cookiesinheaven

And, it being the beginning of Holiday baking season, the Pillsbury Doughboy (aka Poppin' Fresh) is being spotted everywhere. On TV commercials, in magazine articles and advertisements, and of course, Pillsbury has those ubiquitous special edition cooking booklets you can view (and purchase) when standing in line at the grocery store. Of course, they are ready for Halloween on their web page, too. Check them out...some of their ideas are just wild! (Gotta love the Chocolate Chip Werewolf cookies....)

Poppin' has been "poppin'" for awhile. He was originally created by the famous Advertising Agency, Leo Burnett, in 1965. That's right....he turned the "big 4-0" this year! (he's still looking poppin' fresh! dang him! I want to know his secret....) One of the things he wanted to do for his birthday was to travel around to various parts of our country....and even go shopping on Rodeo Drive!

He's just too cute!

Whooooo Hoooooooo!


Giant Glowing Pumpkin Cookies
Prep Time: 1 hr
Makes: 8 cookies

Success Tip Get cracking! To crush, place the unwrapped candies in a resealable freezer plastic bag. Set the bag on a towel to protect the work surface underneath. Strike the bag repeatedly with a hammer, rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy can of food until the candy is broken into small pieces.

1 (18-oz.) roll Pillsbury® Refrigerated Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 butterscotch hard disk candies, crushed
6 cinnamon hard disk candies, crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil. (If using foil, smooth out all wrinkles.)

2. Break up cookie dough into large bowl. Add flour and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. On lightly floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Refrigerate remaining half of dough.

3. With small sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut out 4-inch pumpkin shapes; place 2 inches apart on 1 paper-lined cookie sheet. Cut out facial features from pumpkins. Continue with remaining dough.

4. Meanwhile, combine crushed candies. Place 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy in center of each cut-out area in each cookie, making sure candy touches edges of cookie. (Do not mound candy in centers of cutouts.)

5. Bake at 350°F. for 12 to 18 minutes or until edges of cookies are light golden brown, and candy is melted and fills cut-out areas of cookies. Cool 2 to 5 minutes on cookie sheets or until candy is hardened. Carefully remove cookies from cookie sheets; place on wire racks. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Repeat with remaining half of dough and candy.