Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These sweet little guys are the perfect treat after a long day at work.  Soft pumpkin cookies with melty chocolate chips. Yum.

I make these with oat flour (oats that have been run through a blender until they are the consistency of flour), but regular all-purpose flour can easily be substituted 1:1.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp brow sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, honey, and egg with a mixer.  Add in brown sugar.

In another bowl, combine cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and oat flour.

Combine wet and dry ingredients until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop out dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 6-8 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Pumpkin Donut Holes

This might be my roommate's all-time favorite thing I have made.  Pretty sure he decided his life was complete when these appeared at home one night.

And then I took these to work.  And all the girls thought they had died and gone to Heaven.

Warm donut holes make me happy.  And when there's pumpkin involved, it's even better!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 24-count mini-muffin tin with Pam.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spice with a whisk.  In a larger bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk with an electric mixer.

Slowly stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture and combine.  Don't over-mix!

Spoon about 1 Tbsp of batter into each muffin cup. 

Bake about 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let muffins cool in pan about 2 minutes.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in one bowl, and keep melted butter in another bowl.  Dip each muffin in the butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar.

Recipe from Mix and Match Mama

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

We went on a really fun wine tasting trip for my friend Joe's birthday.  I knew they had plans for breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the tour, but I wanted to make sure he got a cake...and I wanted to try a pumpkin cake recipe!  Joe failed at gathering breakfast for the group, so we dug into the cake first thing in the morning and everyone loved it!  After wine tasting, we came back and finished off the cake.  You could say this recipe was a hit!

Ingredients:

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3-4 splashes milk
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a bundt pan.

Combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water, eggs, and pumpkin with an electric mixer.  Pour into pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan for 10 minutes.  Invert cake onto serving plate.  Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, and milk with an electric mixer until creamy.  Stir in cinnamon.  Frost cooled cake.

This cake was perfect for fall.  I can't wait for an excuse to make it again.

Recipe from Mix and Match Mama

Pumpkin Magic Bars

Magic cookie bars are just so good.  They are one of those desserts that are perfect for potlucks because you know they will go quickly and be enjoyed by children and adults alike.  I was a little skeptical about adding pumpkin into the mix, but boy oh boy, it was worth it!  My teaching team DEMOLISHED these during our meeting one week (hence why the only picture I could get was on a paper plate - they were eaten too fast!)

Ingredients:

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon works too)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer.  Spread in bottom of pan.

In a small bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, and spice.  Pour over cake batter mixture in the baking pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and then coconut.

Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool at least 10 minutes on counter before cooling in the fridge for 2+ hours.

Recipe from Mix and Match Mama

Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola

Fall is my favorite season.  And with fall comes all things pumpkin, which I love.  TDN gets sick of pumpkin by the end of November, but this was one of his favorite fall recipes last year which has been requested to come back into the granola rotation.  It has a nice maple flavor, as well as the subtle, but not overwhelming taste of pumpkin.  I could eat a whole batch of this in a sitting, no problem!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, pecans, spices, sugar, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk oil, syrup, and pumpkin puree together well.

Pour pumpkin mixture over dry ingredients and quickly mix with a wooden spoon.

Spread the mixture onto your baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once after about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven when golden brown.  Pour into a large bowl and stir until completely cool.

Transfer to an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

Quick Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate is one of my great loves in this world, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for it.  When that happens, it's usually because I want coconut.  This recipe is the perfect quick fix for that coconut craving!

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine coconut and flour in a mixing bowl with a large wooden spoon.  Add in salt, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.

Drop scoops (about 2 T) onto parchment.

Bake until lightly brown and toasted (15-20 minutes).

Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe borrowed from Mix and Match Mama

Quick Candied Walnuts

Candied nuts are another of my weaknesses.  There's just something so satisfying about the sweetness and the crunch and the savory nuttiness all rolled into one.  AND you can add them to a salad, making any salad that much more satisfying.

