Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

I always find pumpkin spice a welcoming flavor combination, whether it is autumn or not. Here, I have combined them to make a smoothie, or perhaps more accurately a milkshake. It adds a little flavor to a morning drink of milk, as well as some extra vitamins and nutrition. Since the pumpkin is already puréed, this drink does not even require the use of a blender. Just place ingredients in a cup with a lid and shake.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
1 cup milk
2 heaping Tablespoons pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Blend all together until smooth. Enjoy!

Mother's Day Flower Cake

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers out there! Today I made a simple Mother's Day cake and cupcake creation. It is made to look like a flower. Just use any cake recipe you would like (the two layer size) and bake it in one nine inch round pan and twelve cupcakes. Then decorate as a flower - choose two bright spring colors and use one to frost the cake - the center of the flower. Then use the other to pipe swirls on the cupcakes for the petals. If the cake is for a special occasion, add an inscription on the cake in the center. It's a really simple cake design but one that looks really cute. It is also easy to serve - give everyone a cupcake then cut the center cake into wedges. I used a vanilla cake and vanilla frosting in purple and yellow.
Unfortunately, this is the first mother's day I am away from my mother and I cannot share this cake with her. But that's why rain checks were invented. 
Happy Mother's Day - especially to my wonderful mother!! :)

Chocolate Chip Fudge Bars

If you are looking for the easiest chocolate chip cookie recipe ever, this is it. Actually, it's more like one giant chocolate chip cookie. Cut it into squares and have chocolate chip cookie squares. These are actually better than your typical chocolate chip cookie, despite having only five ingredients and taking only five minutes to put together. These are sort of like a chocolate chip fudge bar, moist, sweet and chocolaty. I would also refer to it as chocolate chip cookie fudge.

Chocolate Chip Fudge Bars
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch rectangular pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together well until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, then the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until bars are no longer doughy. 

Perfect Pizza Dough

This pizza dough recipe is really a cinch to make and makes a perfect pizza every time! There are two alternative ways to make it; you could use a food processor instead of a stand mixer, or you could do it by hand but then it won't be as much of a cinch and will require some kneading.

Perfect Pizza Dough
4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 cups flour, the yeast, and the salt. Attach the dough hook and mix on low, gradually streaming in the water, then the oil. Increase speed to medium, gradually add the remaining one cup of flour. Increase speed to high and mix until the dough forms into a ball. 

Dough can be used immediately, but will benefit from resting. Form into a round ball and place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. This can be done for a few minutes or a few hours. This dough will make one large (12-15") or two small (8-9") pizza crusts. Alternately, it can be used for individual pizzas, calzones, and more. If you need to divide the dough, cut it, round each piece, and allow to rest for a few minutes before rolling it out. 
My nine inch pizza crusts took about ten minutes to bake at 425◦F.

I would classify this neither as a thick or thin crust dough, it's somewhere in between. But to true pizza connoisseurs, I guess it would have to be a thick crust as it certainly isn't a paper-thin dough. It rises quite nicely if allowed to rest as well as in the oven. And has a pleasing chewy and crisp texture that can stand up to heavy toppings and rich sauces.

Fudge Marble Caramel Swirl Cake

Chocolate and caramel are a match made in heaven - especially in a cake. This marble cake has three marblings; white cake, chocolate cake, and sweet caramel. There is caramel inside and on top, making the cake pretty as well as moist and tasty.

Fudge Marble Caramel Swirl Cake
1 box (two layer size) or one recipe marble cake
caramel sauce (such as caramel sundae sauce)

Prepare the cake as usual. Then give a good squirt of caramel, in a random pattern, all over the cake and swirl in, just as the chocolate was swirled on. Bake as directed.
Once baked, immediately poke the cake with a skewer, then pour more caramel sauce over the cake immediately, allowing it to melt into the cake. Cool completely, then serve. This moist and sweet cake needs no frosting. 

Poached Eggs In White Cheese Sauce

Forget hollandaise sauce. Sure, it's tasty and buttery, but can also be heavy and overpowering. Not to mention a pain to make, hold, and serve. If you are looking for an alternative for poached eggs, look no further than this white cheese sauce. Quicker and simpler to make than hollandaise, it is still rich and creamy but not as heavy and overpowering. Plus there is no need to be quite as precise and you can change up the flavorings as desired. It is excellent served on poached eggs, but it would actually make a good fettuccine sauce - as alone, it tastes similar to alfredo sauce. 

