Can you believe that today is October 1st?! As in, the month of Halloween, the month before Thanksgiving, and oh-my-goodness, it’s almost Christmas!

I love checking on all of the most popular cookbooks and kitchen gadgets every few months, and it’s been quite awhile since I did one of these lists and thought you might enjoy it as we start to think about Christmas lists (for others) and wish lists (for ourselves!). I’ve rounded up the best-selling cookbooks and kitchen tools over the last three months and listed them below… take a look and let me know what you’ve been loving lately!

Bestselling Cookbooks

These were the 10 most popular cookbooks purchased from July through September 2015. Number 10 was a tie, so you get eleven books instead of ten!

1. The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom

2. It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways

3. Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

4. New England Soup Factory Cookbook

5. Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

6. The Baking Bible

7. Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

8. Vintage Cakes

9. Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

10. Baked Occasions: Desserts for Leisure Activities, Holidays, and Informal Celebrations

10. The Best Soups & Stews

Bestselling Kitchen Tools

These are the most purchased kitchen items from Brown Eyed Baker readers from July through September 2015.

1. John Boos Butcher Block Board Cream

2. John Boos Mystery Butcher Block Oil

3. Fox Run Non-Stick 9-Inch Tart Pan

4. Progressive Freezer Pop Maker

5. Fat Diddio’s Round Cake Pans

6. Parrish Magic Line Round Cake Pans

7. Sil-Eco Non-Stick Silicone Baking Liner

8. Ateco 4-Piece Set of Standard Couplers

9. Bakery Crafts Edible Rectangle Rice and Wafer Paper

10. Regency Wraps Greaseproof Baking Cups

Notes:

A summary of places on Brown Eyed Baker where you can find references to some of the books and items above…

• Over the summer, I completed a month of Whole30 and wrote about it here >> The Whole30: I DID IT!
• I made these Bourbon, Pecan, Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.
• This Mixed Berry Ginger Crumb Cake was found in Vintage Cakes.
• The Fudgy Pudgy Brownies were courtesy of an adaptation from The Baking Bible.
• This Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mocha Ganache Frosting went viral on Facebook and came from the Make It Ahead Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
• I used both the butcher block cream and butcher block oil in this tutorial >> How I Refinished My Grandma’s Old Dough Board.
• Use the tart pan to make this Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart (you’ll thank me later!).
• The rice and wafer paper can be used to make homemade torrone (I told you Christmas was coming!).

What were some of your favorite finds over the last few months?

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link, I receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, at no extra cost to you. 

Yesterday, I shared with you the risotto that my mom requests for dinner each year for her birthday. For dessert, she turns down cake and asks that I make a batch of these chocolate chip scones instead. I believe this was the third baking recipe that I ever attempted on my own (behind peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars and chocolate chip-pecan pie bars) and it quickly turned into one of my family’s favorite treats. These chocolate chip scones are incredibly easy to make, plus I’m all-in on anything with chocolate chips that can be passed off as a breakfast food.

The scones have a very tender texture – not quite flaky like a biscuit and not as cakey as a muffin, but a perfect combination of the two. They aren’t overly sweet, either, except for the chocolate chips, of course. If you keep your pantry stocked with bags of chocolate chips (who doesn’t?!) and heavy cream in your fridge, then you likely have everything you need to throw these scones together in no time at all. One bowl and only a handful of ingredients is all it takes!

What’s your favorite sweet-for-breakfast recipe?

Chocolate Chip Scones

Yield: 16 scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These chocolate chip scones are tender, lightly sweetened and perfect alongside a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients:

For the Scones:

3¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces chocolate chips (semisweet or dark)
2 cups heavy cream, cold

For the Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the heavy cream into the flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are moistened.

4. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until a soft dough forms (about 2 minutes). Divide the dough into two equal balls. Working with one at a time, pat each one into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles. Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. These scones are best served the day that they are made, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

(Adapted from Hershey's)

This recipe was originally published on May 13, 2007.

This risotto recipe has been a huge family favorite for nearly ten years now.

It’s one of the first “fancy meals” that I learned how to cook back in my mid-20’s, and it was an instant hit. is one of the very first meals that I taught myself how to cook and it quickly became a favorite with my family. Each year when my mom’s birthday rolls around, I offer to make her whatever she’d like for dinner… and every single year since I first made this risotto recipe, it has been her request. Yesterday was her birthday and when I asked what she wanted for dinner, she didn’t even hesitate… “the risotto with sausage, peppers and mushrooms!”

