Well dear friends, I am back.  Today is mine and hubby's 2nd Wedding Anniversary so Happy Anniversary to the bestest hubby ever!!!  Today I baked for my hubby, and for a friend (and her family) who had surgery. 

So, today, I baked 2 kinds of cookies, a cake and a couple of pies.  So here we go with pictures and recipes - I hope you all enjoy them!!!

Mrs. McLean/Leanne's Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 and 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

Cream shortening and sugar.  Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add remaining ingredients.  Scoop with a cookie scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.
Yields: 3 and 1/2 dozen cookies.

I love using the cookie scoop - makes cookies pretty even.

And a lot more cleaner - not so messy and you do not have to have

so much hands on with the cookie, which is healthier.

Yummy!! Warm cookies!!

My next cookies were Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies - originally the recipe was from the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chips many years ago.

Patrick's Favorite Chooclate Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Cream thoroughly:
1 cup margarine
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Add, beating until fluffy:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together, then add:
2 and 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 pkg (3.5 oz) instant chocolate pudding

Fold in:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
Using cookie scoop, scoop onto greased or sprayed cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Yields : 3 and 1/4 dozen

Note: This recipe has been made in many different ways.  I have also used vanilla pudding with chocolate chips or white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.  Also have used buterscotch pudding with buterscotch chips...so be adventurous, and find your favorite combination.
These cookies are nice and chewy in the center.

Ready for the oven.

Using that scoop again.

Baked and cooling on pan.

Close up of yummy cookie.

Here are the cookies as they had cooled.

Next, I put a cake in the oven.  I found this recipe on a piece of cut out newspaper in my Mother-in-law's recipes, and we have all loved it, and even though none of the family remembers her ever making it, it has became a fast favorite here.

Mom-in-law's Pumpkin Pudding Cake

1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. ( 4- serving size) butterscotch instant pudding and pie filling ( Jello's seasonal pumpkin spice was beautiful)
4 eggs
1/4 water ( I always use milk)
1/4 oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice ( I make my own of 1/2 tsp each ginger and nutmeg,1/4 tsp. cloves, and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon)

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl. Blend well; then beat at medium speed of electric mixer for 4 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 10" tube or fluted tube pan (or just spray if nonstick). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Do not underbake. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack. Serve with Creamy Topping ( Whipped topping), if desired. I have also sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar over the whipped topping and that looks very nice also.

Here is a note, even though I did not do it this time, I have done this idea with it.
Note: Fold in 1/2 bag of chocolate chips to the cake batter.
Having added chocolate chips, I cut the cake and serve with whipped topping, and then drizzled with chocolate syrup (either the kind you add to milk, or ice cream topping), and it wasn't too sweet and looked very elegant.

All ready to put into the oven.

I used a white cake mix this time because I did not have a yellow cake

mix, but I love the color from the pumpkin and the butterscotch pudding.

Fresh out of the oven..smells wonderful!!

Here she is nice and warm. If it wasn't going to someone

a nice warm piece would be delicious!!

Isn't she beautiful!! :D

And the last thing I made today was pumpkin pie for my hubby.  He loves it with the graham crust just as I posted before.  So I will not post the recipe again, but I will add some photos for you. 

Sugar and spices all mixed and ready to go into the pie.

Ready for oven.

Mmmmmm..looking good!!

Who wants a slice?  Serving with whipped topping.