Pumpkin Oat Bites...

As we get closer and closer to Thanksgiving, I'm getting in all the pumpkin consumption I can.

I mean, when do we usually eat foods that incorporate pumpkin? Around the Thanksgiving season, of course!

That is why I'm a baking fool of all things pumpkin right now. Not to mention it is one of my favorite ingredients of all time. Yes... of all time.

These are a bit similar to my Pumpkin Cookie recipe, just a bit dressed up. They qualify as dressed up because I topped them with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache = Dressed Up

Well, it's not a traditional ganache, since there isn't any heavy cream, and I didn't use a double boiler to heat the chocolate. I totally mickey moused it, since I only added shortening to the chocolate and used a microwave to heat it. Even though I took a shortcut on the ganache, it still tastes great.

Plus, they have oats all up in there. So, they pretty much qualify as healthy, too.

Oats = Healthy

That is a total and unequivocal fact.

So, are you getting your pumpkin fix this season?



Pumpkin Oat Bites

For the Cookies:

• 2 Cups Cake Four
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 Whole Egg, Room Temperature
• 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/4 Cups Quick Oats

For the Ganache and Garnish

• 1 Cup Milk Chocolate Morsels 
• 1 Tablespoon of Shortening
• 1/3 Cup Pecans, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

In a small bowl, combine the flour, powder, salt, and ground spices; set aside.

In a medium or large bowl, using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix to combine, then the pumpkin and extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined.

Add in the flour mixture, in intervals of three, mixing between each addition. Finally, fold in the quick oats. The cookie batter will be thick. Drop the batter by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set.

Allow the cookies to cool a few minutes after pulling them from the oven, then transfer them to cooling racks to cool completely. Once the cookies are cooled, heat the chocolate morsels and shortening in a heat proof bowl in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between. Heat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Spoon about a teaspoon or so, of the chocolate ganache onto the tops of the cooled cookie bites. Sprinkle a bit of pecans to garnish them. Allow the ganache to dry and set, about 20 minutes. Makes around 30 cookies bites.

Enjoy!

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze...

 

This week is Homecoming Week at my oldest daughter's high school.

First of all, I can't even believe that my oldest is in high school, but second, that she has a date to Homecoming this weekend.

A date.

There, I said it.

I can still remember my own high school experiences......
...... I'm not that ancient!

I'm excited for her to have her own, but a little sad that she is growing up so fast.

While she is having a blast at the dance, I'll be having a blast eating a piece of this cake. When I think of spice cake, apples, and brown sugar... I think of comfort food.

And who doesn't love comfort food!?!


Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

For the Glaze:

• 1-1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream, Room Temperature
• 1-1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

For the Cake:

• 1 White Cake Boxed Mix (16.5 oz), Plus Ingredients Listed
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1 Can Apple Pie Filling (21 oz)

In a large heavy duty saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar and cream. Heat on medium high and add the butter and salt. Continue to heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes, while stirring. Take off the heat, and chill in the refrigerator.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

Grease and flour a large bundt pan well, set aside. 

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the rest of the ingredients listed on the box and mix according to the directions. Gently fold in the apple pie filling. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan as evenly as possible. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife or skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Using a spatula, spread the chilled brown sugar glaze over the cake, covering completely. Store any extra glaze in the refrigerator. It tastes great as a fruit dip!

Dollop whipped cream on top or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This cake makes 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

Day After Thanksgiving Hash...

One of the best parts about Thanksgiving......

...... the left-overs. For sure.

Especially if you have spent the wee hours of Friday morning Black Friday Shopping. Which, I intend to do with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

I can't wait to get out there and score some major deals!

Anyway, nobody feels like cooking after having already prepared an abundant feast on Thanksgiving. Left-overs are a definite staple, in our home, and I'm sure in your home, too.

This is an easy peasy recipe, that you literally throw together and cook up, hence... a hash.

Perfect for soothing the brutalizing Black Friday hang-over.


Day After Thanksgiving Hash

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Left-Over Turkey, Chopped
• 2 cups Left-Over Stuffing
• 1/3 Cup Gravy, Warmed Through
• 1/3 Cup Golden Raisins or Dried Cranberries (Optional)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium/low heat. In the meantime, in a medium sized bowl, mix the turkey, stuffing, gravy, and raisins/cranberries (if using) together. Add to the hot skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is hot and browned. Serve as a breakfast or dinner side dish. Makes about 2-3 cups of hash. 

Enjoy!

Creamy Sweet Potato Pie...

Pie...

I cannot live without it.

...... well, maybe, but it would be extremely hard to do so!

That's why I love Thanksgiving time.... among other reasons. It's not all about the food. Really.

We are finally near family and we will, without a doubt, be spending it with them this year. So stoked!