White Sauce
1/2 cup whole butter
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
5 cups milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
mustard powder, to taste
ground nutmeg, to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Quickly whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in four cups of the milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Bring mixture to a gentle boil. Whisk in the cheese until it melts. Whisk in the additional cup of milk, then season to taste. If desired, sauce can be thinned out further with a little more milk or enriched with cream. It can be seasoned as desired with any herbs and spices. Other types of cheeses could be used as well. 
Ladle over poached eggs and garnish with finely chopped vegetables and herbs.

Smokey Parmesan Cheese Sauce

Yesterday I came up with another sauce recipe on the fly that turned out fantastic! It could be categorized as a reduction, a cream sauce, or a cheese sauce. I began with a reduction of red pepper (for color) and bacon (for flavor) in some red wine. Then I added cream and reduced it again. Next I added in a good dose of cheese, and seasoned with some smokey spices for a smokey-flavored cheese sauce. It worked like a charm! The sauce was rich and creamy and flavorful. This would also make an excellent macaroni and cheese sauce. It gets a little red color from the red pepper, red wine, and paprika. I am sure a different type of cheese could be substituted, however I like the sharpness and saltiness of the Parmesan. Try this sauce on all types of cooked eggs, fish, or even chicken.

 Smokey Parmesan Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup diced cooked bacon
red cooking wine
2 cups whipping cream (35%)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper, to taste
fire-roasted smoked paprika, to taste
hickory smoke (spice powder), to taste

In a medium, shallow saucepan, place the pepper and bacon over high heat and add enough wine to just fully cover them. Reduce to au sec (until almost all liquid is abosorbed). Add the cream, reduce the heat, and cook until mixture is reduced by half and thickened, about twenty minutes or so. Quickly whisk in the cheese until melted. Strain the sauce through a china cap, then return it to the saucepan. Season to taste. 

The sauce doesn't look like much in the pot, but served over an omelette and it really makes the omelette special!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup oil
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin tins.
In a large bowl, beat the milk, peanut butter, oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour, powder, soda, and salt, then the chocolate chips until just combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This is a very tasty combination - muffins chock-full of chocolate chips with a hint of peanut butter flavor. Can you ever go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate together?

Cocoa Pumpkin Bean Energy Bars

This is a healthy, sneaky energy bar recipe. It contains all good things and tastes sort of like a fudgey brownie. I added in cranberries and walnuts for more texture. The base of these bars is a puréed can of beans, providing protein and fiber, along with pumpkin (which you can't taste) and peanut butter. Honey and applesauce add sweetness and cinnamon and ginger add spice. You can indulge in these tasty treats that are easy to make.

Cocoa Pumpkin Bean Energy Bars
1 can (540mL) white beans
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats (processed, if desired, for a smoother texture)
2 Tablespoons unsweetned cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process the beans until smooth. Add in the oats if desired for a smoother texture. Blend in the remaining ingredients in the order given. Mix well. Bake for about 30 minutes until bars are set. They will still be soft. Cool completely and refrigerate before cutting.

Spring Flower Cupcakes

It has been a hard winter. You can say that again. Ok, so it has been a very testing and miserable winter. And unfortunately, spring hasn't even fully arrived yet. I still see snow on the ground, the sun has been much less prominent than needed, and I have yet to venture outside in shorts or a t-shirt. So I made some flower cupcakes. If we cannot have real flowers growing yet, at least we can enjoy some another way. I used bright spring colors - maybe this will help to welcome spring.

I used basic vanilla cupcakes as the base. Then I used a dollop of chocolate frosting for the center of each cupcake. Next, I made up a few different colors - yellow, lilac, and light blue. I used a basic open star tip to pipe six swirls as petals on each cupcake. 

Here is a neat trick, and also very convenient when you only have one piping bag and/or one tip on hand. It's not that it takes too much time to wash between changing colors, but the excess water on the piping bag often has an undesired effect on the icing. So when one color runs out, I just fill the bag with the next color. The first cupcake or two frosted after this will have streaks of each color, which I think is pretty and better reflects flowers in nature. 

