Overnight Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Serves 6-8.

The recipe below is designed for a bundt pan, but successfully baked it in a deep 13x9 baking pan. It's rich and delicious. If you want a noticeable apple flavor, add an extra cup of shredded apple after you have formed the balls but before baking. The one cup in the dough itself seemed to get lost and wasn't as strong as I expected.
Adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen and An Oregon Cottage

 

Dough:

1⅓ c. milk, warmed to 110-115 degrees

2 T. butter, melted + 2 T. butter, softened (4 Tb. total)

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 T. instant yeast

3¼-1/2 c. unbleached flour

1½ t. salt

1 heaping c. peeled, grated apple (I used Granny Smith)

 

For coating & glaze:

1 c. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

6 T. butter

Make dough:

Add milk, 2 Tb. melted butter, sugar and yeast to a large measuring bowl and stir to combine. Mix 3¼-c. flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook on low. Slowly add milk-yeast mixture and stir until dough comes together. Fold in grated apple. Increase speed to next level and knead the dough for abut 6 minutes, adding 2-3 tablespoons of flour (a tablespoon at a time) as needed for dough to clear sides of bowl (the dough should still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl, though).

 

Remove dough from mixing bowl to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Coat bowl with oil (I simply use the bowl I mixed in), replace dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave to sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

 

Use the 2 tablespoons of softened butter to liberally coat a 13x9 baking pan.

 

Remove dough to a lightly floured surface (I use a tea towel for easy clean up) and pat into about an 8x9" rough rectangle. Use a long knife to cut into 64 pieces - it doesn't matter if they're even or not.

 

Coat dough:

Place melted butter in one small bowl and combine brown sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.

 

Roll each piece of dough into a rough ball, dip in melted butter and then roll in the brown sugar coating. Place in buttered pan, layering and staggering dough balls as needed to make an even loaf. Sprinkle any extra sugar-cinnamon mixture on the top.

 

Cover pan with plastic and leave out on counter for 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to finish rising slowly overnight.

 

To bake bread:

Remove pan from refrigerator abut 2 hours before you want to serve it. Leave at room temperature, still covered, 45 minutes to 1 hour and preheat oven to 350 degrees the last 15 minutes.

 

Remove cover, place in heated oven and bake 20-25 minutes until the bread is JUST starting to brown and the sides are bubbling.

 

Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto serving dish and topping with apple cider glaze.

Apple Cider Glaze - makes a little over a cup

 

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in apple cider, heavy cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and then remove from the heat. Whisk in powdered sugar. Add more if needed. Allow to cool slightly before pouring over the pull apart bread.

*If making ahead, store in the refrigerator in a microwave-safe container. Reheat before serving/pouring over bread.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes, 2 dozen mini cupcakes.

A fun and festive dessert!
Source: Cooking Classy

1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

candy pumpkins, for topping

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 20 seconds, set aside.

 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk together granulated sugar with brown sugar until no lumps remain. Add canola oil, set mixer with paddle attachment (one that scrapes the bowl is preferred otherwise stop and scrape bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process) and blend mixture on medium speed until well combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined, then stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and fold batter to ensure it is well blended.

 

Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffins cups, filling each about 3/4 full and adding a heaping 1/4 cup batter to each well. Bake in preheated oven 20 - 24 minutes until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

 

For the cream cheese frosting:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar and whip until light and fluffy (at this point I recommend freezing or chilling frosting in refrigerator for a bit, returning to mixer and stirring occasionally, for a more stable consistency). Pipe or spread frosting over cupcakes then store in refrigerator in an airtight container. Bring nearly to room temp before serving. Top with candy pumpkins, if desired.

Copy-Cat Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Copy-Cat Panera Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Serves 8.

Super creamy.  Super delicious.  This soup really does taste a lot like Panera's.  It's fantastic!
Source: Food

6 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breast halves (cooked, boneless and cubed)
1 (6 ounce) package long grain and wild rice blend, quick cooking version (You will use the seasoning packet. I used Uncle Bens roasted chicken flavor)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter (12 tbsp. or a stick and a half)
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cups light cream (can lighten by substituting part or all of the cream with fat-free evaporated milk, or half-and-half) -- I reduced this to 2 cups

Open rice, pull out seasoning packet and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine pepper and flour. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes. Stir in contents of seasoning packet, and continue cooking vegetables until softened, about 10 minutes more. Add seasoned flour gradually while constantly stirring, to form a roux. Saute roux for 3-4 minutes to cook out raw flour taste.

Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through and rice is done,15-20 minutes.

