Grands Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

4 cups vegetable oil 

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated Original biscuits 

In deep fat fryer or heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat to 350°F.

In medium bowl, stir powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice and half-and-half with whisk until smooth, using enough half-and-half for glaze consistency. Set aside.

Place paper towels under cooling rack. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Using small round cookie cutter, cut hole in center of each biscuit.

Gently place 2 to 3 biscuits in hot oil (biscuit holes can also be fried!). Fry about 1 minute or until golden brown. Gently turn with tongs; fry on second side about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool 2 minutes.

Dip donuts into glaze. Return to cooling rack. Let glaze dry 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Ginger Pear Smoothie

Ginger Pear Smoothie

2 ripe pears, washed, quartered and cored
1 cup cantaloupe chunks
2/3 cup Dole Pineapple Orange Banana Juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tsp Spice World Squeeze Ginger (or 2-inches fresh peeled ginger)
1 cup ice
Honey to taste

Place all ingredients in Ninja blender and process on "Smoothie" mode for a couple of minutes until smooth.  If you have a less powerful blender, you might want to peel the pears first.

Adapted from Ninja recipe.

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen

"Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (495g) all-purpose flour*
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (370g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 15 oz. ricotta, whole milk or fresh (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Glaze

• 1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted), melted
• 3 3/4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or 1 1/4 tsp almond extract and more milk as needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 - 6 Tbsp milk

Directions

• For the cookies:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy (scrape down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process). Mix in ricotta and vanilla extract then blend in eggs one at a time. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 20 minutes of dough chilling.
• Scoop chilled dough out 1 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls (if it's too sticky just drop onto sheet using two spoons), drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes until underside of cookies are golden. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
• Once cool dip tops of cookies in glaze and return to wire rack, immediately add sprinkles if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
• For the glaze:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla and 4 Tbsp milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 tsp at a time to thin as needed (you don't want it to be very thin, it should be quite a bit thicker than a doughnut glaze).
• *Scoop flour directly from container using measuring cup and level top using a butter knife. Don't whisk or sift before measuring and don't spoon into a cup. I thought I better note that because in the recipe I adapted these from it stated 4 cups flour (480g) but it only took me 3 1/2 cups to get to the weight they had listed and then some (495g). The best option is to use a kitchen scale, I highly recommend investing in one if you don't already have one. I always use mine when baking.
• Recipe source: adapted from New York Times"

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It's linked to:

From <http://www.cookingclassy.com/italian-ricotta-cookies/> 

  







My notes:  I would definitely weigh the ingredients next time I make these.  Mine spread a little too much, but they were delicious!  I used the lemon juice in the glaze.  The cookies were soft and cakey with just a hint of lemon.  Very yummy!!