I can probably stop asking at this point

If you’ve never made risotto, it is most definitely a labor of love… while not a difficult dish in terms of complexity, it is a little time-consuming and requires constant attention. Once you have sauteed the sausage, peppers and mushrooms, deglazed the pan with wine and added the arborio rice, the stirring begins! Risotto gets its wonderfully creamy texture from broth being added a little bit at a time and stirred into the rice until mostly absorbed before adding more. The result is absolutely worth it and from start to finish, it still takes less than an hour to make.

(I’ve seen some recipes for oven-baked risotto, but I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure if it would result in the same creamy consistency. Have any of you tried it?)

This risotto recipe is a perfect special occasion meal; it can be served as a main dish and goes great with a loaf of Italian bread and a salad.

One year ago: Beef Enchiladas
Four years ago: Honey Cake
Five years ago: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

Sausage, Pepper and Mushroom Risotto

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This sausage, pepper & mushroom risotto is a hearty meal - just add some Italian bread and a big salad!

Ingredients:

5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons salted butter
8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 ounces white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups Arborio rice
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

1. Add the broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low.

2. In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and mushrooms, and saute until tender, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

4. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

5. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese to pass at the table.

(Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

This recipe was originally published on September 27, 2009.

We’re only a week away from October, so we can talk about pumpkin, right? Good!

I absolutely love quick breads in just about any form – banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread… I mean, they’re sweet and kind of like dessert, but they’re also bread, so I feel totally justified eating a slice or two for breakfast. Absolutely acceptable in my kitchen! I made a simple pumpkin bread a few years ago, but I was in the mood for amping it up in a big way. I threw in a swirl of cinnamon and maple-coated walnuts and a cinnamon crumb topping for good measure.

Last year around the time that I made whole wheat sandwich bread, one of my good friends asked me about substituting white whole wheat flour for all-purpose in a number of recipes. At the time, I hadn’t done any experimenting with it, but started playing around with it more, and in fact used it exclusively in my homemade tortillas recipe.

The white whole wheat flour is a bit more mild in flavor than straight whole wheat flour, so it’s easier to substitute, especially for pickier eaters like little kids (or, ahem, me). It’s an easy way to pack more whole grain into breakfast and bread recipes.

If you’ve not heard of white whole wheat flour, it is made by King Arthur Flour; I buy it at my local grocery store (it’s stocked right next to the all-purpose and bread flours), but you can also purchase it from their website.

(If you’re new to baking with whole wheat flour, you can check out some posts from King Arthur Flour on making substitutions in the following types of recipes: breakfast, breads and pizza, cookies and brownies, and cakes and cupcakes.)

This pumpkin bread is one of those phenomenal baked goods that gets better the longer it sits after baking. Much like banana bread, this is fantastic when cooled, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and left to sit overnight. It becomes incredibly moist and every flavor is magnified.

Whether you want to serve this for dessert, for snacking, breakfast or brunch, there is definitely no wrong time for pumpkin bread once the fall weather rolls around.

One year ago: Morning Buns
Two years ago: Greek Lamb Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
Seven years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon-Maple Walnuts and Crumb Topping

Yield: 2 loaves

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 60 to 80 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

This pumpkin bread is studded with a maple-cinnamon walnut swirl and topped with a cinnamon crumb.

Ingredients:

For the Cinnamon Crumb Topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4½ teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Cinnamon-Maple Walnuts:
2 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Pumpkin Bread:
2⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin (2 cups)
⅔ cup water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur Flour White Whole Wheat Flour
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

2. Make the Cinnamon Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together into large, coarse crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Make the Cinnamon-Maple Walnuts: In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts, maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon until the walnuts are evenly coated. Set aside until ready to use.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, pumpkin, water, eggs and vanilla extract. Add both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg, and use a rubber spatula to gently stir until completely combined.

5. Pour one-quarter of the batter into each of the prepared loaf pans. Divide the cinnamon-maple walnuts between each of the loaf pans, sprinkling them into an even layer on top of the batter. Divide the remaining batter between the loaf pans, covering the walnut filling. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of each loaf, pressing lightly so the crumbs adhere to the batter.

6. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the loaves are completely cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store overnight (at room temperature) before serving. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Disclaimer: This post is part of a sponsored partnership with King Arthur Flour. I’ll be sharing a few more recipes over the course of the next six months!

Tag your fall baking posts on social media with #kingarthurflour!

Hello Saturday!

Can you believe it’s the last weekend of September?! Crazy!! The air is starting to feel much more like fall here, so we’ve been enjoying keeping the windows open and breathing in that fresh air. What do you have planned for the weekend? Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Mom!), so we’ll be celebrating at Sunday dinner!

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week, the most shared recipes, my Sunday dinner menu, and recipes I’ve bookmarked from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

Apple Turnovers (From Scratch!) – These were not as difficult as I anticipated and SO much better than store-bought!

Cheesy Pepperoni Bites – A quick, easy appetizer that’s perfect for parties, holidays or tailgating.

The Ultimate Pumpkin Recipe Roundup – All of my favorite pumpkin recipes in one place!

Friday Things – We have an 8-month old! Plus more links and recommendations!

Top 5 Most Shared Posts This Week:

1. Salted Caramel Apple Cake

2. Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

3. The Ultimate Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

4. Cheesy Pepperoni Bites

5. Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Sunday Dinner Menu

Appetizer: Prosciutto, basil, fresh mozzarella and tomato (my sister made it a few weeks ago)
Sausage, pepper & mushroom risotto
Italian bread
Tossed salad
Apple cake
Chocolate chip scones

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes and posts from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like, too:

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff (Chelsea’s Messy Apron)
I need all of the slow cooker meals I can find, and I love that this one doesn’t use any canned soup.

No Cook Pizza Sauce (The Suburban Soapbox)
I love homemade pizza, but don’t always want to take the time to cook down the sauce. Love this recipe!

Peanut Butter Bread (She Wears Many Hats)
Oh my gosh, yes! Why have I never thought of this?!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (Baked by Rachel)
Gorgeous muffins… I would like to eat these every single morning until December.

Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies (A Kitchen Addiction)
My favorite one-two punch of chocolate and peanut butter – love these cookies!

Have a delicious weekend!

1. Joseph turned 8 months old last Saturday! I just can’t believe how fast this year is going, it’s insane. He is crawling like a champ, zooming around the house like a little bug, it’s so funny to watch. He’s pulling himself up on everything and standing, holding on with only one hand. His newest thing this week is that twice he actually started bouncing/dancing when a commercial came on the TV with music. I just love hanging out with this little dude every single day.

2. Last Friday, I got a deep tissue massage and it was AMAZING. After it was over, I just wanted to curl up and take a nap in that dark room with the relaxing music. I could go for one of those every single week.

3. On my way to do some errands, I drove past a house with a clothesline in the yard and tons of clothes hanging in the sun. It reminded me of my grandma so much; if the weather was at least halfway decent, she never used her dryer.

4. Did you see the story about the dog that stood watch over her buddy that had fallen into a cistern until help arrived? Dogs are such amazing souls.

5. Speaking of dogs keeping an eye out for one another… We currently have a temporary construction fence up in our yard after having some yard work done and prepping for expanding the fenced-in area. Somehow yesterday, Einstein got his head underneath of it and off he went. My husband was sitting on the deck with Joseph and didn’t see it happen, but Duke got very upset and was whining/growling and staring off out of the yard. It got my husband’s attention and he saw Einstein way out of the yard. When asked if he was hungry, Einstein immediately made a beeline for home, thank goodness. Duke is such a good brother

6. Can we talk hair ties? What brand/type do you use? I buy the black Scunci ones, but I feel like they get totally stretched out after using them for only a couple of days.

7. Please tell me your favorite tips for getting a comforter into a duvet cover without losing your mind. It’s quite possibly my least favorite home chore.

8. So, my fantasy football is currently in shambles. My regular team is 0-2 on the season, my players are seriously underperforming. On top of that, I got bounced from my survivor league last week since the Saints couldn’t manage to beat Tampa. Ugh. I was in a seriously bad mood last Sunday afternoon.

9. On a happier note, I’ve been enjoying watching footage of the Pope traipsing around this week!

10. TGIF! These guys were super snuggly this week…

Today is the official, by-the-books first day of fall. The air here has changed considerably over the last few days – it’s more crisp, less heavy, and when you step outside there is no denying that fall has arrived, even if the temperature is still in the 70’s. All bets are now off when it comes to hoodies, blankets, hot chocolate and all things pumpkin.

