Autumn Leaves are Falling!

Today has been the perfect fall day! Crisp air, nice breeze and it has been raining leaves! I ran across this idea last week and thought there would be no better day than today to do it. I made a few adjustments and used this chocolate pie filling recipe in the place of chocolate chips. Instead of raw sugar we used colored sugar to make our leaves pretty.

 Baking with my girls. I sure do love them!

First we rolled 2 refrigerated pie crusts out to 1/8 inch thick.

Then we cut out our leaf shapes.

The first pie crust made 20 maple leaves. This will make 10 cookies.

The second crust made 18 oak leaves but I could have squeezed two more out of it. However that would have messed up the symmetry of my baking stone. Yes, I'm anal special like that. :)

I set the leaves to the side and we got started on the chocolate pie filling. I only used half of the recipe and it was plenty. The girls were so excited about the cocoa ... until they tried a lick!



After the pie filling was ready I let it cool for a few minutes and then put it into a decorating bag fitted with a round tip. I put a mound of filling on each leaf. I was a little conservative with the amount of filling I used this time since I wasn't sure how much it would spread as it baked. Next time I will use more (the 1/2 recipe is still plenty).

After I had the chocolate on each leaf I dipped my finger in water and got just the edges of the leaf wet. I put a second leaf on top and pressed gently around the edge to seal it off.

Almost done! We brushed the tops of the leaves with an egg white and then sprinkled them with colored sugar.

Baked at 350* for about 12 minutes until the leaves were just starting to brown. They turned out perfect!

Daddy came home just in time to try them out!

They sure are yummy !! The perfect fall treat!

To make these cookies you will need:

2 refrigerated pie crusts (or your favorite recipe) rolled out to 1/8 inch thickness.

Leaf shaped cookie cutters (mine are wilton)

Chocolate pie filling (recipe below)

Colored sugar sprinkles

Make an even number of leaves. Place one set on cookie sheets (if you don't have a baking stone you should probably line your cookie sheet with parchment paper first) and then put a mound of pie filling (I recommend using a decorators bag fitted with a round tip for this step) in the middle of each leaf. Using fingers, get edges of each leaf wet with water (just a little will do!) and the add a leaf over filling pressing gently with fingers to seal edges. Bake at 350* for approx. 12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pie Filling (the amount used to make approx 20 cookies)

2 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, egg yolk & milk in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it bubbles & thickens. It took exactly 5 minutes for this to happen for me.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla

Enjoy!!