smooth tops of dough, if necessary, with a clean finger dipped in water. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly puffed up. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

After eclair shells have completed cooled, use a knife to gently cut open the bottoms (on one side) of the eclairs to prepare them for stuffing. It’s not necessary to cut all the way through or to cut them in half; you just want to make a “pocket” so that the filling can flow inside.

For Pumpkin Mousse (you can prepare this while the eclairs are baking) :
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon spice blend
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Combine the cream, sugar and cinnamon spice blend in an electric stand mixer. Beat mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the pumpkin. Load cream mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a #6 tip. When eclairs have completely cooled, carefully pipe the cream mixture into the bottom of each eclair (you may not need to use all of it). Eclairs may be refrigerated after they’ve been filled, while you prepare the glaze.

For Caramel Maple Glaze:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla (preferably Mexican)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted

In a heavy, small saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the cream, water, syrup and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly (mixture may appear curdled before it bubbles). Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans and set aside to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes and then gently spoon/spread glaze over cooled, filled eclairs.

For Cinnamon Spice Blend:
6 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. dried orange peel
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Mix all ingredients together until blended. Store leftover spice in a tightly lidded glass jar or small airtight plastic container. We use this mixture in just about anything that calls for cinnamon. It’s great when mixed with sugar to use for cinnamon toast.