Bob's Spiced Pumpkin Tartlets

Ingredients:
1 package (15 oz. size) double-crust refrigerated pie crusts
1 can (15 oz. size) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups thawed Cool Whip
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 package (3.4 oz. size) cheesecake instant pudding mix
Powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 small orange, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Allow pie crusts to stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Roll 1 crust into a 12" circle.

Using a buscuit cutter/bread tube/or glass, cut out 12 pastry pieces (9 from outer edge and 3 from center of pastry circle); press one into each cup of a mini muffin pan. Prick bottom of pastry with pastry tool. (Can usually roll out dough again to get a few more.)

Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove tart shells from pan to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining crust to make rest of tart shells.

Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, whipped topping and spice in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lightly sprinkle tart shells with powdered sugar, if desired. Attach open star tip to a decorator; fill with pumpkin mixture, or fill in a zip top bag & cut corner. Pipe into tart shells.

Chop pecans; sprinkle over tartlets if desired. Zest orange; sprinkle zest over tartlets, if desired.

Spicedoodles (Snickerdoodles with a kick)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with
an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and
beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and
cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for
30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the pumpkin pie spice for the
topping.

6. Take about 2 teaspoons of the dough and roll it into a
ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it
onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies
may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are
removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be
soft and chewy in the middle.

Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

*I double the recipe - 2 sticks of butter, etc*