Day 5 of Oats: Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate

I think I saved the best for last. This was yummy - reminded me of fall. Oh, I like fall much better than winter - but so be it! At least I can remember warmer temps with my bowl of goodness in the morning!

1/3 cup oats
1/2 plus a little more cup water
2 tsp white chocolate wonderful (PB&CO)
10 dried cranberries
1 T pumpkin

So good! Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Pepita Muffins

I needed to use up a bit of a can of pumpkin so this was a great recipe to do it. I was a little doubtful when these came out of the oven, but the chocolate really made these!

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 T raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds, you can find in bulk bins at Whole Foods)
3/4 60% Ghiradelli chocolate bar, chopped

Combine wet. Combine dry. Add wet to dry. Fold in chocolate. Put in 12 greased (I use silicon liners) muffin tins. Sprinkle pepitas on top.
Bake at 400 for 18 minutes.
Serve warm. I'm sure Dark Chocolate Dreams would be amazing on the top of these (instead of butter). These are going to the office too!
220 cal, 10 fat, 1.5 fiber

Honey Cranberry-Pecan Cornbread (Quick Bread)

I've tried a couple new recipes these week: one turned out good, one was trash worthy. You win some you lose some. Joy the Baker definitely has some winners on her site - you can't go wrong with any of the ones (that I've tried).

Cornmeal with fruit is an acquired taste. I tend to like it - some of my family doesn't. So, maybe they will like this one tomorrow.

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal (or stone ground corn)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cup fresh cranberries

1/2-3/4 cup chopped pecans (I changed it to pecan from walnuts because that is what I had)

Combine dry. Mix wet together. Combine. Fold in berries and nuts. Spray 4 smaller loaf pans (or 2 large). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done (for smaller pans).

I like the texture - and these would be great warmed up for breakfast with a little bit of maple syrup drizzled on top!

Molasses Maple Ginger Cake (2009.46)

Ok - I've fallen a little behind - just because I don't have anything to make out of these last few cookbooks and I'm making tried and true recipes these last few weeks for the holidays. But, I'll try to squeeze some out here.
This is out of a new cookbook I won at Taste and Tell's blog - Get Cooking is the name of it. Some good recipes, pictures with almost all if not all of them. Great instructions in this cookbook for the novice cook - so if you are just starting out or know someone who is young and getting married with little to no cooking experience - this might be a good choice.

I ran out of molasses so I had to change the ingredients and therefore changed the name too. It was Gingery Gingerbread, but I changed the name. My friend said "I like the bite in it. It is subtle, but then Pow - you get the spice in your throat at the end".

1 stick softened unsalted butter
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 T ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
3 T grated fresh ginger
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Mix dry, cream wet. Alternate adding the dry with the wet - alternating the buttermilk. Till all combined. Pour into sprayed 9x13 pan and cook in a 350 (325 glass pan) oven for 35-40 minutes.
Let cool. Serve with anything: cool whip, powdered sugar, lemon curd, chocolate ice cream, whatever you fancy!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Pecan Cake Cookies

My Mom has to do a lot of baking for her church during the holidays, so I am helping while I am home. We had plenty of pumpkin since we are stocking up in case of the after-pumpkin rush shortage. These are yummy, moist, and cake like.

2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
10 oz white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine dry ingredients. Cream butter, eggs, and sugar. Add in pumpkin and vanilla. Combine dry. Fold in chips and pecans. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 19-22 minutes at 300.

Apple Berry Cobbler with Cinnamon Biscuits (2009.42)

Wow - that means there is only about 10 weeks left in the year! Went by so quick!
This was a great way to wake up this morning - to have my house smelling yummy and very fall-y. Apples and cranberries and cinnamon - can't go wrong with this. This is out of Southern Living's Our Best Recipes 2004.
I followed this recipe to a T (save the nuts because I didn't have any chopped at the time and was pressed for said time). I thought it was a little sweet for my liking, so next time I would: cut the biscuits out (instead of just dropping them - better presentation) and cut the sugar down to make it more tart.

