Applesauce Bread

Last week we picked apples off our trees so I made a nice big batch of homemade applesauce.  Well, we still have some left so today I baked 2 yummy loaves of applesauce bread.  This will be great this next week on cold mornings for breakfast.

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1-1/4 cups applesauce

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar.  Mix in applesauce and egg.  Stir in all the dry ingredients.  Put into a sprayed (with Pam) loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes in pan before removing it.

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/applesauce-bread#ixzz3HHeuxznz

Fall Harvest Baked Acorn Squash

Tonight's dinner is a nice light vegetarian meal highlighting the flavors of fall:  an acorn squash baked with maple syrup and cinnamon, then stuffed with a quinoa-apple-walnut stuffing.  I made this recipe on a gray fall day and it seemed to fit right in with the fall weather.  This recipe is for 2, but could easily be doubled or even tripled.

1 acorn squash
1 T. maple syrup
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. butter
Cut the squash in half.  Scoop out all the seeds and stringy parts.  Place in baking dish.
Place 1/2 T. butter in each half followed by 1/2 T. maple syrup in each.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 
3/4 c. quinoa
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
Put the quinoa, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.  Stir in:
1/2 diced apple
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 t. cinnamon
Spoon the stuffing into the baked squash and serve.

2 ingredient pumpkin muffins

Truly only 2 ingredients:  1 box of spice cake mix
                                          1 16 oz. can of pumpkin
Combine the two ingredients with a mixer.  Spray a cupcake pan with Pam.  Put the batter into the cups.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Couldn't be simpler and really quite delicious

Pumpkin Chai Latte

OK maybe you don't want to bake with pumpkin...how about a chai spiced tea with pumpkin?  I tried this with my breakfast this morning...and I will definitely make it again.  I used a couple of chai teabags instead of the black tea bags just because I like my chai spicey.

1/4 c. + 1 T. pumpkin
2 T. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. allspice
1/8 t. ginger
2 c. milk
2 bags of black tea

In a saucepan heat milk, all spices, maple syrup and pumpkin.  Stir frequently.  Bring just to a boil and then add tea bags.  Steep for 4 minutes and serve.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

I love baking pumpkin things in the fall.  Luckily, my family likes pumpkin.  So here is my latest yummy treat.  You will need a doughnut pan, or one of those mini doughnut baking machines to make this recipe.  This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Beat everything together until smooth.
Add 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, stirring just until smooth.
r.

Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans.

Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full, using a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well.


Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. If you’re using self-rising flour, bake for the longer amount of time.
If you’re making muffins, they’ll need to bake for 23 to 25 minutes.
Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with cinnamon-sugar.

Starbucks Pumpkin Muffins

I am a regular Starbuck's customer, but I have yet to see these in my local Starbucks.  Nevertheless, these are spectacular, delicious, super yummy muffins.  You should make them today and share them with all your loved ones.   They will love you even more!

This recipe has 3 main steps so it is a bit time consuming.

• Sweet Cream Cheese

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Mix all 3 ingredients well and set aside.
• 
  

  Candied Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• Combine sugar, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly.
• Add in pumpkin seeds.  Boil 3 minutes. Pour on a plate, separating seeds as much as possible.
  

  Muffin Batter

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs 
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix sugars, oil, and pumpkin puree.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add in remaining ingredients.
Beat just until well mixed.  Put cupcake papers in muffin tin.  Fill 2/3's full.  In the center of each muffin place 1 T. of the cream cheese mixture.  Push down into the muffin.  Sprinkle with seeds.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Well it is October 1st, and the season of pumpkin is upon us.  Why not start out with a few extra yummy pumpkin recipes for breakfast? Tonight my grand daughter wanted breakfast for dinner so we cooked up some pumpkin french toast and welcomed the fall/pumpkin season!  I found this recipe on the blog "Closet Cooking."

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 8 slices of bread

Whip eggs, milk, and pumpkin together well.Whip in vanilla, spices and brown sugar.   Dip both sides of thebread slices into egg mixture.  Cook over medium heat on a griddle or in a frying pan until brown on one side.  Flip and cook the other side.