Alternatively, for those who cannot get the quick-cooking version of the rice, I have put the broth on to boil and cooked the 25-minute version of long grain and wild rice blend according to the directions, while sauteeing the veggies in the butter. I tend to cook the veggies longer this way, and I like them quite soft. I then follow the rest of the directions above, adding the rice/broth to the cream mixture. I've also used fat-free half and half with no appreciable difference in flavor. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Makes about 16 pancakes.

Because these do not contain any sugar, they aren't exceptionally pleasing to adults, but I make them for the wee one and she loves them.  I freeze the leftovers and pop them in the microwave for an easy, healthy breakfast.
Source: SparkRecipes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 large egg1 3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat griddle or pan to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, blend pumpkin, egg, and milk with electric mixer.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice and stir until blended. (Some small lumps are OK.)

Pour about 1/2 cup batter on hot griddle, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Flip cakes after about 1 minute. Then cook another minute on other side. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Makes about 4 dozen.

Oh so fluffy, and perfectly pumpkiny.  Welcome, fall cookie.
Source: Sweet Pea's Kitchen

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Adjust the oven racks to the upper-and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
The dough can be made through step 3 and either covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen.

To freeze the cookie dough, portion into individual balls, roll in the cinnamon and sugar, and freeze on a parchment- or wax-paper-lined plate (don't let them touch or they will fuse together) until completely firm, 2 to 3 hours. When ready to bake, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and increase the baking time to 17 to 22 minutes.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 12 muffins.

These are delicious for kids and adults alike!  Love the oatmeal in them... yum!
Slightly adapted from: Mom Foodie

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup low fat buttermilk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup peeled and diced Granny Smith apple (roughly 1 large apple)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla, salt and sugar.
3. Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add the oats and apples, mix until evenly distributed. Allow to rest a couple minutes, then spoon into muffin cups. Fill almost full.
5. Place in oven to bake for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

Easy Crockpot Applesauce

An easy, delicious applesauce. 
Slightly adapted from: One Organic Mama

15 apples of your choice
2 cups water (approximately)
3 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
***I added 1/4 cup brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit

Cut and core apples.  I cut them in half, in half again, and then cored them.  Go ahead and leave the skins on, because it is waaayyy easier, they add nutrition, and you won't be able to taste them in the end.

Cover the bottom of your crock pot with about 1/2-1" of water, add apples and spices (and sugar if using), and mix up.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.

Once your apples are soft, use your immersion blender to puree.  Let cool and serve, store, or can.

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

Makes 1 latte.

Save yourself loads of money and make this at home!
Slightly adapted from: Foods for the Soul

1 c skim milk

1 tbsp pumpkin butter

1 + ½ tbsp sugar-free vanilla syrup (OR 2 packets Splenda + 1 tsp vanilla extract)

tiny pinch ground cinnamon

tiny pinch ground nutmeg

tiny pinch ground ginger

2 shots hot espresso OR 6 oz hot strong coffee

In a small pot, combine the milk and pumpkin puree (and Splenda, if using).  Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the  milk begins to simmer.  Whisk vigorously until frothy.  Turn heat down to low, and add in the vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract), cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Whisk until fully incorporated.

Pour the espresso of coffee into a mug, and pour the milk mixture on top.  Sip and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

Makes 1 pie; Serves 8-10

Probably the best apple pie I've ever made.  Will make again and again.
Sources:
Pie crust: Mimo
Filling adapted from Nutmeg Nanny 
Streusel from Indulge
Caramel addition inspired by Chocolate Covered Everything

Mimo's Pie Crust:
1 stick butter
2 T. sugar
1 cup flour


Filling:
6 cups apple chunks (I used 6 granny smith apples here)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lemon juice


Caramel Sauce:
4 T. butter
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. heavy cream
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping


Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For pie crust:
Heat butter in a saucepan until melted.  Add sugar and mix until sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat.
Stir in flour until fully combined.  Pat into pie pan.  

For filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Core, peel, and slice apples. Transfer into large bowl with dry ingredients. Top off with vanilla and lemon juice. Toss to coat apples well. Set aside while you prepare caramel sauce.

For caramel sauce, start by melting your 4 Tbls of Butter in a large saucepan.  Then add in the 3 Tbls of brown Sugar, Heavy Cream, and Vanilla and cook for 3 minutes over medium low heat constantly stirring.  Add in 1/2 cup of Caramel ice cream topping or sauce into your homemade sauce and stir to combine. 

To this delicious caramel sauce, add in your apple mixture and stir to combine.  Pour apple filling into pie crust.

For streusel topping:
Combine the flour, superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir the melted butter and vanilla together in another small bowl. Gradually stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture, just until evenly moistened (you may not need all of the butter). Squeeze the mixture in your hands until thoroughly combined. Crumble the mixture in the bowl to make fine crumbs with some small lumps.