Olive Cheese Focaccia

Olive Cheese Focaccia
1 flatbread or prepared pizza crust or round of focaccia
hummus of choice
cheeses of choice, cubed or shaved. I used two different varieties of hard cheese
sliced black olives

Spread the bread with the hummus, then top with the olives and cheese. Bake at 425◦F for about 20 minutes until hot, crisp, and cheese is melted. 

I will not call this a pizza, though it is similar. Rather I call it a flatbread because it doesn't use the typical pizza sauce and myriad of toppings and ooey gooey cheese. This is an artisan flatbread that makes a nice quick lunch. Of course it could be topped with whatever, this is hardly even a recipe. I just used what I had on hand. Try spreading it with pesto or guacamole, and topping with sautéed or grilled vegetables, or meats, and different cheeses. 

Spiced Pumpkin Bean Dip

Hummus is delicious, there is absolutely no doubt about that. I can, and often do, eat it by the spoonful. But plain old hummus can be a little bland. This is a hummus-inspired dish, except I used a can of mixed beans instead of simply chickpeas because that's what I had on hand and also I wanted to add a bit more flavor, color, and texture. I added pumpkin, which added a burst of color and gave a nice consistency, without imparting too strong of a pumpkin flavor. The flavor really comes from the dressing - which adds more color and texture and really makes flavors pop. I used onion salt to season because it adds a bit more flavor, as does the paprika and pepper, and the acidity from the vinegar gives that extra bite and smooths out the consistency a bit. 

Spiced Pumpkin Bean Dip
one can (540mL) mixed beans (includes red kidney beans, white kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, romano beans, baby lima beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing (homemade or bottled)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
onion salt, paprika, and ground black pepper, to taste

Purée the beans in a food processor. Then blend in remaining ingredients either in the processor or by hand. Taste and adjust seasoning and consistency as desired. Refrigerate to allow flavors to blend. Keeps well for at least a week. 

This is great to use just like hummus, or as a dip for crackers and vegetables. It is also good as a condiment for sandwiches and veggie burgers.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding Loaf

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding Loaf
300 grams dark or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter or hard margarine
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups milk
4 large eggs, beaten
4 cups bread, dried or stale, white bread, torn into one inch pieces (I used mostly egg bread and white baguette)
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
200 grams dark chocolate, chopped

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring often, until smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, followed by the milk. Then mix in the eggs.
Place the bread in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight, to allow the bread to absorb the chocolate mixture.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325◦F. Line two 9x5x2 inch loaf pans with parchment paper. Divide the bread among the two pans, patting down and spreading evenly.Sprinkle each with two Tablespoons sugar, then the chocolate pieces. Cover with foil, bake for about 40 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out with no custard attached (although it may be chocolaty) and pudding is set. Top should be slightly browned, if not the foil can be removed for the last few minutes of baking. Serve warm, or set aside to cool. Then serve either at room temperature or cold. Pudding is much firmer and easier to slice when cold. It can then be reheated if desired. It is extra good with chocolate or hot fudge sauce and ice cream or whipped cream.

This is a great bread pudding - rich, decadent, and plenty of chocolate. It is not a dry bread pudding, yet not custardy either. Soaking the bread overnight allows it to absorb all the chocolate flavor and it forms more or a firm loaf once baked. 

Fruited Muffins

Fruited Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1 ½ cups granulated (white) sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups buttermilk

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup glazed mixed fruit, chopped

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla, then the milk.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the raisins and fruit. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

Spider Cookies

Spider cookies, macroons, haystacks, boiled cookies, no-bake cookies, chocolate oat drops, mud cookies - whatever you call them, they all refer to the same type of easy, delicious chocolate no-bake cookie. Of course there are variations out there, peanut butter, butterscotch, using chow mein noodles, adding chopped nuts or chocolate chips, but all operate under the same principal - boil some sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa, then stir in oats and/or coconut. My version uses rolled oats as well as some cooked oatmeal, which provides some more moisture and texture and is a good way to use up leftover oatmeal. It can be hot or cold, but should be on the thicker side. Drop onto cookie sheets and chill until firm (unless you can't wait and choose to eat the mixture hot from the pot like I do).

