Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This is an AWESOME bread.  Easy to make, house smells amazing while baking, and tastes really good.  I make this every Thanksgiving and every Christmas.  I make this for Christmas gifts also.  This is wonderful with butter on it (I tend to eat these kinds of breads with butter anyways) or without.  This is the only recipe that I think is just as good without butter!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (or you could use fresh)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice or water
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (craisons)  (I always add more of these - 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans or three 8x4 pans or six 5x3 pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

BAKE 

9x5 pans: 60 min

8x4 pans: 55 min

5x3 pans: 50 min

or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

I have used this recipe for quite a few years.  I got it out of a Nestlee Cookbook that my aunt Patty gave me a while ago for Christmas.  :)

Minion Cupcakes - Fun with Baking!

OMG these are SO cute!!  So, obviously, I did not make twinkies from scratch, nor did I make the smartie candy for eyes/goggles!  :)  However, the cupcakes and frosting are homemade! 

Vanilla Cupcakes from scrach

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)

1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions-

* Preheat oven to 350*F.

* In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together.

* In a different bowl, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat.

* Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl.

* The batter will be thin.   Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners.  Fill liners about 2/3 full.

* Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.

I got this at http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/07/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe.html.  The cupcakes were good - baked even.  I ended up making some of these into minion cupcakes (I'll post that next) and the rest I cut in half and filled with cherry pie sauce.  I topped with homemade butter cream frosting.

Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups of creamy peanut butter (or 1 16.9oz jar)

½ c butter

4 cups powdered sugar

3 cups rice Krispies

2 pkgs of chocolate chips

2 pkgs of butterscotch chips

Cream together the peanut butter and butter.  Stir in powdered sugar, a little at a time -- this takes a bit.  Then add rice krispies.  Roll into small balls.  Cool in the refrigerator for at least a ½ hour, or overnight.

Melt together the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.  Coat.  Cool in refrigerator.

These are just fantastic.  Of course, when is peanut butter and chocolate chips NOT a success!  :)

Awesome Peanut Butter cookies

These are the BEST peanut butter cookies I have made.  Just the right texture, flaky, light, awesome...  I normally use the mix for PB cookies and they turn out nice, but nothing like these.  I added some Hershey's Kisses and of course, they are great, but these are the only PB cookies that I like even without the added chocolate. 

• 1 cup of Crisco OR 1 cup of butter (I used Crisco and recommend using this if you want the great texture)
• beat this until soft

• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of white/regular sugar
• mix these in to crisco or butter

•  2 eggs
• 2 cups of peanut butter (or 1 full 16.9oz container)
• 1 teas salt
• 1 teas baking soda
• 1 teas vanilla (I added more cause YUM!)
• mix all of that in

• 1 cup of flour (if oily PB, add 1 1/2 cups of flour)
• mix that in

Mix well.  You can either roll little bits of cookie dough into balls and press down w/a fork, or drop onto cookie sheet  (I sprayed mine first w/cooking spray).  The rolling takes more time and I find it doesn't make a difference as the cookie flattens a bit as it bake anyways.  When you take it out, you can press an un-wrapped Hershey's Kiss on it, or not.  OH - bake at 375 for about 8 min.  Take out and let it sit for a few minutes to cool.  Don't expect these to last long!  :)  At least they don't at my house!  :)

Pumpkin Cookies

This is from "Joy of Cooking."   I had all the ingredients in the house for this.  I ended up making 2 batches because 1 can of pumpkin is enough for 2 batches (and I didn't want to waste the already opened can).

For the first batch I did not add the raisins or nuts.  That was a mistake, they are much better w/the nuts and raisins.  Also, I used a basic glaze which I thought made it better.

Also, I make a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie during the Holidays which is just amazing.  I'll be posting that the next time I bake them!  This recipe is good, but not at all near as good as my other one.

Cream:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Add:
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teas vanilla

Sift, then add:
2 cups flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas allspice

Stir in:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

Drop onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake @375 for 12-15 min.

"JOY OF COOKING"

I pulled out the book, "Joy of Cooking" in which is an incredibly intimidating looking book.  It's been sitting in my cupboard very dusty.  I read through it a bit when I first got it and thought that would be the last time I'd look at it. 