Top pie with streusel topping.  Cover loosely with foil.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and continue baking for an additional 35 minutes.  Cool and enjoy.

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

Seven Layer Bars with Pumpkin

Serves 16-24, depending on how you cut them.

This recipe is as delicious as the original, but the pumpkin layer makes it perfectly autumnal.
Slightly adapted from: Vanilla Sugar

Pumpkin layer:

1 egg

8 ounces of plain pumpkin puree

½ ts pure vanilla extract

a few dashes of cinnamon

a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ - 2 cups crushed graham crackers (depending on how thick you like the crust)

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, I omitted the nuts entirely)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips (I didn't have these, so I chopped up caramels to use instead)

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional to toast, I did not)

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Heavily spray with nonstick or line a 9 or 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  If using parchment or aluminum make sure to spray that too with nonstick cooking spray. 

Melt the butter over medium heat; add in the graham crumbs, and mix well.

Using your fingers or a spatula spread crumbs into pan, making sure to get all the edges. If you want to prebake this for 10 minutes to help it get crisp then go ahead. 

In a small bowl mix the pumpkin puree with the egg; add in the vanilla extract and as much spice as you want. I did about 4 shakes of cinnamon and 2 shakes of pumpkin spice.  Then place a layer of the pumpkin mixture on top of the graham.  Do not spread the pumpkin mixture to the edges —you don’t want it to seep out.

Then add the layer of pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toasted coconut.  Next pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish. 

Bake until the top is golden brown and mixture is set in the middle (no jiggly), about 25-28 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack for a couple hours.  I then put mine in the fridge to help it firm up to make the slicing much easier. Remove the bars from the pan.  Then using a very sharp knife, cut into bars.  If the slicing is sticky, it helps to wet the knife with warm water.

It’s best to store this in the fridge. Keeps about 2 days then it gets soggy. 

Spinach Salad with Apples, Dates, & Goat Cheese

Spinach Salad with Apples, Dates, & Goat Cheese

Serves 6.

This salad is super easy to throw together and tastes amazing.  The only prep needed is some chopping.  The delicious store-bought dressing makes it a breeze.

Large box of fresh spinach
Container crumbled goat cheese.
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
6 large dates, chopped
Marzetti Simply Dressed balsamic dressing

Fill salad bowls with spinach.  Top with crumbled goat cheese, apples, and dates.  Serve with balsamic dressing.

Moist Pumpkin Bread

Moist Pumpkin Bread

Makes 1 loaf.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all you have to be thankful for.
Just like the title implies, this is a moist pumpkin bread.... and it has a sugary sweet cinnamon topping.  Yum!
Source: Food

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

TOPPING:
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

In a medium size bowl beat eggs and mix with sugar, oil, water and pumpkin.

In another bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients only until just blended. Do NOT overmix.

Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. This bread fits perfectly in an 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

For topping: In a small saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and milk. Boil only 2 1/2 minutes while stirring constantly. Immediately drizzle on top of loaf. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and press pecans lightly into topping.

Wrap and store until next day for serving. 

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Makes about 24.

Thanksgiving is in one week!  And I think you should consider adding this recipe to your line-up.  For breakfast on Thanksgiving morning... or before you head out shopping on Friday... or just for general snacking throughout Thanksgiving day.  If you put them out, people will eat them.  This is a fantastic recipe... delicious!!!  I made them as donut holes in a mini muffin pan, but see the original recipe, linked below, for instructions on using a mini donut pan.
I also made a pretty big goof-up, but, in my opinion, it didn't hurt the overall taste.  :)  Instead of dipping the donut holes in the melted butter, I actually dumped the melted butter all over the donut holes and then covered them in the cinnamon sugar mixture before shaking to coat.  I ended up with a bunch of very buttery, gooey, cinnamony-sugary delicious little balls.  I wouldn't say it was a bad mistake, but I may try making them "correctly" next time for a neater bite.  :)
Source: Blue-Eyed Bakers

For Donuts:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

For Coating:

1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (more if you're a cinnamon lover)

Preheat oven 350 F.  Grease a mini muffin pan and set aside.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Fill each mini muffin cup, 2/3 full, with the batter.  The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed.  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve immediately.

*Note: If you're not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the butter/cinnamon-sugar mixture until just before serving or they may get soggy.

Apple Cinnamon Pancake Topping

Apple Cinnamon Pancake Topping

Serves 4-6.