4 granny smith apples
3 fuji or other tart/sweet apple (I didn't peel them, but that is just me)
2 cups cranberries
1 cup sugar (I would cut the sugar here)
3 T flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick cold unsalted butter, chopped
3/4 cup buttermilk

3 T sugar (I would cut the sugar here)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Apple and berries, combine with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Then stir in syrup. Press into 9x13 greased pan.
Dry ingredients, cut in butter, combine with buttermilk. Knead about 7 times. Drop or cut biscuits on top of apples.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (and nuts if desired).
Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream or cool whip.

I cut the cooking time a bit (it said an hour). I thought it was done by 50 minutes. This was good, just a little sweet - so I can cut the sugar next time! I hope Brandi enjoys it.

Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Egg

Amazing breakfast - reminded me very much of one of my fave Lou breakfast places - North End. Seriously - it was that good.

(serves 3-4) - if that many, do 1 egg per person

2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled and chopped (we used 1 granny smith, 1 black twig)

3 slices pancetta

2 T medium amber maple syrup

1 egg per person

butter

Heat butter in pan till really hot. Cook potato and onions till almost done. Add in the apples, pancetta, and syrup. Heat through. Cook the fried egg. Put it on top. Top with some greenery.

Much cheaper than getting it at North End. Toasted some sourdough with strawberry preserves, drank some milk with it.

So good and filling, local ingredients. What a way to spend a warm, Sunday morning. As I told Rebecca, "Sunday mornings were made for this" - note: right now I go to church at night (so I'm not skipping). I just love a leisure morning (1 a week) to enjoy a nice brunch, without being rushed to go get ready.

Fall Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Will these take the place of my favorite chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe from Sara Foster - nope. Are they a good treat to bring to the office in the Fall - yes. How can anything with spices, oats, and dark chocolate be bad? I mean these cookies are practically good for you!

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sweet potatoes, mashed (I used some from my cousin's farm in AL)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix dry. Cream butter through vanilla. Combine. Fold in oats and chocolate. Don't overmix.
Bake on lightly greased baking sheets at 350 for about 12 minutes. I got 24 cookies.
You had to really hunt for the sweet potato in it. And since mine aren't a typical sweet potato, mine almost have a greenish tint instead of a orangish tint. I love the spice of these cookies - and I always love anything made with oats!
125 cal/5 fat/1 fiber per cookie. But you get over 2 grams of protein per cookie and less than 10 grams of sugar.

Fitness Magazine's Sweet Potato and Apple Bake

Totally honest - Fitness Magazine usually puts out better exercises than they do recipes. This one however, is an exception. My cousin in AL would like this one - because I used their sweet potatoes. So yummy. I had some tonight for dessert after running and kettlebells (perfect for a Fitness Magazine recipe) heated with some light cool whip.

Makes 6-8 servings

2 medium sweet potatoes
3 apples (I used 2 golden delicious and 1 fuji, peeled, cored)
2 T real maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1 tsp butter

Bake sweet potatoes for 1 hour at 350 till you can poke them easily with a fork. Let them cool, then slice them (I like the skins, so I left them on). Layer potatoes and apples in a greased 2 qt casserole. Mix syrup and spices. Drizzle over the top. Dot on butter on the top. Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes.
So good and about 100 calories for a serving. Much healthier and cheaper than all those 100 calorie packs you get at the store that are all processed! So much fiber in these! What a great dessert, side dish, breakfast...

Whole Wheat Apple Cider Couscous

Never would have thought of this - who does. I adapted a recipe I found on Mr. Breakfast and wanted to use up some more of my Huber's Apple Cider (amazing) and some Whole Wheat Couscous I have had sitting on the counter since my Kitchn Cure week 1.

1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1/4 cup orange flavored dried cranberries from Trader Joes (these will be a staple in my house if I ever live near a Trader Joes)

Boil the apple cider. Stir in the couscous and cranberries. Cover and cook OFF the HEAT for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve for a quick meal (usually breakfast, which is when I'll eat it this week) with some yogurt and dried apples on top for crunch.