I love pies that take very little time to prepare. To save time I bought a pre-made frozen pie crust, baked it and let it cool. If you prefer to make a pie crust from scratch, or even a graham cracker crust, go right ahead. It's totally up to you.

Whatever you decide to do, just please try this recipe! My family loved it... now go make a pie!

... While you are at it, head over to Tidy Mom, and check out all the delicious pies linked up to her 4th Annual Love the Pie Party.  Then, you can make some more pies!

“Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom  sponsored by Whirlpool and enter to win a new Whirlpool Range”

Creamy Sweet Potato Pie

• 1-2 Pie Crust(s), Baked and Cooled
• 1 (29 oz.) Can of Yams, Drained
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, Plus Some for Garnish
• 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 2 Pinches of Ground Cloves
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/3 Cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
• 1 Cup Non-Dairy Whipped Topping, Plus Some for Garnish, Thawed

In a large bowl, cream the yams, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sugars until well combined and fluffy. Scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla and mix. Mix in the cream cheese and sour cream until well combined. Gently fold in the whipped topping.

If using two pie crusts, divide the sweet potato mixture between them. If using only one, use half or a little more than half for the single pie crust. Store the remaining sweet potato mixture in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Cover and place the pie(s) in the refrigerator to set, about 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you have stored some of the left-over sweet potato mixture, use it as a dip for graham crackers, cookie sticks, or fruit.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Pies...

 

Have you ever had a conversation about something with someone, and then a few days later what you were talking about suddenly pops up... for example... I was mentioning the movie Jaws to my husband. Then literally the next day there was a Jaws marathon on one of the movie channels!

Freaky!?!...... Right!?!

Let me tell you, when there is a Jaws marathon on TV, nobody has to tell me twice to tune into that mother.

NOBODY.

It's one of those movie series that I have got to watch... even though I am covering my eyes half the time. No joke.

Don't even get me started on the movie score.

Ok... so... I grew up with a pool. My sister and I lived in that pool all summer long. It never failed that at least once... maybe twice... ok, multiple times, I would freak myself out and convince myself that somehow a killer great white shark was in our pool. Cue the Jaws movie score in my frightened little girl head. I was out of that pool so fast...

I was a nervous child.

Anyway... sharks aside, I was totally thinking about making these cookies, and not too long after, my daughter was approaching me about when I was going to be making our pumpkin cookies that we enjoy every Fall. Another freaky mind thing... yes?

So, I wanted to change it up a little, and I decided to make them into cream pies. Who doesn't love cream sandwiched between two cookies!?!

... Or even scary shark movies, for that matter.

Ummm, nobody.......


Pumpkin Cream Pies

For The Pies:

• 1 Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

For The Filling:

• 1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
• 1 (8oz.) Block of Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

When the pumpkin cookies have cooled completely, match them in pairs as best as you can according to their size and shape; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and incorporate well into the butter and cream cheese mixture, all the while scraping down the sides of the bowl. Lastly add the cinnamon and mix in completely. 

Once the filling is made you can either spread it or pipe it. If piping, use a 16 inch piping bag. Add a #12 round tip, securing it with a coupler to the piping bag. Fill your bag about half full, pressing the filling down toward the bottom of the piping bag. Fold the corners in and twist, securing it shut. 

Take a pumpkin cookie or pie, and flip it over so the flat side is up. Placing the piping tip to the center of the pie, apply pressure to the bag to build a nice fluffy cloud of filling onto the pie. Take the matching pie and press it flat side down, gently, sandwiching the filling in between each pie. Continue until all the pies are made. Makes 16-18 pies. 

Enjoy!

I'm linking this post up to I'm Lovin' It.

Apple Cider Slushies...

 

So, a few weeks back I was reading a cute blog that I enjoy popping in on called Two Twenty One.

Something in Chelsea's post caught my eye.

Apple Cider Slushies.

I've never had one... ever.

Immediately I knew that I wanted to make them. After experimenting, I decided to make a cinnamon simple syrup to make the slushie sweet... because I like my slushies super sweet, hello.

Doesn't everyone?

Anyway, I thought this would be a fantastic treat for "fall" on the island, since it is usually 85 and sunny year round.

I get to incorporate an autumn ingredient into a refreshing, icy treat.

My girls had so much fun drinking these...

... and so did I!


Apple Cider Slushies

• 2 Cups Crushed Ice
• 1-1/2 Cups  Apple Cider
• 1/4 Cups Cinnamon Simple Syrup, Or To Taste (Recipe Below)

In a blender, pulse all ingredients until processed. Makes 2 servings. 

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Whole Cinnamon Sticks

In a small heavy duty saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks to a boil, stirring constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and cool completely. Allow the cinnamon to steep while the syrup cools. Remove the cinnamon sticks and strain into a small container. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Use to brush cake layers or to sweeten drinks and cocktails. 