I kept forgetting to pick up more candied pecans at the store - or regular pecans, couldn't remember those either - and I needed nuts for a salad I was planning.  I did have a huge bag of walnuts in the pantry - for granola purposes, of course! - so I set out to make my own candied walnuts.

What a satisfying experiment!  They were simple and perfectly delicious, one of my favorite combinations.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnut halves and pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions:
Lay out a sheet of parchment paper on a counter or baking sheet.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add walnuts, sugar, and butter.
Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until all sugar is melted and nuts are coated.
Transfer immediately onto parchment and spread the nuts apart with a spatula.
Let the coating harden for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl or container.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I love pie.  And I don't mind making pie - except for the crusts.  And it just so happens that I was told by my mother many times growing up that homemade pie crusts aren't worth the work.  Sometimes I still try to rebel and make my own crust, but I also usually have a pre-made crust in the freezer for the occasion when I need pie and don't want to attempt - and fail - at making a crust.

This day was one such occasion.  I am well overdue in posting this, as I made this pie for pi day (3.14).  I woke up in the morning and realized I had forgotten to get pie supplies at the store to make the cherry pie I had planned, but I wouldn't be a true nerd if I didn't always make a pie on pi day.  I came across this recipe and knew it would do the trick.

This was quick, simple, and delicious with just enough crust to balance out the gooey chocolate chips and soft cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (if frozen, thaw completely before using)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (12 Tbsp)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat eggs in large bowl on high speed until foamy.  Beat in flour, sugar, and brown sugar.  Beat in butter.  Stir in chocolate chips.  

Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. 

Cool on wire rack.  Serve warm.

Jas's granola

My first foray into homemade granola came a couple years ago with my friend Jas.  She used an old family recipe and we made batch after batch to give out as Christmas gifts.  We used gluten-free oats, so this is a very simple recipe to make a delicious gluten-free treat.  It also has no sugar added, it uses honey or agave as the sweetener for the sugar-conscious ones out there.

Making granola turned out to be quick and easy, with an end result that I liked much more than anything in the store.  Baking granola has now become a weekly occurrence in my house - fresh-baked granola is a pantry staple for us!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp honey or agave syrup
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, flax meal, coconut, seeds, powdered milk, and cinnamon.

Mix honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Pour over oat mixture and stir until combined.

Spread on foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Cool on paper towels.  

Add raisins, dried cranberries, and nuts if desired.

Babycakes

I got a Babycakes cake ball maker for Christmas this year and was so excited that I could hardly wait to try it out!

The New Years Eve party I was going to turned out to be the perfect excuse to take everything out of the box and give it a go!

I modified a yellow cake mix by using oil as directed, using milk instead of water and only using half the amount, and adding an extra egg.  They turned out perfectly...except for when I filled the wells too full!

This will be a fun toy to keep learning with!

 And, because my friends are awesome, they fought over the "UFO" and "rocketship" cake balls, as they called them.  The "imperfect" ones were the favorites!

Cookie party!

Everyone knows how much I love cookies, and how much I love Christmas, so it was no surprise when I called up some of my friends for a cookie party before Christmas.

We had too much fun baking, decorating, sipping champagne, and catching up to take many pictures, but it was a perfect evening!

We only made iced and decorated sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms because we were having too much fun decorating to keep baking!

Lasagna rolls

I love love love lasagna.  And I actually really like making lasagna, surprisingly.  However, I know it's not very healthy for me once I load it up with lots of cheese, sauce, and noodles.  I decided to try something more portable to bring in my lunches at work and dinners during grad school, and also a more healthy spin on one of my faves. 

These turned out even better than I expected!  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole grain lasagna noodles
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
• Marinara sauce

Directions:
Add lasagna noodles to a large pot of salted boiling water.  Cook until al dente, 12-15 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Thaw spinach in the microwave then squeeze out as much water as possible by placing it between paper towels.  Add ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, and spinach to a bowl and combine with a little salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
Lay out noodles.  Spread filling across noodles, getting it all the way to edges.  Roll each noodle up and place in the casserole dish.
Pour a layer of marinara sauce over rolls.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Adapted from Budget Bytes

 

Butterscotch Neimans

I have recently become a big fan of butterscotch.  Anything with melty butterscotch chips is good in my book.

