Thursday, October 31, 2013

Pumpkin Bars


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This season I made my own pumpkin puree from sugar pumpkins.  I always just use pumpkin puree from a can but this year my friend, Marti (Hi Marti) told me how easy it is to make your own pumpkin puree.  The only pumpkins I could find to make puree with was the Sugar Pumpkin however next year I am going to find out what pumpkins Marti uses and try those.


My puree is a light orange/yellow color.  My pumpkin bars are not as dark as usual but the batter did darken up after I added my spices.  I will say these pumpkin bars are the best I have ever made.  I really do think you can tell the difference with using homemade pumpkin puree vs canned.  These bars are really moist but not as strong of a taste as pumpkin bars made with canned pumpkin.


If you are interested in making your own Pumpkin Puree all you need to do is the following.........

cut pumpkins in half and remove the seeds and stringy goop from inside your pumpkins (keep the seeds if you like to make roasted pumpkin seeds, I have not done mine yet but I did save them)

scrape out each side of the pumpkin to remove any remaining goop.

lay pumpkins inside down on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the inside of the pumpkin is tender.

let pumpkins cool and then scrape out the flesh and either puree or mash it.  I put mine through a food mill to get it nice and pureed.


Since I did 2 pumpkins I have extra to freeze.  I just put it in airtight containers and will freeze it until I am ready to use in my Holiday treats.  ( the orange/yellow in square dishes is the pumpkin puree the taller dishes have my apple sauce that I am also putting in the freezer for a winter treat)

Pumpkin Bars

bars:
2 eggs
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup oil
1 Cup pumpkin puree
1 Cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
Glaze:
2 Cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoon whipping cream (or milk)
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the oil and pumpkin.  Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a greased 13 x 9.625 ( this is a quarter of a sheet cake pan) Bake for 25 minutes or until done.  When cool ice the bars with the glaze.

Glaze....... With a mixer, mix all the glaze ingredients together and pour over the bars smoothing glaze out with a spatula.


Friday, October 25, 2013

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream


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I have a new favorite way to make ice cream.  For my birthday my husband gave me a Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker.  It is so nice to be able to make ice cream on the kitchen counter instead of in the garage with the old ice cream maker that took rock salt and ice.


The first time I used my new ice cream maker I wanted to make Bill's favorite ice cream flavor.  Just before my birthday we had been at a car show and decided to stop at a Amish store on our way home.  While browsing the store I came across LorAnn's  Flavor Fountain flavorings for Ice Cream, Shakes and Smoothies.  I had used LorAnn's oil flavoring before in candy and we decided to give this flavor fountain a try.  This was the BEST Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream I have ever had.  The flavor is so soft and smooth and the mint flavor is so wonderful!!  They have a website and I can not wait to try their other flavors.


I used 2 Cups whipping cream and 1 Cup half and half and I think the ice cream was a little too buttery so the next time I make it I am going to use 2 C half and half and 1 Cup whipping cream.  I also used regular chocolate chips and next time I would prefer to use mini chocolate chips.


Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 C whipping cream
1 C half and half
3/4 C sugar
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 T LorAnn's Mint Chocolate flavor fountain

Add when almost done churning
1/2 C chocolate chips

Mix together all ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into ice cream maker and make according to your makers instructions.

When the ice cream is almost done add the chocolate chips.  I then put my ice cream in an air tight container and put in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight

If using a Cuisinart maker pour ice cream mixer into the maker and churn for 20 minutes then add the chocolate chips and churn for 5 more minutes.  Pour into an air tight container and place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight.

This Ice Cream is Partying at:

The Weekend re-Treat
Saturday Night Fever Link Party...click on button below to attend the party!

The Weary Chef
Monday, October 14, 2013

Apple Butter Coffee Cake


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This is the best coffee cake I have ever had.  It is super moist and the crumb topping melts in your mouth. The cake reminds me of a dense spice cake.  The apple butter has cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves in it and then the cake batter has cinnamon and nutmeg.  This would be wonderful with a cup of hot mulled apple cider.




Apple Butter Coffee Cake

Topping:
3/4 Cup flour
1/4 Cup white sugar
1/3 Cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 Cup oil
1/2 Cup pecans

Cake:
2 1/2 Cup flour
2/3 Cup white sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup apple butter
1/4 Cup oil
1 Cup sour milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the topping ingredients until crumbly and set aside.

For the cake, in a mixing bowl add flour, sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, apple butter and oil.  Mix until well combined.  Add sour milk, egg, baking powder and baking soda and mix well until batter if formed.