Spider Cookies
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thick cooked oatmeal
2 cups shredded coconut
3 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, waxed paper, or aluminum foil.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the sugar, milk, cocoa, and oatmeal, and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, oats, and vanilla. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

2 cups granulated (white) sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sour cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and soda, then the sour cream. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

Who doesn't like chocolate chip muffins? Sour cream keeps these moist, like mashed bananas would, but without the banana flavor.

Fruit Cocktail Muffins

Fruit Cocktail Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1 cup granulated (white) sugar

2 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 can (591mL) fruit cocktail, drained

fruit cocktail juice + orange juice to make 2 cups

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in the fruit and juice. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

These muffins are moist, soft, and chock-full of fruit!!

Lentil Burgers

These vegetarian burgers contain no beans, but rather lentils which are very high in protein, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. They get moisture from the pumpkin purée, though there is no strong pumpkin flavor imparted. They get some texture from the addition of olives, the breadcrumbs bind them, and flavor is provided by the seasonings, which of course could be amped up with the addition of any herbs and spices. These are a snap to make and good to have on hand for a nutritious meal or snack.

Lentil Burgers
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed 
water
salt
1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée
3/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs (from any type of bread)
1/3 cup chopped black olives
2 cloves garlic, minced
paprika
ground black pepper
onion salt

Cover the lentils with two inches of water in a small saucepan. Cook for 10-15 minutes until soft, but not mushy. Season with salt three-quarters of the way through cooking. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well, Season to taste. See if the mixture will hold together in patties. If too dry, add a little more pumpkin, if too wet, add more breadcrumbs. I chilled the mixture briefly before forming patties to make it easier. This will make 8-10 small patties. 

To cook, I prefer to fry these. They tend to break apart if fried in a lot of oil, so more is less in this case for a crispy coating. They may also be baked, broiled, grilled, or microwaved. They keep well in the refrigerator, either raw or cooked, or frozen, to be used as needed. Pictured here they are topped with chili pepper gouda and served on homemade buns. 

Sweet & Sour Sauce

I think all meatloaf is better with a sauce, it helps to keep the meat moist and adds extra flavor. I came up with this sauce recipe based on what I remember from the sweet and sour sauce my mother used to put on her meatloaf and meatballs. Warning: I did not measure amounts for this either, so taste and adjust ingredient amounts as needed.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 small cans pizza sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk until it boils gently. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning if necessary, and pour over meatloaf or use as desired. 

This sauce is excellent for ground meat dishes - meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, sloppy joes, as well as chicken, pork, or as a dipping sauce. 

Homestyle Meatloaf

I certainly don't claim to be a meatloaf expert in any way. I didn't even really like meatloaf. But apparently I can make a good, tasty homestyle meatloaf. I just threw in what I thought would be good based on my culinary knowledge. I really didn't bother to measure anything, you just sort of need to know how much liquid you need, how much seasoning, and how much binding ingredients you need based on how much meat you have and so on. This recipe makes a flavorful and moist meatloaf, even if you happen to overcook it.

Homestyle Meatloaf
3 lbs ground pork
2 onions, finely chopped
garlic powder
onion soup mix
ground black pepper
rolled oats
milk
ketchup

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with your hands until just combined- do not over mix or you will create a tough product. Add more liquid, dry, or seasoning as needed (to check for seasoning, you can form a small patty and fry it in a little oil and taste it). Pack into a large rectangular pan, cover to seal, and bake for two hours.

Remove meatloaf from oven. If you used fatty ground pork, it will have shrunk considerably and be surrounded by grease. This does mean your meatloaf will be smaller, but hopefully you accounted for shrinkage in the amount of meat you used. It also means the meatloaf will be very moist. Cut it into four equal pieces, and carefully transfer them to a clean, smaller pan, trying not to crumble the pieces. Place the pieces close together, but not touching. Then pour sauce over the top, allowing it to drizzle into the spaces between the pieces. Use a good amount of sauce for a thick coating, as some sauce will dry out as well. Cover and bake at 300◦F for until the sauce is warmed through, or up to an hour. The sauce will prevent the meat from drying out. If you want a slightly crisp top, leave the meatloaf uncovered while baking. 

I used a sweet and sour sauce, for which I will share the recipe tomorrow!