Well, looking for a cake recipe, I ran across it again.  Now I see it so differently - It really is a neat book!  FULL of helpful info.  There is a section about using packaged baking mixed that I thought was relevant considering I've not used any since starting this blog:

"We know that people think they save time by using mixes - just how much time is a sobering consideration - but we also know they do not save money, nor are they assured of good ingredients and best results.  Use mixes, if you must, in emergencies.  But consider that, under present distribution methods, the mix you buy may be as old as 2 years - if the store has a slow turnover.  Remember that, in contriving the mix originally, everything was done to use ingredients that would keep.  Egg whites were used in preference to whole eggs, as the fat from the yolks might turn rancid.  For the same reason, non-fat dry milk solids were preferred.  Even when the natural moisture content of flour has been greatly lowered, what remains in the packaged mix can still deteriorate baking powers, flavorings and spices.  Furthermore, even the most elaborate packaging is not proff, over a protracted storage period, against spoilage my moisture from without.  So why not become expert at a few quick cakes and hot breads?  Build up your own baking speed, control your ingredients, create really topnotch flavor and save money."

You need to get this book.  It is a great resource!!  If the entire internet should go down, I am comforted to know that I will be able to still make yummy baked goods!  Lol!

Pancakes

This made some tasty pancakes!  And all the ingredients were already on hand!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk.
3. Start with 1 1/4 cups milk, adding up to another 1/4 cup if necessary, as you mix it with the flour.
4. Add the two eggs, vanilla if using and oil, whisking until mixed but still a bit lumpy.
5. Heat a frying pan (if it is not non-stick, you will need to melt a bit of butter or oil in it) and when hot, pour in some pancake mix.
6. How much depends on how experienced you are at flipping pancakes and how big you want them. We do about 1/4 cup a time for small, easy-to-flip pancakes but you could make this as much as 1/2 cup of pancake mix.
7. If you are adding fruit, I like to sprinkle it on top of the pancake now.
8. When the pancake starts to bubble on top and is golden brown on the cooked side, turn it and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
9. The first pancake is always a bit of a test so adjust the batter by adding more flour if you need to make it thicker or more milk if you want a thinner pancake. In either case, just add a few spoonfuls at a time until you get it right.
10. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter. You may need to adjust the heat as pan tends to get hotter as you keep making pancakes.
11. Keep the cooked pancakes covered with a tea towel, to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest.

I found this at: http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-pancake-mix-48635

Cheese Cake

 

Crust:

2 cups grahm cracker crumbs (I used the cinnamon grahm crackers and spun them in the food processor; if you use the regular ones, you'll need to add a 3 - 6 tbls of sugar to the crumbs)

6 tbsp of melted butter

 

Cheesecake:

3 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese - softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

 

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix crumbs, butter (and sugar if you did not use cinnamon grahm crackers); press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. I do not have a springform pan, so I used a 9x9 square brownie pan (thank you Melanie for that Christmas gift!)
2. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add vanilla; mix well. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set. (Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.  Or, just serve out the the square pan like I did!  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.  Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. 
4. Topping:  I defrosted some strawberries that we had from last years strawberry season and added a bit of cinnamon and sugar.  Stirred well, poured over the top.

 

Basic Vanilla Cake with Homemade Frosting

Basic White Cake

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time - alternating with the flour/baking powder mixture.
4. Stir in the milk slowly, constantly mixing, until batter is smooth.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

(I found this at http://catherine-laurenzi-bridges.suite101.com/basic-cake-recipes-a24458)

This is a yummy recipe that works well with fruit.  I've made this with blueberries baked in and fresh strawberries in the past.  Since we have a freezer full of frozen strawberries from last years strawberry season, I used previously frozen strawberries.  Very yummy.  Although, you can see where the strawberry juice began to run a bit. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 to 6 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Yield: About 3 cups

(I found this at http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Easy-Vanilla-Buttercream-Frosting)

I have NEVER made homemade frosting before and was pretty intimitated.  I had no idea how much butter and/or shortening was in frosting!  But boy was it awesome!  I'm pretty sure that I could eat it by the spoonful!  I added strawberry juice in place of the milk (as prev. mentioned - we had frozen strawberries and the juice was easy to get from the bag it was froze in.).  I also added a tablespoon or two of pureed strawberries.  This makes for a dye-free and flavorful way to tint the frosting.

Just as a side note, I don't add extra dyes to any of my foods.  We figure that if it isn't necessary, why add it. 

Cinnamon Roll Cake

 

 

CAKE:

• 3 cups Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick)  Butter, melted

TOPPING:

• 1 cup ( 2 sticks) Butter, softened
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon (or more)

GLAZE:

• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

For topping, In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

FOR GLAZE:  In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

I got this off of http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/01/cinnamon-roll-cake

 

It turned out  really good, but I also had the boys help me with this part (where you swirl around the 2 parts) so the edges had no cinnamon/sugar mix while the middle had way too much.  Next time I'll be sure to swirl evenly.  Also thinking this might make great cupcakes!