Thanksgiving Favorites: Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Few flavors epitomize the Fall season quite like pumpkin.  It's E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E right now: Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Rolls, Pumpkin Bread.
This pie is a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving spread, topped with whipped cream.  Ditch that canned pumpkin, roll up your sleeves, and let's start baking!

Fresh Pumpkin Pie {adapted from Ruth and Beth's recipes} Printable Recipe

makes: 1 pie

Ingredients (crust):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

3/8 cup shortening

1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1) Cut the butter into small slices.

2) In a mixing bowl, blend together the flour, salt, cinnamon and sugar.  Add in the butter, shortening, egg, and water. Mix until well blended **Note: if the dough easily sticks to the side of your bowl, add more flour {a little at a time}, until it pulls off of the sides**.

3) Cover the dough and refrigerate.

Ingredients (filling):

1 sugar pumpkin

1 (12oz.) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2) Cut the pumpkin in half and remove all of the seeds.  Line a baking sheet with foil and grease it {I usually need 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil}.  Place the pumpkin halves open-side down, onto the foil.

3) Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.  Cool until just warm enough to handle, and use a spoon to scrape out the pulp.  Turn the oven up to 450 degrees.

4) In a blender, mix in 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla, white and brown sugars, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, flour, eggs and salt.  Blend for 1 minute.

5) Take the pie crust out of the fridge, and roll it out, into a pie pan.  Pour in the pie filling and place the pie in the preheated oven.

6) Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Cook for an additional 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow the pie to cool a bit, before transferring to the fridge, to cool overnight.  Enjoy with your favorite whipped cream!

****Pro tip: If you want to decorate the top of the pie with crust cut-outs, bake them separately, and add them after the pie is completely cooked.  In the photos below, the one on top had the crust cut-outs added toward the end of cooking.  When the pie cooled, the cut-outs caused cracking.  It definitely didn't look as good as the one shown on the bottom, wherein I waited until the pie was completely cooked, before adding them.****

Some kitchen favorites, that were utilized during the creation of this pie:

What's your favorite pumpkin treat?

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Cookie Perfection: Chocolate Crinkles

The holidays are quickly approaching and I'm SO excited to start baking!

A couple weeks ago, Jhanis teased her fellow Instagram followers with a pic of some Chocolate Crinkles.  She totally sold me, once she explained that they were soft, chewy chocolate cookies, covered in powdered sugar.  
OH. MY.
  

These taste like devil’s food or soft brownies, and are a perfect remedy to your chocolate craving or cookie exchange.  I triple dog dare you (oh, yes I did) to eat just one!

Chocolate Crinkles {adapted from Ingrid's recipe} Printable Recipes --> (regular) (mint)

makes: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8  cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 drops black food coloring
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (if you're making the mint chocolate crinkles)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1) Mix together the cocoa powders, sugar and oil.  Add in the eggs, vanilla, food coloring, flour, baking powder, salt, and peppermint (if you're making the mint version). 

2) Cover dough and chill for 2 hours.

3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and pour powdered sugar into a small bowl.

4) Scoop dough into one inch balls, and generously coat them in the powdered sugar.  Place them onto the cookie sheet.

5) Bake for 11-13 minutes, and allow to cool for a few, before transferring to a cooling rack.

Which version did you make: regular or mint?  What are your favorite holiday treats? 

 

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Lemon Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze

Y'all, I made my first Bundt cake {and it turned out pretty well}!  It was surprisingly difficult to find a recipe with actual lemon in it.  I kept finding ones with lemon flavored soda, lemon flavored pudding, lemon flavored cake mix <-- GROSS

Then I found this one. 

The glaze compliments the cake nicely and makes it SO moist.  When I baked this, I initially ate some, gave half to the neighbors, and then sent my husband to work with the rest {so as not to tempt myself}.  Now, I see that was a mistake, and am seriously considering making another one tonight.

Lemon Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze {adapted from memyselfandi's recipe} Printable Recipe

makes: 1 cake

Ingredients (cake):

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/3 cups white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon zest {about 2 lemons}

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups milk

3 eggs

Directions (cake):

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2) In a food processor, blend together the vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and oil; mix together for about a minute. <-- I do this, because I can't stand chewing on bits of lemon zest, and want them broken down so I just get the delicious flavor.  If you enjoy the zest in all of its glory, skip this step.