Vegan Pumpkin Vanilla Cinnamon Pancakes

I have a new friend in the food blog world - and she lives right here in Louisville! I finally get to meet her tomorrow night but she has already provided a really yummy and healthy recipe. I altered it a little - but these are really yummy. The only thing I would change next time would be to add more pumpkin pie spice to add more flavor.

Vegan Pumpkin Vanilla Cinnamon Pancakes (makes 8-10)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon corn oil

Mix dry, mix wet. Combine the two. Mix well. Heat griddle over medium. Spray with pam. I used about 1/4 (scant) cup of mix to each pancake. Cook till bubbly then flip. Right before I flipped them, I added a sprinkle of cinnamon chips. Yummy!
These are only about 120 calories for 2 pancakes. So good for breakfast. We'll see how filling the are in the morning.
Thanks Sarah!

Pumpkin Orange Cranberry Bran Muffins

These are actually better than I thought they would be. Great variety of flavors that all work very well together. I got the original recipe from Craving Greens, a healthy blog I read. i changed some things. I love that these are so healthy and good for you with minimal fat. I also love the fact that they are moist - most bran muffins are very dry with limited flavor.



1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup crushed All-Bran cereal
2 eggs
3/4 cup cup ff buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground ginger
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I loved the light texture provided by this)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/4 cup Trader Joes Orange-Dried Cranberries
1/8 cup pepitas


Mix wet (pumpkin through ginger). Combine dry (through cloves). Mix just until combined. Fold in cranberries. Put in 12 muffin tins that have been lightly sprayed with pam. Sprinkle some pepitas on top. (These add great crunch for texture change when they are done). Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy.
140 calories, 2 fat, 4.5 fiber

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

So, it is fall and there are plenty of variety of squashes in the grocery stores. I had my first taste of this one as a side dish at J. Alexander's here in Louisville 2 years ago. It was very good. Almost so good you wouldn't ever miss spaghetti again. Almost.

I finally made one today. It was very easy and yummy and versatile.

To roast. Preheat oven to 400. Fill a 9x13 pan with about 1/2 inch of water.

Cut squash in half. Scoop out all the goo and seeds. Drizzle with evoo and s/p. Place cut side down in pan. Cook about 40 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Take out.

Let cool so you can handle it. Flip over. Take a fork and scrape out all the inside. It is so easy (about 5 seconds) and yummy. Very mild - tastes like summer squash. 1 cup of spaghetti squash has 50 calories.

I had mine with a little parmesan and some heirlook tomatoes from Trader Joes.

Roasted Mashed Banana Squash

A few weeks ago I bought a new type of squash when I was out apple picking with Cynthia. I finally tried it. I was going to try it roasted - savory. But, I didn't think it really had a lot of flavor, so I ended up mashing it - thinking it will be a great side dish with some pork chops. Turned out well.

1/2 large banana squash, seeded

Olive oil

Sage

Kosher salt

2 T unsweetened coconut milk

I wouldn't peel the squash till after it is roasted and cooled. Much easier. Lay out the sliced squash on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sage and drizzle with evoo. Bake in a 425 oven about 25 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork through them. Let cool so you can mash them out of the peel. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Add salt and coconut milk. Mash all together. Eat.Great way to get in another type of fall/winter squash.

W-S Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies (2009.40a)

I loved working at W-S for the holidays. Couple of reasons: getting to know non-believers and building a relationship with them and the incredible discount (40%). That is how I stocked my kitchen! I also used the money one year to take a trip to Thailand with my church.
This cookbook has not been the best one though. I loaned this book to a friend last year and she didn't have much success with the pumpkin recipes. I tried it last night - again, not much success. It is the Pumpkin cookbook. At least I got it on sale!

8 oz canned pumpkin
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup superfine sugar (put regular sugar - heaping 1/2 cup - in food processor and grind till fine)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup self-rising flour
5 oz white chocolate (I upped it from 3.5) chips

Cream wet. Add in oats and flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes on greased cookie sheet. Let cool.

