Apple Pie Dip

I was trying to think of what to bring for dessert to Life Group today. I had some apples sitting around getting mushy and new it was time to do something with them before they all ended up in the trash. Remembering what my good friend had made for the other small group I was in, I called her up for her recipe.

Apple Pie Dip

2 apples, diced small

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

On the stove or in the microwave, cook apples until they gets “saucy”. Once the apples have let out a lot of their juice, stir in 1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1 tsp water. Cook until thickened. Note: 2 apples doesn’t make a whole lot, so for our group of 11 people I had tripled the recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Buns

I was planning an out of town trip with a friend and our kids and wanted something fun to eat for breakfast on the road. I decided to try these. As an afterthought, they are too messy for the driver to eat, but if you give the others theirs on a plate, it worked fine. We ended up having to cancel our trip, but we all were able to enjoy these any way. I loved that they were yeast free!!!

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Buns (www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com)

For the filling:

¾ c pumpkin puree

¼ c brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the dough:

2 ½ c all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ c buttermilk

6 Tbsp butter (divided into 2T/2T/2T and melted)

For the icing:

2 Tbsp butter

¼ c packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp milk

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Dash salt

¼ c to 1/3 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a round 9-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. For the filling: combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Set aside. To make your dough: Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons melted butter to the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth. This took about 10 kneads for me (The original writer of recipe) Using your hands, pat the dough into a 12x9 rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then spoon the pumpkin filling mixture on top, leaving ½ inch border around the edges. Sprinkle nuts over the top, if desired. Press the filling down lightly so it will stick to your dough. Starting with the long side of your dough, roll the dough to form a tight cylinder. Pinch the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut the dough into 8 equal segments. Slightly flatten each bun to seal your open edges and keep your filling inside. Put one roll in the center of a 9-inch cake pan. Place the remaining 8 buns around the perimeter of the pan. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until the edges of the buns are golden brown, 23-25 minutes. If desired, remove buns from pan to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before icing.

For the icing: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, then add in vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Whisk until well blended. If needed, whisk in additional powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Remove from heat and drizzle over buns. Notes: As usual, I used part white and part whole wheat flour.  I also used fresh pumpkin puree. I had a little trouble with the dough. I had doubled the recipe, and I wonder if I didn’t put in enough flour as the dough was really sticky. I ended up adding more flour as I spread it out on the counter or I never would’ve been able to roll it.

I love Caramel!!!

If you can’t tell, I love to bake! Its especially fun to bake when I know I’ll be serving it to people who love fresh baked goodies! Both of these recipes I made for my Life Group Bible Study. They are wonderful fall flavors and were served still warm. They would’ve been wonderful with a scoop of ice cream, but we didn’t have any on hand.

Oatmeal Cake with Carmel Icing (www.tasteofhome.com)

1 ¼ cup boiling water

1 cup quick cooking oats

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ c sugar

2 eggs

¼ c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

For Icing:

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup butter, cubed

¼ cup fat-free milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

In a small bowl, pour boiling water over oats; let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the oats. Pour into a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack. For icing, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Return to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minutes. Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Immediately spread icing over cake. Let stand until set. Note: I used part white and part whole wheat flour on this one.

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Fresh Apple Cake w/ Brown sugar glaze (www.lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com)

Apple cake:

1 ½ c all purpose flour

1 c sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

½ c canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c finely chopped apples

½ c pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Brown sugar glaze:

½ c packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp butter

½ tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp heavy cream

For the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk to mix everything together. In a large bowl, mix the eggs with a hand mixer til light in color and foamy. Add the oil and vanilla and beat well. Stir in the flour mixture with a spoon and continue stirring the batter until the flour disappears. Add the apples and nuts (if using) and stir to mix them into the batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the hot cake on a wire rack to cool. While it is still hot, prepare the glaze. For the glaze: combine all the ingredients into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Spoon the hot glaze over the still hot-from-the-oven cake. Let the glazed cake cool completely before serving straight from the pan.

Quick Breads!

I love bread, but being allergic to yeast, I’ve had to give up one of my favorite foods! So, I’ve turned to quick breads. Often sweeter, they satisfy my hunger for bread and my sweet tooth at the same time. I made these 2 quick breads for my MOPS group recently.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

For the bread:

3 over-ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 c melted butter

¾ c sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

1 ½ c flour

For the swirl:

1/3 c sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour loaf pan (9x5). Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together. Sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of banana mixture. Gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix. In a small dish, mix together the swirl ingredients. Add ½ of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon-sugar on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Notes: I used part white and part wheat flour. I had troubles removing my bread from the pan as I think I put too much swirl mix too close to the edges of the pan. It caused my bread to break apart.