3) In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Slowly mix in the milk and eggs.  Then, pour in the vanilla, juice, zest and oil.

4) Pour into a fluted pan {i.e. Bundt}.  Bake in the preheated oven for 70-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, and then run a paring knife along the sides of the cake, to loosen it.  Cover the cake pan with a plate and flip the cake out onto it.

In the 10 minutes that you allow your cake to cool, you can whip up the glaze!

Ingredients (glaze):

1 tablespoon lemon zest {about 2 lemons}

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 lemon - juiced

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white sugar

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions (glaze):

1) In a food processor, blend together the zest, vanilla, lemon juice, milk, orange juice, and sugars; mix together for about a minute. <-- Again, I do this because I can't stand chewing on bits of lemon zest, and want them broken down so I just get the delicious flavor.  If you enjoy the zest in all of its glory, skip this step.

2) In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the zest, vanilla, lemon juice, milk, orange juice, and sugars.  Whisk until it comes to a foamy boil, cooking for about a minute more, and then remove from heat.  Drizzle mixture over warm cake and enjoy!

Have you made a Bundt cake before?  What's your favorite?

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Favorite Fall Snacks: PayDay Mix

Today, I turned a Candy Corn hater {my husband} into a fan.  This is such an effortless and addicting treat, and it tastes just like a peanut butter & caramel PayDay.  

Think of it as your Fall Trail Mix!

 

PayDay Mix (courtesy of my mom) Printable Recipe 
makes: 3lbs.

Ingredients:

1lb. package Candy Corn

2lbs. salted peanuts

Directions:

1) Mix together the peanuts and candy corn.  Enjoy!  I store my stash in one of these glass, gallon jars.

What are some of your favorite Fall treats?

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Quick Mini Crescent Cinnamon Rolls

Crap, I really wish I hadn't found these.  I stumbled upon this recipe, while looking through Wedding Shower ideas and thought these would be perfect as mini cinnamon roll pops! 

First of all, they *were* delicious cinnamon roll pops. Secondly, I made them again tonight for my husband after he mentioned that he wanted something sweet.  

They disappeared in less than 5 minutes.

Quick Mini Crescent Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Kristin's recipe) Printable Recipe

makes 8 mini rolls

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls

2 tablespoons butter - melted
brown sugar - to taste
cinnamon - to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a regular size muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Roll out the package of Crescent rolls, onto a lightly floured surface and gently pinch together the seams.  Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Spread evenly with your hand.

3) Roll the dough and cut into 8 slices.  You may need to partially roll them again, to tighten the spiral.

4) Place the rolls in the muffin pan and bake for 10 minutes.  You can eat them right out of the pan ~ just don't tell anyone.

 Some of my favorite kitchen tools:

What's your favorite quick & easy treat? 

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Chocolate Pretzel Hugs

These are dangerous.  Seriously, leave while you still have a chance.  I don't normally sit around popping Hershey's Kisses like Tic Tacs, but that's what I found myself doing with these.  I finally found myself tossing these to my husband and pleading, "Get these away from me!"

  

Pretzel Hugs (courtesy of Shelly's genius mom) Printable Recipe 

servings: doyoureallywanttoknowafterdevouringtheentirebatch

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package pretzel snaps

2 (12 oz.)packages Hershey's Hugs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. <-- A while back, I switched from half sheets to full size.  If your oven is large enough, I can't praise these enough.  When you're up late, baking multiple batches, you will be ever grateful for being able to squeeze the extra items on that sheet, thus cutting down the number of times you wait for that wretched timer to go off.

2) Lay half a bag's worth of pretzel pieces onto the parchment paper and top each piece with a Hershey's Hug.

3) Carefully place in the oven and leave for 2 minutes, until they're glossy. 

4) Take the pretzels out of the oven and let sit for about a minute, before gently pushing the second pretzel piece over top.

5) Transfer to the fridge for ~30 minutes, so they can cool.

What snack do you find yourself enjoying too much?

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