I thought that we could kick off the fall season with some amazing pumpkin recipes; how does that sound?! I’ve rounded up all of my favorites – everything from breakfast to soups and snacks, desserts, and even some dog treats. Enjoy!

Breakfast Pumpkin Recipes

1. Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel (pictured above)

2. Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

3. Pumpkin Pancakes

4. Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

Savory Pumpkin Recipes

5. Pumpkin Bread

6. Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip & Pecan Granola Bars

7. Pumpkin Soup with Apple & Spices (pictured above)

Dessert Pumpkin Recipes

8. Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

9. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

10. Pumpkin Blondies

11. Pumpkin Cheesecake

12. Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

13. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

14. Pumpkin Fudge

15. Pumpkin-Gingerbread Trifle

16. Pumpkin Ice Cream

17. Pumpkin Pie

18. Pumpkin Pie Bars

19. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Crumb Bars

20. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

21. Pumpkin Spice Latte Fudge

22. Pumpkin Roll (pictured above)

23. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Filling

Dog Treat Pumpkin Recipes

24. Grain-Free Dog Treats

What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

I receive quite a bit of email every day, and by far, the best, best, BEST emails are the ones from readers that want to pass along recipes they think I might like. These are absolute gems, and I am absolutely convinced that you all know me really, really well just based on the recipes that you send my way  This recipe for pepperoni bites showed up in my email a couple of weeks ago from Terri, who has been making these for over 20 years. She said that the recipe hails from a former boss’s mother, and that she makes the pepperoni bites for holiday parties, pot lucks and watching sporting events.

I decided to make these on Sunday to have as an appetizer before dinner and for snacking while watching football in the afternoon. The consensus was unaminous – these were a huge hit!

Quick preparation time is always a win in my book, and these were incredibly easy to throw together. I actually chopped up the cheese and pepperoni on Saturday night so that on Sunday, it only took five minutes to mix everything together and pop it in the oven.

This sort of has the consistency of pancake batter when you initially mix it, and the pepperoni bites baked up into a less-doughy version of pepperoni bread, one of my all-time favorite foods.

A huge thank you to Terri, who took the time to send me this fantastic recipe – this recipe for pepperoni bites is definitely a keeper and perfect for the upcoming football and holiday season.

If you have any recipes that you think I might like, always feel free to shoot me an email and send them my way! I love receiving them!

One year ago: Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Four years ago: Sea Salt Caramels with Vanilla Bean
Five years ago: White Sicilian Pizza
Eight years ago: Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cheesy Pepperoni Bites

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

These easy, cheesy pepperoni bites are a great appetizer or snack for any party or game day gathering!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
4 ounces provolone cheese, cut into small cubes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and oregano. Add the milk and eggs and gently stir until thoroughly combined. Add the pepperoni and cheeses and stir in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until evenly distributed.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Let’s talk apple turnovers!

Truth be told, I’m not sure that I’ve ever eaten a fresh-baked apple turnover! Which is a crying shame, because now that I’ve made them, I can’t believe that I’ve only ever had store-bought turnovers. While you could totally make these with frozen puff pastry, I went all-out and did a homemade puff pastry, which isn’t nearly as intimidating or complicated as it might sound. Filled with sweetened shredded apples and topped with cinnamon sugar, these homemade apple turnovers are little pockets of fall heaven.

While there are a number of steps involved with prepping the dough, it does not take much active time, as the bulk of the time the dough is chilling in the refrigerator. The resulting pastry dough is well worth the effort – it’s light and flaky like puff pastry, but just a little bit more sturdy and tender, like pie crust.

Instead of filling the turnovers with sliced or chopped apples, the apples are shredded to create a more cohesive filling that does not fall apart when you bite into the turnovers, which is a total win in my book. There’s nothing worse than biting into a turnover or hand pie and having most of the filling come spilling out.

You can easily split this kitchen project into two days, making the dough and filling the turnovers one day, then refrigerating them and baking them the next day. Like most pastries, these are best when eaten the same day they are baked, but will keep for a couple of days.

If you have a fall baking list started, be sure to add these homemade apple turnovers – I guarantee you’ll love them!