Naturally, when I came across a butterscotch-y recipe on one of my favorite blogs Mix and Match Mama, I couldn't wait for an occasion to try them!

That occasion was Tall Dark and Nerdy coming home from a weekend backpacking trip.  Not much of an occasion, but enough to warrant fresh-baked sweet treats!

Man, these did not disappoint!  Plus, TDN and I made a wonderful discovery:  his favorite parts of cakes, bars, etc. are the crunchy corners...mine are the middle pieces.  Perfect match! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 bag butterscotch chips (2 cups)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13"x9" pan and set aside.
For crust, combine cake mix, 2 eggs, and butter in medium-sized bowl.  Spread in bottom of pan.
Melt 1 cup of chips in microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds.
Combine powdered sugar, remaining 2 eggs, cream cheese, and melted butterscotch chips with electric mixer until smooth.  Stir in remaining butterscotch chips.
Bake 35-40 minutes.  Edges should be a little brown.
Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate.

Borrowed from Mix and Match Mama

Spicy Taco Bake

There are so many yummy variations on tacos.  My sophomore year of college, Mik and I lived in an apartment together and our most requested dish was my taco salad.  We may or may not have eaten it a little too often, so I've taken a break from taco salad.  This dish might become my new taco go-to, it was so easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3 flour tortillas (8")
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 packet spicy taco seasoning
• water
• 3/4 cup salsa con queso
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used the Mexican blend)

Directions:

Brown ground beef on stove.  Empty excess grease.  Add taco seasoning.  Fill seasoning packet with water, add to meat.  Follow directions on packet (bring to boil, then simmer).

Turn off heat.  Add in salsa con queso (I used medium salsa con queso with spicy taco seasoning and it had some good heat, use mild if you don't want it so spicy) and combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a round 8-inch pan.  Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, then add in 1/3 of the cheesy meat, top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.  Repeat until all 3 layers are finished.

Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and edges begin to brown.

Slice and serve with sour cream and diced tomatoes on top.

 

Adapted from The Country Cook

Butterscotch protein bites

After how successful my protein bite adventure was, I decided to try another variation.  They're not even cold yet, and I already know I like them!

Tall Dark and Nerdy has been trying to eat a little healthy since he got home from Nepal, and I know how bad his sweet tooth is for my baked treats, so I'm trying to make healthier treats so I can support him in this.  This is the perfect snack for the sweet tooth when we're trying to eat somewhat-healthy foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/3 cup unsalted cashews
• 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
• 3 1/2 - 4 Tablespoons simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Combine oats, cashews, and butterscotch chips in blender or food processor, and run until it's near a flour consistency.
Add remaining ingredients, combine using blender, food processor, or hands.
Roll into small balls.  If mixture is too dry, add more simple syrup.
Place balls in a wax paper-lined container.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Adapted from Sunday Baker

Gluten-free cheesecake bites

When Tall Dark and Nerdy was coming home from his 5-week trip, I was so excited to see him and spend time with him.  I've also been told that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach - something I like to practice constantly. Because of this, I decided it was time for another cheesecake adventure.

This time, I went with bite-size cheesecake so it would be easy to take a few to TDN's house and to an "Arrested Development" viewing party I was going to.  They were so delicious and so portable - a total win.

Ingredients:
Crust

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

Raspberry puree

• 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
• 2 Tablespoons sugar

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
In small bowl, combine crust ingredients with a fork until moistened and well-blended.  Spoon 1 Tbsp into each liner, then press down with a drinking glass.  Bake 5 minutes.
Combine raspberries and sugar for puree in blender until smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  Blend in sugar until smooth.  Mix in salt and vanilla, then beat in eggs slowly one at a time.
Spoon cheesecake batter over crust into each cupcake liner.  Dot raspberry puree in a few dots on top.  Using a toothpick, lightly swirl puree through the top of the cheesecake filling.
Fill a large pyrex dish with hot water and place on bottom shelf of oven.  Bake 22 minutes on middle shelf until filling is set, rotating pans halfway through.  Transfer to cooling rack until room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Protein bites

This was one of my most adventurous concoctions so far, and it was so fun and such a success!  I had been seeing recipes for months for "energy bites" and "oat balls" and "pregnancy cookie dough" and liked parts of them all, but thought this was a great opportunity to make something perfectly me.