I liked the combination of the white chocolate and pumpkin, but I just didn't like the final product. Oh, well.

Cranberry Shortbread Bars

These are great! I love the Joy of Baking website - can't go wrong with things on there. I had to take a dessert for a potluck after church in Cincinnati. Last year I took an apple cake. I wanted to go with something more portable and still fall-y. These were just the thing. My Dad liked them too and took one for the road.

Last year a friend of mine gave me 2 bags of cranberries so I had these in my freezer. Perfect. Just thaw and bake.

Mom and I had fun with these. I made the filling, she creamed the shortbread.

8 oz fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen) - 2/3 of a bag really or 2 1/4 cups

2/3 cup sugar

3 T water

2 cups flour

2 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla.

Boil first three together till thick - about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Cream the rest.

Press 2/3 of the dough into a greased 9x9 pan. Pour filling on top leaving a little room around the edges. Crumble up the remaining dough on top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool a bit. Cut into 16 squares. Let cool completely.

YUM! The tart and the creamy not-too-heavy shortbread are a perfect combination!

Pumpkin Spice Cake (2009.39)

My Mom was in town and she helped me make this week's recipe. It came out of an older cookbook that she had found at a yard sale or book sale or something. Its called The Spice Cookbook. What do I like about it is the old pencil drawings and much information about so many spices.
What I didn't like about it was this cake (not really). I made it for a cake walk. I used the Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting from last month's red velvet cupcakes. This cake was a little dense and dry for my liking. I did however like the flavor of it - thought the spice level was good. The only thing we changed in this recipe was the mace for nutmeg (this was not worth buying a whole jar of mace).

Made 1 9x13 cake

2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 t baking powder
1/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 tsp ginger

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Sift first ingredients together. Add in shortening and pumpkin. Add eggs and milk at end. Pour into greased cake pan(s). 375 for about 30 minutes or until done (depending on what pan you use).

Cinnamon Butternut Squash Muffins

Do you want a slight change from pumpkin? Are you looking for new ways to use up that beautiful squash that you got from the market?
Erin at 5$ Dinners made these. I had a squash so I wanted to make them. I halved the recipe and lessened the sugar and changed the topping. These had a great yellow-ish color and weren't overly sweet. Nice and mild and fluffy.


Cinnamon Butternut Squash Muffins (10 regular size)

1/2 banana, mashed
1/2 cup cooked butternut squash, pureed (I cubed and peeled it, roasted it, and pureed it)
2 eggs
1/6 cup applesauce
2 T white sugar
3 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour

Mix wet. Add dry. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until done (in greased muffin tins).
Let cool
Drizzle a bit of honey over top (not necessary, but needs a sweet touch to it!)
1 T honey

Fall Baked Oatmeal

My parents are coming in town later this week and my Dad especially loves oatmeal (so do I). I wanted to make a baked oatmeal so we could just have it ready to warm up in the mornings. I found a recipe that I changed some (to make lighter).
I tasted this once it came out of the oven - it was good. Very warm and filling. It will definitely taste better when I serve it with milk or fat free cool whip (that's how my Mom will eat it).
Here you go: (2 qt casserole or 9x9 square pan, greased)

2 3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup craisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt (maybe a little less)

1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 cups water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix the dry. Add the wet. Cook at 350 for 45 or so minutes. Till its not wiggly when you pull it out of the oven.
Serve warm with milk or cool whip...
Serves 8.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Snack Cake

Cookie Madness always is baking some good things. Not good for my hips though. These are actually both! I altered this a little and cut down the recipe. Here we go:

3 T applesauce

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/6 cup water

7/8 cup flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix all together. Greased 8x8 pan.

4 oz 1/3 less fat softened cream cheese

1/8 cup sugar

1/8 tsp vanilla

1/2 egg

Mix all this together. Swirl on top. Bake at 350 till done - about 25 minutes.

This is a great little snack cake. Not too sweet and definitely sweetened a little with the cream cheese. Tastes like spice cake. It would be great served cold.

Makes 16 bars.

About 100 calories each square.