Four years ago: Waldorf Salad
Five years ago: Football Jersey Sugar Cookies
Eight years ago: Hershey’s Best Brownies

Apple Turnovers From Scratch

Yield: 9 turnovers

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time: 18 to 22 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Apple Turnovers made completely from scratch with a homemade puff pastry and delicious apple filling.

Ingredients:

For the Homemade Puff Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes
6 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Apple Filling
4 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound), peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Special Equipment:
Food processor

Directions:

1. Make the Homemade Puff Pastry: Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add one-quarter of the butter cubes and process in four 1-second pulses. Add the remaining butter to coat the cubes with flour, two 1-second pulses. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

2. Combine the ice water and lemon juice in small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the liquid to the flour and butter mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until just combined. Toss in the remaining water, then turn the dough out (it will be a shaggy mixture) onto a work surface and press it together with both hands.

3. Use the heel of one hand against the work surface to drag a small portion of the dough forward in a short, brisk stroke. Repeat with the remaining dough portions. Gather the dough together (using a bench scraper if it's sticking) and repeat the pressing of the dough a second time. Pat the dough into an 8 by 4-inch rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

4. Unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured large piece of parchment paper and roll into a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds. Starting from a narrow end, loosely roll up the dough. Press it into a 6 by 5-inch rectangle.

5. Repeat step #4, first chilling the dough for 30 minutes if it is soft and sticky. Once you have repeated step #4, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

6. On a large sheet of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough to an 18-inch square Using a pizza cutter or ravioli cutter, trim the dough to a 15-inch square. Cut the dough into nine 5-inch squares. Slide the parchment and dough onto a cookie sheet or large cutting board and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

7. Grate the apples on the large holes of a box grater. Combine the grated apples, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

8. Working one at a time, remove dough squares from the refrigerator and set on a clean work surface. Place 2 tablespoons of the grated apple filling (squeezed of excess liquid) in the center of the dough square. Moisten two adjoining edges of the dough square with a finger dipped in the apple liquid, then fold the top portion of dough over the bottom, making sure to overlap the bottom portion by ⅛ inch. With a fork dipped in flour, press to seal and crimp the edges. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the turnover to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough squares. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

9. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

10. Brush the turnovers lightly with water and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the turnovers to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

(Recipe from Cook's Illustrated)

Happy weekend!

I hope you had a great week and that this weekend is treating you well so far. I’m looking forward to another rainy Saturday – it’s so cozy and makes spending all day curled up in front of the TV feel a-ok. Maybe I’ll whip up some of my favorite chocolate chip cookies – I’m way overdue to stock up the freezer!

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week, the most shared recipes, my Sunday dinner menu, and recipes I’ve bookmarked from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage – I’ve been making this for years and it’s my favorite baked pasta recipe.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake – Everyone needs a classic recipe for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and this is by far the best one I’ve come across!

The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie – Supposedly an urban myth, this recipe churns out absolutely fantastic cookies loaded with ground oats, chocolate chips and walnuts.

Warm and Cheesy Bacon Dip – This is a hot and bubbly version of the popular loaded baked potato dip that I made years ago.

Friday Things – A rescue dog, Periscope, videos, old TV shows, and more!

Joseph David – 7 Months

Top 5 Most Shared Posts This Week:

1. Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage

2. The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

3. Crock-Pot Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters

4. Homemade Velveeta Cheese

5. Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting

Sunday Dinner Menu

Chicken parmesan
Roasted mushrooms
Garlic-Herb Roasted Red Potatoes
Garlic Bread
Tossed salad
Apple turnovers

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes and posts from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like, too:

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn (Julie’s Eats & Treats)
I love candied popcorn and I need this!

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce (House of Yumm)
Chick-Fil-A sauce is some magical stuff and I always ask for extra packets when I’m there. I am totally making this to stash at home!

Funfetti Cake Batter Cookie Dough Brownie Layer Cake (Life, Love & Sugar)
Oh my goodness, this cake! So many layers of amazing deliciousness!

Garlic Parmesan Baked Potato Wedges (Ten at the Table)
I’m always on the look out for great oven-baked potato wedges, and these look fantastic.

Nutella Kit Kat Puppy Chow (A Latte Food)
I can’t wait for the holidays, just so I have an excuse to make a ridiculous amount of muddy buddies in tons of different flavors. This is going on the list!

Have a delicious weekend!