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Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Zucchini Bread (www.sweettreatsmore.com)

3 cups flour

1 ½ Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

2 ¼ c sugar

½ cups applesauce

½ cup canned pumpkin

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cups shredded zucchini

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 8x8 bread pans and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar, applesauce, and canned pumpkin together until smooth. Slowly beat dry ingredients not wet ingredients until combined. Stir in shredded zucchini. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring in 15 second intervals until smooth. Pour ¼ of the batter into each of the bread pans. Spoon a few tablespoons of melted chocolate over the batter and swirl into the batter with a toothpick. Pour the remaining batter into the two pans, spoon more chocolate over the batter and swirl in again. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Notes: I used part whole wheat and part white flour. And I used fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned.

Harvest Season Favorites

I love fall baking. There are so many things you can make with pumpkin! I’m going to share 2 of my favorites today. I recently made both of these desserts for my Life Group Bible Study. They were huge hits.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Brownies (www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com )

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup flour (whole wheat, white, spelt or even oat!)

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt

2/3 c sugar (or xylitol, or ½ c maple syrup or agave, but it’ll be gummier with liquid sweetener)

1 packet NuNaturals stevia (or 1 more Tbsp agave/sugar)

½ cup canned pumpkin (or pureed pumpkin or sweet potato)

3 Tbsp oil (you can omit but be warned: the brownies will be gummy)

2 Tbsp non-dairy milk

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ c chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients, and mix very well. Combine wet ingredients, then mix into dry. Pour into a greased pan (it will fill up half an 8x8) Cook for about 23 minutes at 330 F. I’m not sure why this is the case, but these brownies seem to taste ten times sweeter if you don’t eat them for at least an hour after they come out of the oven. Notes: First off, I doubled the recipe so I could use a 9x13 pan. I used a mix of white and wheat flour. I used regular sugar and fresh pureed pumpkin. I have always used oil (this time it was coconut oil). I have used almond milk prior, but this time I only had skim on hand and it worked fine.

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Lightened up Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars (www.cookiesandcups.com )

1 (8oz) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp water

1 (16 oz) Angel Food Cake Mix

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

¾ cup water

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. In your stand mixer combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp water mixing on Medium high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Set aside. In a large bowl combine box of dry cake mix, pumpkin, ¾ c water, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until smooth and combined. Spread pumpkin mixture into your prepared pan. Drizzle your cream cheese on top of the pumpkin mixture and swirl it in with a butter knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate if desired. Notes: I don’t have a stand mixer, so it was hard work for my handheld mixer. I did microwave the cream cheese just a few seconds to make it easier.

Muffins

 

These are a favorite of my family. The ingredients can get a little more spendy, but the result is so yummy and healthy! This can be considered gluten free as there is no flour in it! But as always, check your labels! I don’t remember where I found this recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

½ cup butter or coconut oil

½ c honey

½ c cocoa powder

¾ c peanut butter or almond butter

4 large eggs

½ tsp baking soda

¾ c chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently melt together butter and honey. Whisk in cocoa powder and peanut butter until smooth. Whisk in eggs and baking soda. Pour into lined or greased muffin tin. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done. Yields 12 muffins. Note: I used coconut oil and peanut butter and they were moist and cakey.

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This was another one that made my kids happy. J This one isn’t as healthy but is supper good. I got this one at www.thehappyhousewife.com. She always has some wonderful recipes that are really easy to make.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Muffins

1 ¾ cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 egg

¾ c milk

¼ c canola oil (or applesauce)

Brown sugar

Cinnamon

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg milk and oil. Mix together. Fill muffin cups ¼ full with batter. Add a pinch of brown sugar (or a little more). Cover the brown sugar with additional batter. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve. Note: I used some wheat flour with white flour. I did use the applesauce. I also doubled the recipe.

Back again

Its been too long since I posted. But its time to try and get on track. Might take a slightly different direction with some of these posts. May be more recipes. Starting with this one. :) I made these Peanut Butter Bars for Life Group last week. I didn't have many leftovers! Not sure where I got the recipe from, but its a favorite at our house. I stole the picture from my friend, Kathryn.

Peanut Butter Bars
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1 c quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting
1/4 c butter
1/4 c milk
1 c sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, peanut butter and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (do not overbake!) Cool.

For the frosting, combine the butter, milk and sugar in a sauce pan; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips. Cool until thickened. Frost cooled bars.