Pumpkin cream cheese muffins
Posted: September 30, 2009 Filed under: Breakfast, Holiday Recipe, Muffins, Pumpkin 2 Comments »Ahh my love of pumpkin continues with this fabulous recipe. I love these and they are a great way to start the day!!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
| 8 ounce(s) | cream cheese |
| 3 | eggs |
| 2 1/2 cup(s) | sugar |
| 2 1/2 cup(s) | flour |
| 1/4 cup(s) | pecans, roughly chopped |
| 3 tablespoon(s) | butter, melted |
| 2 1/2 teaspoon(s) | cinnamon |
| 1/2 teaspoon(s) | salt |
| 2 teaspoon(s) | baking powder |
| 1/4 teaspoon(s) | baking soda |
| 1 1/4 cup(s) | solid-packed pumpkin |
| 1/3 cup(s) | vegetable oil |
| 1/2 teaspoon(s) | vanilla extract |
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside.
Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
Toss 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl.
Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened.
Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining batter. Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean — 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Pumpkin white chocolate blondies
Posted: September 29, 2009 Filed under: Bars-dessert and cookie, Dessert, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin 3 Comments »Ahhhh fall is here. I love baking with pumpkin, cooking with pumpkin, and picking/carving pumpkins. Nothing says fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving without pumpkin. I love pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin soups, pumpkin candies, etc…so when I heard of the pumpkin shortage and couldnt find pumpkin here, I was quite upset. I have been looking for canned or pie pumpkins for weeks now and today found some. I grabbed up 6 cans and three pie pumpkins just in case..LOL! I found this recipe on Food alla Puttanseca and fell in love with them right away!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.
Peel and Eat Shrimp
Posted: September 28, 2009 Filed under: Appetizer, Fish/seafood, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick 2 Comments »A great game day snack. Boiling up a pot of shrimp while watching U of M football was awesome. The Old Bay gives the shrimp great flavor. I found this recipe on Annie’s Eats and it didnt disappoint. I served it with crusty rolls and great cocktail sauce. Nothing is better than game day foods!!!!
GO BLUE!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 lb. large shrimp, shells left on-I apparently got the wrong ones at the seafood market..I had raw, shell off shrimp, but it was still great…OPPS! Didnt seem to matter tho..tasted perfect!
Old Bay (or other seafood seasoning)
Lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, for serving
Directions:
Combine the water, vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves in a stockpot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water returns to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the water. Remove the bay leaves and toss the shrimp with Old Bay seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter and serve alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
Lemon Butter Cream Cookies
Posted: September 27, 2009 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Quick 2 Comments »I love anything lemon and have been dying to make this recipe. So I decided to make these for our neighbors…that way I could try one and get the rest OUT OF THE HOUSE. These were fantastic. A great buttery base, with a light, fresh lemony frosting. Definitely give these a try..quick, easy and delicious!
I also didnt use the corn flour, which can be found with the specialty flours in the baking aisle. I just used a bit more AP flour in place of it.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cups corn flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat well. Sift the flour and corn flour together and add to the butter mixture. Beat until the mixture comes together in a smooth ball. Divide the mixture into 30 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and use a fork dipped in corn flour to flatten. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until a pale gold color. Allow to cool and then sandwich with lemon butter cream.
Lemon Butter Cream:
1/3 cup butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Directions:
Cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Blend in remaining ingredients until completely smooth. Assemble cookies.
Bacon, Egg, Cheese, and Toast Cups
Posted: September 26, 2009 Filed under: Bacon, Breakfast, Quick 3 Comments »These were a perfect breakfast and come together quickly. Found on Annie’s Eats through The Noshery. This makes 6…adjust as needed.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
6 slices of bacon
6 slices of bread
Shredded cheese
6 eggs
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease 6 wells of a muffin pan with butter. In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3-5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut out rounds of bread (I used a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter, but a drinking glass would be fine.) Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep it in position. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each piece of bread. One at a time, crack an egg, removing about half of the white, and dropping the remaining white and yolk over each piece of bread, being careful not to break the yolks. Once all the bread pieces have been topped with eggs, bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 6-10 minutes) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Warm Vanilla (spiked) Cider
Posted: September 25, 2009 Filed under: Beverages, Holiday Recipe 6 Comments »Mmmmm..I love apple cider. So good warm with some cinnamon. So when I saw this recipe in the latest Martha Stewart Living, I knew I would love it and I did. Warm, deep with flavor and a great fall feel.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
6 cups fresh apple cider
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 whole nutmeg seeds
1 vanilla bean split and scraped
3/4 cup bourbon
whipped cream
Directions:
Combine apple cider, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla bean (split and scraped) into a medium sauce pan. Gently simmer over medium -low heat for 15 mins. Remove from heat and discard solids. Add bourbon. Divide among 6 mugs and top with a bit of whipped cream. Serve warm.