Pour batter into a 9 X 13 greased baking pan.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife poked in the middle of the cake comes out clean.




Saturday, October 12, 2013

Crock Pot Apple Butter


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I made homemade Apple butter and oh how wonderful my house smelled while it was cooking.  I first made home made applesauce earlier in the week then took my applesauce and made Apple Butter with it.

You can use either homemade applesauce or store bought applesauce to make this Apple Butter.  It is super easy, just put applesauce, sugar and some spices in the crock pot and cook on high until apple butter is done.  It goes from being a really runny applesauce to being a darker color and very thick spread.  While it is cooking you leave the crock pot lid off and the smell that is coming out of the pot is wonderful.

I just used 2 cups of applesauce but you can double or quadruple this recipe if you would like, it would just take a little longer to cook if you have more applesauce in your crock pot,



Crock Pot Apple Butter

2 Cups Apple Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves

place everything in the crock pot and cook on high with the lid off of the crock pot.  Stir every once in awhile to keep the apple butter from burning on the sides of the crock pot.  Cook for about 4 hours or until the apple butter is thick enough for your liking.


Monday, October 7, 2013

Birthday Cookie Celebration


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Today is my Birthday and to help me celebrate some of my blogging friends have shared their cookie recipes with me.  Please click on the name of the cookie so you too can visit each blog and see these delicious treats!  Thank you ladies for making my day so special!





Take4 Chocolate Pudding Cookies by Frugal Foodie Mama 


Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles by Mom's test Kitchen


Best Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies by A little CLAIREification


Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries by Cooking on the front burner




Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies by It Bakes Me Happy


Almond Crunch Cookies by Call Me PMC


Mom's Thumbprint Cookies by My Life as Robin's Wife


Monster Cookies  by The Mandatory Mooch
Thursday, October 3, 2013

Brownie Waffle Sundae


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Happy Birthday Emily.  I made this Brownie Waffle Sundae for my blogging friend Emily.  She is celebrating her birthday on her blog It Bakes Me Happy with a brownie recipe round up.  Make sure to go over to Emily's blog to see all the wonderful brownie recipes (click here to go to Emily's blog)


This brownie sundae was super easy to make.  I used a boxed brownie mix that was for a 9 x 13 pan.  I made the brownies according to the package directions.  After mixing up the batter, I heated up my waffle iron.  When it was ready I spayed the waffle iron (both sides) with Pam cooking spray.  For my waffle iron it said to use 3/4 C batter.  I put the batter on my waffle iron and cooked until it was done.  It was a little tricky to get off the iron so I unplugged mine and then flipped the brownie waffle out onto a plate.  My mix made 3 1/2 waffles.



To assemble my Brownie Waffle Sundae I scooped on a big scoop of ice cream, poured melted caramel sauce over ice cream and brownie, added whipped topping and blue sprinkles.  You can use any topping or sprinkles that you wish.


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Easy Apple Dumplings and a Giveaway


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This recipe was given to me by my friend Brenda D.  I met Brenda at a cooking competition at our County fair. Brenda entered these Easy Apple Dumplings in the dessert category in 2006.  She placed 3rd with these delicious Apple Dumplings.

I like that you do not have to make pie dough for the dumplings.  I need practice on pie dough.  I have not mastered that yet.  It looks so easy but I seem to fail whenever I try.  With the crescent rolls you just roll a quarter of a peeled apple in each crescent roll, that is super easy!  The Apple Dumplings have an ingredient you would never know was in them ........... Mountain Dew.

I have been busy making apple sauce, fried apples and these apple dumplings.  My in-laws have apple trees and we have lots of apples, so keep an eye out and you may just see another apple recipe in the future.




Some of my awesome blogging friends and I are helping a blogging friend of ours celebrate her One Year Blogaversary.  So be sure to enter below for your chance to win.  You can click here and go visit Claire at her blog a little CLAIREification

a Rafflecopter giveaway

These Easy Apple Dumplings are being shared at:

The Weary Chef



Easy Apple Dumplings

2 pkgs crescent rolls
4 apples, peeled and quartered
1 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 12oz can of Mountain Dew
Caramel sauce and ice cream to garnish

Roll each quartered apple in a crescent roll, starting with the flat end of the roll.  Put into a greased 9 x13 pan, mix butter, sugar and cinnamon.  Melt on stove until boiling, stirring occasionally.  Spread mixture over the dumplings, then add Mountain Dew.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until brown.  If desired serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.
Makes 16 servings