Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I know that we've entered December, so maybe no one is still in the mood for pumpkin. BUT if you are like me and still have some in your garage....this might be my MOST favorite dessert EVER.

Bread Pudding

2 cups half and half

15 oz pure pumpkin

1 cup (packed) plus 2 TBS dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I never have this so I used half ginger/half nutmeg)

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

10 cups of 1/2 in cubes of egg bread

(I don't know where to find egg bread. Great Harvest Cinnamon Chip is the best in this recipe, but I have also used a dense loaf of cinnamon swirl bread from my grocery store.)

(And I just cut it up until it mostly fills a 9x12in pan, I've never measured 10 cups)

Caramel Sauce

1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar (I used light last time and it was fine)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

For bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350*F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, spices and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Transfer mixture to a 9x12in glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester entered into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce: Whisk brown sugar and butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Serve bread pudding warm, spoon caramel sauce over individual servings.

I would say it serves up to 12 people. Pictured above are two left over slices, which we ate cold. It is also delicious cold from the fridge.

Fluffy French Toast

I got this recipe from AllRecipes website and it is the tastiest French Toast I have ever made.  My kids can't get enough of it and I make extra at breakfast so we can pop the left overs in the toaster for lunch.  Super Easy and SOOOOO worth it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 thick slices bread

Directions
1.Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
3.Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Romantic Potatoes

Romantic Potatoes a.k.a. Fleming's Steakhouse Potatoes (from the RecipeZaar)

My husband has made these potatoes for our Valentine's dinner for the last three years. I love it!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, flakes
• 2 teaspoons finely ground white pepper
• 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
• 3 ounces leeks, chopped (white part only)
• 3 cups grated good quality cheddar cheese
• 4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray bottom and sides of a 9x12 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place cream, half-and-half, salt and pepper in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
4. Place jalapeno, leeks and cheese in a large mixing bowl, add cream and mix thoroughly.
5. Add potatoes and mix.
6. Spread potato mixture evenly in prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes.
7. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until browned and potatoes are tender.

Applesauce Muffins

Something about these cold snowy days has made me think of lots of excuses to turn the oven on. Today I decided I wanted to try to new recipe, but I wanted something easy. I found this recipe on Rebecca Cooper's blog and thought it sounded good, Applesauce Muffins. I had all the ingredients on hand already, so no need to run to the store. I thought they were really good.

This is her photo:

Here's her recipe (with a couple of edits):

Applesauce Muffins

1/2 cup room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups applesauce
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

topping

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon (I like cinnamon, so I actually used a full tsp.)

Cream butter & sugar. Beat in eggs until fluffy. Add applesauce. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop batter into 12 muffin papers, or greased muffin tin. Bake at 350f until tops are golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. While muffins are still warm, dip tops in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Turkey Pom-Poms

This is a recipe that I got at a Relief Society recipe exchange a couple summers ago.  I tried it for the first time last night with left-over Thanksgiving turkey that was in my freezer.  It was pretty easy and my kids really LOVED them (especially my 5 year old son, I lost track of how many he ate).  They certainly aren't fancy. 

The two on the right were rolled in seasoned bread crumbs, the two on the left were not. 

I made a half batch of the recipe below and it made about 25 2" diameter pom-poms.  Also, I ended up adding a lot more cooked rice than it called for in order to be able to form into balls (maybe I didn't let the mixture thicken enough??).  I was thinking that you could probably just put the mixture into a casserole dish with some seasoned bread crumbs on top, a cracker or potato chip topping, or additional cheese and serve it like that, too.

1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 TBS poultry seasoning
1 TBS salt
4 cups broth or water
1 cup dry milk powder
6 cups cooked rice
5 cups diced turkey or chicken
2/3 cup grated cheese

Saute celery and onion in butter until transparent. Blend in flour and seasoning. Remove from heat. Add broth. Sift dry milk slowly into mixture. Beat until smooth. Return to heat. Stir until it thickens. Mix sauce with rice, turkey, and cheese. Form into balls. Can roll in bread crumbs if you like. Cook in greased baking dish for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F. They freeze well.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

I found this recipe on the back of a package of Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas and modified it a bit. My family really loved it. It was quick and healthy.

6 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
1/2 package taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup water
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 avocado
1/2 cup ranch dressing, prepared
Hot sauce, to taste
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (I didn't use this)
3/4 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
romaine lettuce, chopped

Combine taco seasoning, oil and 1/4 cup water to make marinade. Add chicken.

In small bowl, mash avocado into small chunks and mix with ranch dressing until smooth.

Remove chicken from marinade and cook in a saute pan until cooked through.

Build tacos with chicken, carrots, cilantro, lettuce, and the avocado ranch dressing.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Kim Edwards invited me to contribute to this blog a year ago and I'm finally posting a recipe. I am giving these cookies as Christmas gifts this year.


Don't they look good?

Chocolate Mint Cookies

(I am adding my own notes to the original recipe because I made so many of these cookies, I learned some things along the way.)

Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs
2 cups (1 bag) chocolate chips
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 boxes Andes mints (The official name is Andes Thins Crème de Menthe)

Directions:
Stir butter, brown sugar, and water in small saucepan over low-medium heat until just melted. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips. (I think Guittard Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the best.) Keep stirring until chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

While that's cooling, beat the eggs in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Then add the eggs to the cooled chocolate-butter-sugar. Finally add the flour mixture. Stir by hand with a large spoon until there are no visible streaks of flour.

Chill dough in refrigerator for 45 minutes or more. How cold the dough is will determine the finished cookie. If you want the cookies to be thinner and crisper, keep the dough a little warmer. If you want the cookies thicker and chewier, keep the dough very cold.

Preheat oven to 350 f.

Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls. I use a Pampered Chef scoop which makes the job much easier. Flatten the dough balls slightly and place 12 on a cookie sheet. Parchment paper is a good idea for this recipe because when the mint drips off the cookie, you don't have to wash the cookie sheet before you do the next batch.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. I thought 9 minutes was perfect. While the cookies are baking, unwrap the Andes mints. I gave my kids this job because they can't really mess it up (other than eat too many of them).

When the timer goes off (or a little before), open the oven and slide the rack out, quickly put a mint on the center of each cookie with the writing side up (if it's writing side down the mint tends to slip off). Then put the rack back and let the cookies sit in the oven another 15-20 seconds. Take the cookie sheet out and set it on your cook top or counter and use the back of a spoon (or an off-set spatula if you're feeling fancy) and stir the mint around the top of the cookie like icing.

Allow to cool (I put mine on cooling racks, but you don't have to). I think they are best fresh out the oven, but they are still good the next day. Enjoy!

Fondue Recipes

We had a fondue party the other night. I found these recipes on Recipezaar and I was so happy when they all exceeded our expectations. They were very comparable to what we have had at The Melting Pot.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

(I doubled this recipe and it was just enough for 4)

Ingredients
4 ounces skim milk
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

cheddar cheese

pepper

mustard powder
worcestershire sauce

(whatever you choose to use to dip in the cheese dip)

Directions
1-start with 4 oz of base (skim milk)
2-add garlic.
3-add 3 shakes of mustard powder.
4-stir.
5-add small amount of cheddar cheese (I added about 1 cup of shredded cheddar. small bits at a time)
6-mix thoroughly (using whipping motion until cheese is melted).
7-add five turns of pepper grinder.
8-add three to four shakes of worcestershire sauce.
9-fold in pepper & worcestershire.
10-remove mixing fork.

So Tasty!!

Mojo Fondue Broth
(I doubled this as well and after simmering for awhile as we cooked our food, I was very glad we had this much)
5 1/4 cups vegetable bouillon or chicken bouillon (We used chicken)
1/4 cup orange juice, fresh-squeezed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
2 tablespoons black pepper, cracked (We used 1 1/2 Tablespoons and it was VERY spicy!!)
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh-squeezed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Directions
1-Combine ingredients in saucepan on stovetop.
2-Bring to a boil.
3-Transfer to fondue pot with alternative heat source.
4-Use to cook beef, shrimp, potstickers, chicken, mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli -- or anything else you can think of.

Green Goddess Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into slices
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives
Directions
1-In a microwave-safe container, microwave cream cheese and milk for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking after each minute, until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
2-Stir in sour cream, onion, parsley and chives.
3-Refrigerate until cold.

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Fondue

(I think I quadrupled this one :)

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate (I used a hershey bar)

1/4 cup skim milk

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

Melt and heat in fondue pot.

Serve with cheesecake, angel food cake, pound cake, rice krispy treats, bananas, strawberries...

Pumpkin Soup

Sorry, I don't have a photo.  I made this soup for our Super Saturday at church yesterday and it seemed to go over quite well.  I've been making it for a couple years now.  It's one that I enjoy making in the fall, especially for Thanksgiving. 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
2 ribs celery with greens, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
6 cups water/6 boullion cubes (or 6 c. chicken stock)
1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
2 cups 1% milk (or milk of your choosing, including heavy cream if you want it heavier…)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour and poultry seasoning and cook flour a minute. Whisk in 2 cups of chicken stock and then puree the mixture in a blender. Put back in pot, add the remaining 4 cups of stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in milk and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Zucchini Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)

Frosting:

1/4 cup margarine
6 TBS unsweetened cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. It will still be pretty powdery, but mix until well blended. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in to the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.

The batter will be very crumbling. Pour and then press it into your pan. Don't worry, the zucchini will add plenty of moisture as it cooks.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven. Brownies should spring back when gently touched.

To make the frosting, melt together the 1/4 cup margarine and 6 TBS cocoa over medium heat; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. I blended these with my hand mixer.

Spread over cooled brownies!

*I've made these twice and my family loves them. They are chewy and moist. The first time the bottom had a sugary texture, but the second time around I didn't find that at all. I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.