It’s officially OCTOBER!!! Not only is it pumpkin spice season, but it’s officially CIDER season! 🎃 🍎 The weather is definitely cooling down (high of 42 degrees on Monday!) and all it makes me want to do is snuggle up under a blanket with a delicious cup of cider and a sweet treat on the side. This week’s pairing of the week is…
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Carmel Apple Cider
I know I have talked about my somewhat *dislike* of Starbucks before…call me crazy 😂 BUT the one drink from there that I absolutely LOVE is their Carmel Apple Cider. A couple years ago I was hosting a Halloween Party and thought it would be so fun to have a Cider Bar.
I looked up a bunch of recipes and combined some different ingredients to come up with this AMAZING Caramel Apple Cider. What I love about it is you also make it “adult cider” by adding about 1 oz of Smirnoff Caramel Vodka to your glass…it is the most amazing “adult” fall beverage you will have all year! It’s great for parties! OR you can easily keep it non-alcoholic. Your kids will LOVE it. We just made a big batch for our bible study this past week and it was a hit!
As for the cookies…these are my husbands absolute FAVORITE cookies. I mean ever. More so than any cookie at any point of the year, and no matter how hard I try, they will never be “as good as my moms” as he says 😂. Yes, this is another amazing recipe I got from my mother-in-law Cindy! I guess she just add’s a little extra love or a secret ingredient she has never told me about, but somehow hers are always just “better” 🤣. The original recipe makes a TON of cookies, but the nice part is you can freeze them, serve them at a party, give them away as gifts, bring some into the office, or bring them to a bible study like we did! They are always a crowd favorite and taste like FALL especially when paired with a hot cup of caramel apple cider!
From my kitchen to yours… enjoy!
An amazing blend of apple, spices and caramel to warm you up this fall or winter!
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz bottle of Apple Juice
- 1/4 Cup Caramel Sauce
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 6-8 Whole Cloves
- Sprinkle of nutmeg
- **Optional Additions**- Whipped Cream, Caramel Drizzle, Caramel Smirnoff (about 1 oz per cup of cider)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients EXCEPT “optional additions” in a large pot on the stove.
- Turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer- NOT a boil ( the cider will quickly boil over).
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about an hour- this will make flavors stronger.
- Pour into a cider glass or mug, add any optional additions
Notes
Can be made as an alcoholic cider or non-alcoholic
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin
- 1 1/2 C. Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 3/4 Cups Oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp. milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3 C. flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Mix together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, oil in a bowl. Set aside
- Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon in a separate bowl. Set aside
- Combing milk and baking soda in a separate bowl, mix, THEN add to liquid mixture.
- Combine liquid & dry mixtures, add chocolate chips.
- Grease a baking sheet, drop dough by the spoonful onto the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Serve with a warm glass of delicious Caramel Apple Cider!