New England Autumn

A few years back, we went to New England in the fall. This has been a lifelong dream for me. It was an epic time, with amazing colors, we couldn't have timed it better. I will share a picture or two for you, and perhaps you will get to visit sometime!

Best Pumpkin Bread, EVER!!!

At our house, Fall is symbolized with the start of pumpkin baked goods arriving. Yes, it starts in July. You heard that right, JULY! I get the craving, and I start baking. The fall decor is not even out until August! But this pumpkin bread was the first thing I baked this year, and I have made a few batches already- I even baked the batch you see here to send loaves to my son at college. I have made many recipes over the years, and this one beats all of them! I have taken a recipe and changed things over the years, and you may also want to change things- it is very adaptable! Here is the recipe:

Best Pumpkin Bread, EVER!!!
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups white sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree

2/3 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two loaf pans.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Slowly blend the flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. While blending the mixture add water incrementally. Pour the batter into two prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 90 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. 

This will also make 6 mini loaves, instead of 2 large ones.              
Changes I make: I often use 1/2C plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of half the oil.
I also use half white and half brown sugar.
I sometimes use half applesauce, or all applesauce, in place of the oil.
Half white whole wheat flour (King Arthur Flour) makes it healthier, I almost always make this substitution.
Enjoy, share the PUMPKIN love! Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Biscuits!

I love everything pumpkin, except traditional pumpkin pie. Why? I think it's twofold, the custard texture, and heavy cloves. But here's one that's new to me: pumpkin biscuits with sage. I can just imagine these with a steaming bowl of thick, chowdery soup or stew, when the weather has taken a quick Autumn turn to the blustery, chilly side of the season!

Pumpkin Sage Biscuits

Perhaps the most over-looked, undervalued aspect of the Thanksgiving meal is the bread basket. Now, I love a good dinner roll and I think that’s what ends up on the table most of the time. If you are lucky, you have a family member who specializes in good, old-fashioned Parker house or cloverleaf or fantan rolls and they provide them every year. And make no mistake, there are in fact some mighty good frozen options out in the world. But this year, why not give that lonely bread basket some love with some homemade biscuits, flavored just right for the holiday.
Pumpkin Sage Biscuits

You can use any size biscuit cutter you prefer. For a big meal like Thanksgiving, a small, maybe 1 ½ inch cutter might be right. I have also used a pumpkin shape cutter for these.

2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

10 -12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

6 Tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1/3 cup buttermilk, cold and well-shaken

¾ cups pumpkin puree (from a 15 ounce can)

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9 inch round pan with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda to combine. Lightly stir in the chopped sage. Drop the cubes of cold butter into the flour and with the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until the mixture looks like coarse meal, with a few pieces of butter still visible.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and pumpkin puree. Add to the flour mixture and blend until the dough just comes together. If the dough is too moist, add a bit more flour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a circle about ½ inch thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter, stamp out biscuits and transfer to the prepared pan, placing the biscuits close together and close to the sides of the pan. Gently reform the dough and pat out again, and then cut out more biscuits.

Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes; remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Return to the oven for another 2 minutes and bake until risen and lightly golden.

These will keep in an airtight container for 2 days, or you can make the dough, pat it out, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Cut and bake the next day.

Makes 1 dozen 2-inch biscuits
From Therunawayspoon.com
http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2009/11/pumpkin-sage-biscuits/

Double Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel Icing in a Jar

Love the chocolate and caramel combo? How about salted caramel? Yeah, me, too! Here's a delicious recipe, from Family Kitchen, on blogs.babble.com:

Double Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel Icing in a Jar

Posted by thenaptimechef on April 5th, 2011 at 12:13 pm

If we can bake cake, cupcakes, and cheesecakes in jars why not add brownies to the mix! Baking these was simple, this brownie batter can easily be divided up between jam jars and baked on a sheet pan instead of in a regular brownie pan. I used my favorite brownie recipe and added chocolate chunks to give them an extra decadent chocolate flavor. To offset the rich chocolate I whipped up a creamy salted caramel icing and dolloped it on top of the brownies. They are so yummy my husband even screwed a lid on one of the jars and took it to work for an afternoon snack!

Double Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel Icing

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

For the frosting: (Adapted from Chow.com)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together. I use the microwave, heating it in short intervals so the butter doesn’t explode. Mix together until fully combined. Cool slightly.
3. Beat together eggs, vanilla, sugar and cocoa powder in a mixer until combined. Add chocolate mixer, beat until just combined.
4. Finally, add flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chunks to the chocolate mixture and mix until the batter is totally incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the bowl to make sure it all comes together.
5. Pour batter into butter 6 5 ounces jam jars. Bake the jars on a cookie sheet for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are cooled and spring back when touched. Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting.

6. To make the frosting: In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring it to a boil and cook it, without stirring until it turns a dark amber. About 7 minutes. Once it darkens turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stovetop.

2. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla very carefully, stirring well even as it bubbles. Then allow it to cool.

3. While the caramel is cooling beat the butter and salt until smooth and creamy. Then add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until well incorporated. Turn off the mixer and pour in the caramel and beat everything until it is light.

 

 

 

 

 
 

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

Here we are with another record-breaking day in Phoenix, it's looking like this year might break the record of 32, 110 degree days in a row, or higher than 110 degrees, that is! I'll tell you, it's a dry heat, LOL, but it sure takes the life right out of you. I feel like a wrung-out dishrag, after getting in and out of a car that starts at 122 degrees when I first get in it, most likely that's true even if I did find a spot of shade tree to park under. I come home, and strip all the way down, yes, every last piece of clothing has to come off, for nice, dry ones. Ahhh! Thank goodness for air conditioning! Then, turn on the news, and back east, it's raining torrents from hurricane Irene, rivers busting, flooding, and here: the opposite. I feel so sad for all the losses of those poor folks! What is it with Mother Nature? Years of drought here, months of rains there, and now more devastation of water. I wish I could send you all some of our healing sunshine! Thoughts and prayers are with you!

College Kid

Where did the last 18 years go? Okay, at least, the last 10 years? My son is now a college kid. But, he's 18, so is that still a kid? Geez, the rules are all changing, and I can't keep up! I guess the roles are what's changing. I have been away from blogging, for a year- his senior year, trying to soak up every last moment with him living at home, as we knew he was going to Tucson, to be a Wildcat at the University of Arizona. It's only about an hour and a half drive, maybe a bit more, and he was just home after his first week of classes. I cooked up a storm! You know the "Freshman 15", those extra pounds they gain when they go to college? Well, Austin will gain those coming home, if we keep this up! I made snickerdoodles, Nutella Rice Crispy treats, strawberry jam & homemade biscuits, bacon and cheesy scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and peppers and green chile, a killer dinner (with help from the hubby), etc., etc. Sent the cookies and crispy treats back with him, and his roommate, Brian, will help with those!
It's time for changes, it's midlife, it's the start of the empty nest. Every day is full of mixed emotions. I hear a song, see a picture, and tears flow. It's bittersweet. I am so excited for him, so proud of the maturity he has shown in the last year, and especially in the last few months, as he has prepared for his new life. This is how it's supposed to be! But, it's hard not to have his silly humor and sweet face here every day. Here we go, on a new chapter of life! Share your story of these times with me!

Time for Fall Decor!

Whew, it is still so hot out, it is time to bring on cooler temperatures, by getting out and arranging all my Autumn decor! Actually, I was addressing Christmas card envelopes tonight, and my daughter and I were listening to Christmas music! SO GLAD she is like her mom! Totally holiday-fanatical, and especially hooked on Christmas!
Happy cooler days to all!