Mini Pumpkin Muffins

I realize that posting a pumpkin recipe in December isn't going with the flow of Christmas cookies or other Holiday goodies, but I made these the other day and they are so yummy and soft and moist I still want to share them with you. This recipe comes from Deanna House, a cook book author from my home state of Michigan. The ladies in my Mom's family all love Deanna House and make her recipes frequently, so I decided to dive into her cookbook and start trying some out myself. 

Mini Pumpkin Muffins 
From Even More House Specialties by Deanna House
Printable Version
Ingredients
1/4 cup shortening or butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup raisins if desired (I omitted these)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. At medium speed, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, Allspice, and cloves; set aside. In a small bowl combine pumpkin and milk. 

Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir well after each addition. Add raisins if desired. Fill paper lined mini muffin cups 3/4 full of batter. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Halloween Popcorn Cake

I made this Popcorn cake for a Halloween party we attended this weekend. It's really cute, festive, and as easy to make as rice krispie treats. You can put in whatever Halloween candies you like, I went with a chocolate and peanut butter theme. It was a hit with the kids and adults too. Wishing everyone a very Happy Halloween!

Halloween Popcorn Cake
From  Taste and Tell
Printable Version
Ingredients
13 cups of popped popcorn
1 ounce bag mini marshmallows (all my store had was jumbo and that worked fine, too!)
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups of your favorite mix-ins (I used one cup each of dry roasted peanuts, peanut butter M&Ms and candy corn)

Instructions
Melt butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over medium low heat. Remove from heat and add popcorn, mix slightly. Add in your mix-ins and combine until melted marshmallow mixture has coated all the popcorn.

Pour into a bundt pan that has been spayed with cooking spray or buttered. 

Turn out onto a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

One of the best things about being a food blogger is stealing borrowing ideas from fellow bloggers. I saw Pumpkin Snickerdoodles on Greens and Chocolate and was in awe of how brilliant she is. Snickerdoodles are by are my most favorite cookie of all time. The idea of adding in pureed pumpkin to this classic cookie recipe was just too tempting not to try. 

I was very happy with how they turned out. The pumpkin created a moister more cake-like cookie with a beautiful orange color. Because it made a big batch I shared them with neighbors and friends and everyone complimented them. Cookie success!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Inspired by Taylor @ Greens and Chocolate

Recipe modified from this Snickerdoodle Recipe

Printable Version 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl (or in stand mixer) beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add in pumpkin and combine. 

Beat flour in slowly, mixing as you go. Cover and chill dough for about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. 

Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. 

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

I was on the lookout for a fall cookie to make to "Boo" our neighbors and came across this recipe. They are easy, adorably cute, and best of all this sugar cookie recipe from Martha Stewart is awesome! I think I've found my new go to sugar cookies. These little treats are perfect for Halloween parties or fall get togethers!

Candy Corn Cookies

From Stylish Cuisine 

Printable Version

Makes 18 cookies (I doubled the recipe)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

About 18 pieces of candy corn

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour and mix until a dough forms. 

Scoop our level teaspoons of dough and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. 

Bake until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let them color!) about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and gently press a candy corn into the center of each cookie (surface of cookie may crack slightly). 

Cool on sheets one minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

I'm not sure if it's because on Okinawa we don't have fall weather (temps are in the 80s everyday) and I'm feeling a little homesick, or if it's because of the nostalgia that pumpkin pie flavors create, but I'm really enjoying making things with pumpkin this year. I saw a version of pumpkin cream cheese on Pinterest and thought, "I can do that!" so I set about making my own version. I used pumpkin pie filling but you could use pureed pumpkin too. I thought that it tastes like pumpkin cheesecake! Spread over english muffins or cinnamon raisin bagels, this pumpkin pie cream cheese is the perfect fall flavored breakfast!

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

Printable Version

Four servings

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or use a combination or cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that equal 1/2 teaspoon)
Dash of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. 

Serve on toasted bagel or English muffin. 