I was a victim of the sample.  While browsing in Williams Sonoma with the wee one, we were offered samples of their oatmeal pancakes with apple cinnamon topping.  It was amazing.  Even the wee one started signing "more" after her paper cup was empty too.  Sorry, wee one, it's against etiquette to ask for a second sample.  
I couldn't leave the store without knowing I could make these myself at home.  So I purchased the oatmeal pancake mix -- at the price of $14.95, nonetheless -- and made them the following week.  They were, once again, fab.  But I will go broke if I continue to buy the mix, so please help me out.  I need a great oatmeal pancake recipe.  These pancakes were dense, moist, and flavorful.  The oats had been ground, because there were no whole oats in the mix.  If you have anything to share, please do!  Thanks!
Source: Williams Sonoma

1 oatmeal pancake mix from Williams Sonoma, prepared to package instructions

3 apples, peeled and chopped
3 T. butter
3 T. brown sugar
1/2-1 t. ground cinnamon

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add chopped apples and cook until soft.  Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Serve over oatmeal pancakes.

Fall Bark

Fall Bark

Serves 6-8.

A dear friend made this and brought it over as dessert for our shared family dinner.  It was delicious and loved by all.  A beautiful and tasty autumn treat!
Source: Real Simple

• 1/2 pound white chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 1/2 cup candy corn
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 
  
• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
• 
  
• Heat the chocolate in a double boiler or medium heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring often, until melted and smooth.
• 
  
• Spread the chocolate in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the pretzels, candy corn, and dried cranberries. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• 
  
• Remove the bark from the pan and break into pieces.

Caramel Apple Surprise Cookies

Caramel Apple Surprise Cookies

Makes about 20-22.

Okay, so I must confess... My cookies turned out okay.  I mean, my photo looks decent, right?  And they tasted great!  But I kinda struggled through the process.  For one, I needed a lot of dough to cover the caramel, so I got far less cookies than the original blogger.  For two, even with all that dough, I still had issues with the caramel oozing out onto the cookie sheet, and then through the wire rack while cooling.  So I lost a lot of caramel... to my counter top.  But, they were still great, and very fall-like.  I just need to figure out how to clean up the process.
Source: Hot Polka Dot

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup apple, skinned and chopped
3 dozen caramels, flattened slightly

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper (I used Silpat liners) and set them aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla then blend it in. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt then stir it into the butter mixture. Gently mix in the chopped apples. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to stiffen it up.

Scoop a heaping tbsp of dough for each cookie then roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disc between your palms. Place the slightly smushed caramel into the center and fold the edges of dough to cover it well, making sure to pinch any edges that meet. Form it back into a ball and place it onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake them for 10 – 11 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 6.

I increased the amount of veggies and broth in this fantastic soup.  It's such a simple recipe, and such a classic dish, I'm disappointed in myself that I haven't been making this for years already.  This winter, though?  We will eat it.  A lot.
Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats

1 Tablespoon butter2 teaspoons olive oil1/2 onion, finely chopped2 large carrots (or about 20 mini carrots), thinly sliced2 ribs celery, choppedsalt & pepper2 garlic cloves, minced2 chicken breasts, shredded or cubed64 oz chicken broth* (buy an extra can if you plan to make-ahead; see note)8 oz frozen egg noodles

Melt butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, celery, salt & pepper, and saute for 8-10 minutes or until soft. If you feel like you need to add more oil, add a splash of chicken broth instead and cover the pot with a lid so veggies can steam.

Add in minced garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken and chicken broth, turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Serve with a good hunk of bread and enjoy!

*If pre-making, let cool then refrigerate. You will need to add in an additional can of chicken broth when re-heating as the egg noodles will have soaked up some broth.

Grilled Chicken with Sweet and Sour Glaze

Grilled Chicken with Sweet and Sour Glaze

Serves 4.

The original recipe uses pork chops instead of chicken, so feel free to try both.  It is a fantastic recipe.  Great for a weeknight dinner, yet still fancy enough for entertaining a dinner party.  And even though we grilled the chicken breasts, you could easily cook them inside to make this recipe work for all seasons.
Adapted from: Weeknights with Giada

Chicken:
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Glaze:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 scallions, pale green and white parts only, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Grill chicken into cooked through.  Set aside and keep warm under foil, if necessary.

Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, honey, garlic, scallions, and rosemary to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey has dissolved. Simmer for 9 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve chicken with glaze on top.

Another Pumpkin Bread!

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves, or 8 mini loaves.

SUPER MOIST is an accurate name for this bread.  It's extremely dense, extremely moist, and all things fall.
Slightly adapted from: AllRecipes

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, coconut milk, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Mix until all of the flour is gone. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cover loaves with foil tightly. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent lightly with the foil and allow to cool completely.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread IV

Makes 3 loaves.

Rave reviews on AllRecipes.com.  Classic bread for the autumn holiday season.  Enjoy this week.  I hope you have a lot to be thankful for.
Source: AllRecipes

3 cups canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 cups white sugar

6 eggs

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour (mine took 70 minutes). The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.