Enjoy!

I'm linking this up to I'm Lovin' It.

Creamy Pumpkin Tart...

 

So, I helped out at my daughter's Middle School today... selling Pumpkin Grams.

I know I mentioned a few months back about putting my daughter into an on-line charter school...

... well, she's back in regular school. She just wasn't getting enough socialization, so my husband and I made the decision to place her at the middle school in our district.

Now we have a much happier tween... and believe me, that makes our lives much easier.

Although she is happier, she's still a typical 12 year old.

You know... typical meaning she's embarrassed about anything and everything my husband and I say or do.

Anyway, as I'm helping sell Pumpkin Grams, she discreetly waves hi to me in the cafeteria, and then avoids me. Not even a goodbye as she leaves the cafeteria.

I thought I was one of the cool moms! Geesh.

I guess it's payback for my being embarrassed of my mom at that age. But that's different, okay. She WORKED at my middle school... as the Physical Education aide. I saw her every... single... day, my entire 7th and 8th grade years.

So, I decided to make a tart to help soothe my hurt feelings.

A pumpkin tart... you know, since I have all that canned pumpkin in my pantry.

It made it all better...


Creamy Pumpkin Tart

For the crust:

• 24 Ginger Snap Cookies
• 2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Butter, Melted

For the filling:

• 1 Block (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• 1 Can (15 Oz.) Pumpkin
• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Cool Whip

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.)

Place the cookies in a large zip lock bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin. You can also use a food processor for this step. Next, pour the crumbs into a medium bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Then stir in the melted butter, coating the crumb mixture well. 

Press the crust into a 10 inch spring form pan. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and sugar together. Then blend in the sour cream, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Gently fold in the cool whip. Pour the pumpkin filling over the cooled crust. Refrigerate covered overnight. Run a butter knife around the inside of the spring form pan to loosen the filling before removing the tart from the pan. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

I'm linking this post up to I'm Lovin' It.

Pumpkin Cookies...

So, you know how I've been trying to get my hands on some pumpkin?

Well, I finally found some on-island.

As my daughter and I were shopping at Target in the baking aisle, I happened to look on the top shelf and staring right back at me was some canned pumpkin.

Needless to say, I was overjoyed. So much so that I could not contain myself.

Right smack dab, in the middle of the aisle, I threw my hands up shouting, "Thank you, Lord!"

I think my daughter was a wee bit embarrassed at that point.

This, my friends, is what food does to me.

I then proceeded to stock up on canned pumpkin like no one's business. You'd have thought I was a contestant on Supermarket Sweep, for crying out loud!

Well, now that I've scored on some pumpkin, I think I'll share with you one of my favorite cookies.

Oh, one more thing...

Head over to Act Fast Chef and check out Elizabeth's Yummy Finds Friday, where she's featured my Candy Corn Sugar Cookies.

I'm also linking this post up to I'm Lovin' It.

Pumpkin Cookies

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Cup Shortening
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Pumpkin
• 1 Whole Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Begin by sifting the first 5 ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream the sugar and shortening, then add the pumpkin; blend well. Add the egg and beat well. Next, gently stir in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, to form a smooth batter. Finally, add the vanilla and stir to combine. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls into a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Once cookies are done, cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 30-40 cookies. 

Enjoy!

Potato Cheese Soup...

 

Fall is upon us... well, maybe not me so much. I wish it was, though. As I've mentioned before, I live where it is warm, pretty much year round. The trees do not turn vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow. No Autumn breezes or trips to go apple picking.

Those are some of the things that I miss from when we lived on the east coast.

While I may not have the fall weather to enjoy, I still have some great fall recipes I like to make. One of them being my mother-in-laws potato cheese soup recipe.

Everything about this soup says comfort. It is the most requested soup recipe in my household. My girls absolutely love it.

Yeah, I'm bustin' out my fall recipes... and I don't care that it's 85 and sunny.

Potato Cheese Soup

• 8 Whole New or White Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
• 2 Cups Reserved Potato Water, From Cooking Potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 Cups 2% Milk, Divided
• 1 Bag Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese (16 oz.), Divided
• 1-1/2 Teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper, Or To Taste

Begin by placing the peeled and cubed potatoes in a large soup pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. 

While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium/low heat. Whisk in the flour until combined. Whisk in 1 cup of milk until combined with the four mixture. Turn the heat up to medium high and mix in 2 cups of the cheese. Continue whisking in 1 cup of milk to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Turn the heat to low and whisk the sauce until it begins to thicken slightly. When you are able to coat a spoon without much sauce dripping off, remove the sauce from the heat.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them, reserving 2 cups of the potato water. Return the potatoes to the pot and add the cheese sauce and the potato water. Place over low heat to stir and warm through. Add the salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with french bread and butter. Makes 8 servings. 

Enjoy!