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Just about every food blog I follow has posted pumpkin bars before me, but this was the first time I had ever made these fall favorites myself. It just doesn't feel like fall without scarfing up some of these babies. My favorite part is the creamy sweet frosting. This recipe makes a huge batch. I shared 1/2 of them with my neighbors and still had enough to last hubby and I for a few days.

Pumpkin Bars
From Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book
Printable Version

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 beaten eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. 

Spread in an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack and spread with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting
Note: this is for about 2 cups of frosting

Ingredients
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar beating well until the frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Spread onto pumpkin bars and cut into squares. 

Baked Acorn Squash

I'm just now getting my act together in terms of "fall" food posts. Since my hubby was working out of state for six weeks this fall, we didn't sign up for the CSA at our local Farmer's Market and I've really missed cooking with fresh, local ingredients.  I must apologize for slacking on posting seasonal "fall" produce recipes. Therefore I now give you Classic Baked Acorn Squash. This is my absolute favorite way to cook acorn squash. The maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter caramelize while the squash is baking. It's pretty darn perfect. 

Baked Acorn Squash
From Simply Recipes
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 Acorn Squash
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
dash of salt
dash of pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff from the center. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. 

Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan so the skins won't burn. Coat the inside of each 1/2 with a 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Add in a tablespoon of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. 

Drizzle in a teaspoon of maple syrup in each. Bake for 1 hour until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Allow to cool before serving.

Southern Turnip Supreme

My husband and I signed up for the winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at our local Farmer's Market and received several large turnips in our last goodie bag. I wanted to find an new turnip recipe, as even though the Turnip Gratin I made was absolutely delicious, it's not on our Spring Break healthy eating diet. I came across this recipe on  All Recipes, a super cool website that has a ton of recipes that are reviewed by home cooks who have actually tried it. I love that! This Southern Turnip Supreme recipe received 4 out of 5 stars and looked very easy and quick. Plus, with a name like, "Southern Supreme" I knew it was going to be belly warming good! So I went for it and am glad that I did! I don't know if it was this certain batch of turnips or the method that I cooked them, but they seemed sweeter in this recipe than in the gratin. My husband commented that he really liked the texture of the turnips in this dish. Since you boil and simmer them for 20 minutes they come out perfect...not too mushy, not too crunchy. The best part of this dish is the ooey gooey cheddar cheese that melts on the top. You only need half a cup, so this recipe is for the most part very healthy!

Southern Turnip Supreme

Ingredients:

• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups peeled, cubed turnips
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream - I completely forgot this and the recipe was still fantastic!
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

Place the vegetable bouillon cube into a saucepan with the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the bouillon cube dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in the turnips, onion, and garlic, return to a boil, and cook the mixture until the turnips are tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid has been evaporated, 10 to 15 more minutes.

Lightly stir in the sour cream to coat the turnips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese and parsley.

Turnip Gratin

This recipe is straight up comfort food. Layers of turnips and onion are covered in bubbly Gruyere cheese and crusty white bread. You will want to try this recipe just for the aroma it will create in your house!

I don't think I've bought white bread in my entire adult life - I'm a wheat or whole grain kind of girl. But for this recipe I made an exception and it was worth it! The white bread turns into a base on the bottom of the gratin and it's delicious.

Gratin, by definition, is when an ingredient is topped with a golden crust, and mmmmm is it good, especially when the golden crust is from creamy, nutty Gruyere cheese. I am officially a Gratin aficionado and will be on the lookout for more Gratin recipes. If you have any good ones, please send them my way!!

Turnip Gratin (found on Simply Recipes.com)

Ingredients

4 medium sized turnips, peeled and thinly slices

Olive oil

8 slices of white bread, with the crusts removed

Half an onion - thinly sliced

8 ounces of Gruyere cheese

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Blanch the raw turnip slices in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Coat the inside of a 9X13 casserole dish with olive oil. Place a layer of bread on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer on half of the turnip slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper. Layer on all of the onions. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of bread, turnips, and cheese. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Place casserole on top rack of oven. Cook for 25 minutes. For the last few minutes, if you want, and you are using a pan (metal or ceramic) that can safely handle broiling temperatures, broil for a couple minutes to brown the top.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.