Crockpot Burrito Soup
Posted: September 24, 2009 Filed under: Crock Pot, Light and healthy, Mexican, Quick, Soups/Stews, Turkey 9 Comments »Ahh, I love using my crockpot. Dinner is already to go when you get home or are ready to eat on a busy weekend day. With little to no prep involved you can have a delicious meal anytime. I found this recipe on Elly Says Opa, and once again the recipe didnt disappoint as do all her recipes I have tried have! This recipe is not only delicious but healthy too..I even used turkey meat to make it even healthier.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 tsp. canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
5 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp. aleppo (or any) chili powder)
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2/3 cup corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked rice (or, cook rice separately)
Directions:
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add oil. Cook the onions for a couple minutes before adding the beef. Brown the beef with the onion and drain if necessary. Put back on the heat and stir in the garlic, just until fragrant.
Pour the beef mixture into the crockpot and then add the tomato sauce, beef broth, spices, corn and black beans. Cook on low for…however long you’re gone.
Increase temp to high and add the rice, just until cooked. Alternatively you can put the cooked rice in bowls and ladle the soup over it. Garnish with your favorite toppings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (with 93% lean beef): Calories: 302 / Fat: 7.5g / Carbs: 33.5g / Fiber: 6.3g / Protein: 26g
Mini caramel apples
Posted: September 23, 2009 Filed under: Appetizer, Candy, Dessert, Dips, Fruit, Holiday Recipe 6 Comments »I have seen this little cuties all over the place lately and decided to whip some up. You can make these to your liking using any kind of candies to top the caramel with or just keep them plain caramel. I tried a few different toppings-chopped nuts, coconut, chocolate drizzle, crushed m and m’s, sprinkles and crushed oreos. Pick your favorite toppings and have fun! Great and bite sized for portion controlled goodness!!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
4-5 large apples
Sticks
caramel melted
toppings for caramel
Directions:
Using a melon baller, make small balls from the apples. Discard extra apples. Dry them very well. Stick a small stick (I cut mine in half to make smaller) and poke into the top of each apple ball. Melt caramel and quickly dip in apple balls. If using toppings, dip into favorite toppings. Refridge for a few minutes to set caramel. If drizzling with chocolate, melt chocolate in a ziploc bag. Cut off a very small end of the baggie and drizzle chocolate over set caramel apple. Refridge to set chocolate. Place in mini cupcake liners and enjoy! The possibilities are endless to what you can do with these cuties!
Apple Spice Cake
Posted: September 22, 2009 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert, Holiday Recipe 4 Comments »Mmmmm…..what a great fall cake. I saw this cake in the recent Bon Appetit issue and knew it would be perfect for our neighbors. I have been wanting to bake for them for a while now as they are older and even with being limited to their outside activities, always offer to check on our house or get our mail while we are away. They are a wonderful couple and we are lucky to have them as neighbors. We have fabulous neighbors all around us and we couldnt be happier! I did try a piece (and hid it with frosting..LOL wow it was GREAT)
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon, apple brandy, or rum (optional)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 medium Fuji or Gala apples (13 to 14 ounces total), peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (about 6 ounces)
Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)
Coarsely chopped toasted pecans (for garnish)
Directions:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then bourbon, if desired (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at room temperature.
For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Drop half of frosting (about 11/2 cups) by spoonfuls atop cake. Spread frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake, trimmed side down. Drop remaining frosting by spoonfuls onto top of cake, leaving sides of cake plain. Spread frosting to top edges of cake, swirling and creating peaks, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour to allow frosting to set slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.
Open-faced Tomato, Mozzarella Pesto Sandwiches
Posted: September 21, 2009 Filed under: Cheese, Herbs, Quick, Sandwich, Snack 1 Comment »I love anything with fresh mozzarella. It is one of my favorite foods and I make as many dishes as I can with it. So when I was watching Ina the other day and she made these, I immediately got started on making them. They made for a perfect lunch! This makes a ton so cut it back as necessary. I included the entire recipe.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
8 medium tomatoes
3 (16-ounce) balls fresh mozzarella
4 loaves ciabatta, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 cup prepared pesto
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
32 basil leaves
Directions:
Core the tomatoes and slice each tomato and each ball of mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Place the sliced ciabatta loaves on a work surface, and spread each half evenly with 1/8 cup pesto. Place 4 slices of tomato and 3 slices mozzarella side by side on the top of each half loaf and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 4 basil leaves on top of each sandwich.
Slice each half loaf crosswise into 4 serving portions, making sure that each piece has a slice of tomato, mozzarella and a basil leaf.