I could not have been happier with how these turned out!  They tasted like a cross between a peanut butter and honey sandwich - one of my childhood favorites - and oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough.  How could I not love these?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Run oats and chia seeds through blender or food processor until smooth and floury.  Add cashews and blend until the large chunks are broken up.
Add to medium bowl with all other ingredients.  Combine well.
Roll into bite-size balls.  Place in waxed paper-lined container.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Adapted from Smashed Peas and Carrots, Sunday Baker, and Super Healthy Kids.

Berliner donuts

MB is learning her way around the kitchen, and I'm trying to support that.  So when she came to me saying she wanted to make Berliner donuts - which I had never heard of - I was all for it!  We had fun making these together, and they were delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 packet (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 egg yolks, beaten lightly
• 3 1/2 cups (1 pound) flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Vegetable oil (or other fat) for frying
• Raspberry jam
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

Scald milk in small saucepan.  Heat just until bubbles form around the edges - don't let it boil!  Remove from heat, whisk in butter until melted.  Cool 10 minutes.  Add to bowl of standing mixer with dough hook.

Sprinkle yeast over warm milk mixture.  Add sugar.  Stir gently to dissolve.  Let stand 10 minutes until foam appears.

With mixer on low, add egg yolks.  Gradually add in the flour.

When the dough starts to come together, increase speed to medium.  Add the salt.

Stop mixer as needed to scrape dough off hook.

Mix just until dough is supple and elastic (around 5 minutes).

On lightly floured surface, knead dough gently for 2 minutes.

Place dough in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour until double in size.

Roll dough into small balls.  Place on greased baking sheet and let rise another 30 minutes.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep saucepan.  Slip donuts into the hot oil and fry until golden.  Drain on paper towels.

Using a pastry bag with a small tip, poke a small hole in the side and pipe jam inside.  Dust with powdered sugar while still warm.

 

Adapted from Group Recipes



Creamy quinoa

One day MB and I were both milling around the house, and we started talking about what we were each thinking about making for dinner that night.  We had this crazy idea to actually make dinner together - crazy, I know!

 

We decided quinoa was necessary since she liked it when I made quinoa dishes and let her have leftovers.  We flipped open Betty, and she only really had one quinoa recipe, so we went with it!

 

There were so many vegetables in this dish, I know Tall Dark and Nerdy would have been proud if he had been around to see it (instead of in India).

Look at all those veggies!



This will be a great dish for summertime when I'm wanting something a little lighter, yet still filling and delicious.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups water
• chicken bouillon
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 5 cups thinly-sliced, bite-size pieces of assorted raw vegetables - I used carrots, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, asparagus
• grated Romano cheese

Directions:

Combine bouillon and water in saucepan (to make chicken broth), add the quinoa.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in cream cheese and basil.

Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet.  Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until golden.  Add vegetables.  Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

 

Combine quinoa mixture and vegetables.  Sprinkle with Romano cheese. 

Chocolate peanut butter cookies

In my opinion, there is no better combination than chocolate and peanut butter.  And I love cake...and cookies...and cake cookies, so these chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies were a winner.

Directions:

• 1 box Devil's food cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl.  You can start with an electric mixer, but be warned it will probably be too thick and sticky to continue at a certain point, so switch to a strong spoon.
Stir in peanut butter chips.
Spoon 2 Tablespoons of dough onto parchment for each cookie.
Bake 12 minutes.  They will be soft - that's the cake part - but they are done after 12 minutes.

Barely adapted from Mix and Match Mama