Today I’m partnering with Collective Bias, Inc. (#CollectiveBias) and its advertiser to #BakeInTheFun and celebrate fall with a these tasty Apple and M&M’s® Pecan Pie Sandwich Cookies! Keep some for yourself and give some away with an adorable hand stamped apple gift tag.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have always loved the start of a new school year! A bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils, the excitement of a Friday night spent watching a high school football game, the settling in of a new, yet familiar routine, and the onset of cooler fall weather. Yup, back to school is quite possibly the best time of year!
In fact, I loved school so much, that as a little girl I had such great admiration for my teachers, that I had big dreams of one day being a teacher myself. Yes, for years my friends and I would play school, with our pop up chalk board, red markers and made up worksheets, all to prepare ourselves for that day when we would walk into a classroom of our own.
Years passed and my friends and I all went off to our dream colleges to pursue our love of teaching. But as life often does, for some of us, dreams changed.
Because I have such admiration for teachers, and understand the hard work they put in with very little asked for in return, each year I try to celebrate my friends, colleges, and every other teacher I know with a small token of my appreciation.
These Apple and M&M’s® Pecan Pie Sandwich Cookies and DIY Apple Stamped Gift Tags turned out tastier and cuter than I ever imagined! My teacher friends absolutely loved them and I can’t wait for the next new school year to make them again!
DIY Apple Stamped Gift Tag
- Place apple on cutting board and slice in half. Use paper towels to dry apple off. Place apple stamp face down on a clean paper towel to finish drying out, about 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour about ¼ cup red and green paint onto separate paper plates. Place card stock on a clean, flat surface.
- Once dry, dip the apple cut side down into the paint on the plate. Alternatively, paint can be applied to the cut side of the apple using a paint brush.
- Once the cut side of the apple is covered in paint, secure the card stock with one hand, and use the other to press the paint-covered apple onto the piece of card stock. Firmly press down on apple for 10-15 seconds, then carefully left the apple up and peel away the card stock.
- After removing the apple, use a paint brush to fill in any open spots.
- Repeat as desired, leaving room to cut card stock into tags.
- Once finished stamping, carefully free hand paint on leaves. Let paint dry for 30-45 minutes.
- When paint is thoroughly dry, use a black or brown marker to draw on stems, seeds and any messages (phrases, to/from, etc.).
- Use a paper cutter or scissors to cut card stock into approximately 3×3-inch gift tags.
- Punch hole into the corner of the tag and use twine to tie gift tag onto gift.
What is your favorite thing about fall? I would love you to share in the comments below!
- Cookies:
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Mott's® Apple Sauce Original
- ½ cup Mott's® Apple Juice
- 1 9.9-ounce bag M&M's® Pecan Pie*
- -
- Filling:
- 1 16-ounce container Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans for decorating
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, applesauce and apple juice, beating until well combined. Add dry ingredients, a little at a time, to wet ingredients and beat until well incorporated. Gently fold in half of the M&M's® Pecan Pie.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, drop cookie batter by spoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheet. Press 3-4 M&M's® Pecan Pie into the top of each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and edges are light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make filling, pour cream cheese icing into a large bowl. Add maple extract and powdered sugar and stir to combine. Place prepared frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip.
- Once cookies are cool, pipe a generous amount of frosting onto the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing the bottom sides down onto the frosting. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator and serve within 24 hours. If desired, press chopped pecans into the frosting filling of each cookie.
*Chopped pecans or white chocolate M&M's can be substituted for pecan pie M&M's.
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. AD #BakeInTheFun #CollectiveBias
Those sandwich cookies look amazing! I love the gift tag idea and I can't wait to make my own! (client)