Monthly Archives: October 2014

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

I’ve been wanting to make a cookie with pumpkin purée and peanut butter for a while now. These are two of my favorite ingredients. I love peanut butter so much that I actually had a patient one time ask me if I worked for a peanut butter company (yes I recommend it that much). Not to mention pumpkins are in season and bountiful this time of year. This is a perfect fall cookie! Plus an added bonus this recipe is a quick and easy! Not to mention a good idea for a lunch box cookie for children and husbands.

This recipe yields 30 cookies.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup ap flour
1/2 whole wheat flour
2/3 cup old fashion oats (not quick oats)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tb pure maple syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter or any nut butter
2/3 cup raw sugar
2/3 cup 100% pumpkin purée
1/2 cup raisins or (craisins would work well)
1 tsp pure vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Paper line with parchment paper a 1/2 sheet baking pan, set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda, oats, both flours.

Mix well to blend all ingredients together.

3.in a separate medium bowl place peanut butter, pumpkin, vanilla, & maple syrup.

Mix to incorporate using spatula or large spoon.

Add sugar and mix again until no sugar granules remain.

4. Add wet ingredients into dry & mix together evenly.

5. Add in raisins and fold in until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Batter should appear as picture displays below.

Portion out 1 Tb spoon size cookies onto parchment lined pan.
Place 15 cookies on a pan spread evenly.

Press cookies down with fork to flatten slightly.

Place in oven at 350 for 14 minutes.

Remove from pan right away or else the cookies will continue to bake. Place on wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Scones

My husband told me this weekend one of his favorite breakfast dishes that I bake our my scones. This past Sunday I took his advise and I decided to try an apple chip scone for our brunch.

Yields 15 -16 small scones

Ingredients:
200 g AP flour
80 g Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup of dehydrated cinnamon apple rings, chopped
80 g butter unsalted (cold and cut)
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking sofa
175 ml buttermilk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup cinnamon chips
Cinnamon and sugar to dust (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

1. In a medium bowl mix both flours, Chinese five spice, salt, baking soda, & baking powder.

2. Cut butter into the flour. You can use a pastry cutter or my personal favorite my fingers to breakup the butter into the dry ingredient mixture to the consistency of large wet sand granules .

3. Add chopped apples and mix. If you rather have the cinnamon chips inside mix at the same time as the apple chips. In fact I might do that next time.

4. Pour in buttermilk, use a spatula to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients together. Please be careful not to over mix the batter.

5. Divide the dough evenly into the cooking sprayed scone pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. If you choose to add the cinnamon chips now, place the cinnamon chips on the tops of the scones. (Mine turned out slightly darker on top so I think next time I’ll incorporate the chips in the batter as mentioned above).

6. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly brown and tooth pick comes out clean.

7. Remove from pan after allowing to cool in pan for 3-5 minutes and place on wire rack. Enjoy with a good cup of tea!

Cinnamon Vanilla Rhubarb Jam

Good golly Miss Molly, I had to post this recipe! I had two people tell me it’s the best jam they have ever had! And one person say it’s the best rhubarb jam they have ever ate! As you all know! This summer we had bushels of rhubarb. I have always wanted to make jam with it but never had the chance! This summer I made the time and boy I am sure glad I did. The original recipe stemmed from this post on cinnamon jam.

Ingredients:
12 cups chopped rhubarb
1 TB Vietnamese ground cinnamon
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 cups of water
13 cups of sugar
1 TB pure Mexican Vanilla extract
6 TB Fruit pectin (2 boxes)

Directions:

Wash jars and screw bands with hot soapy water. Set aside to completely dry . Get your water ready (hot/boiling) for canning fill water in stock pan on stove enough to cover the lids of the jars.

In a separate sauce pan heat your lids in boiling water until you start Canning.

Place chopped rhubarb and water in 7 to 8 quart pot bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in pectin, & lemon, and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Make sure to stir constantly.

Stir in cinnamon and sugar and allow sauce to return to a rolling boil. Once the mixture starts to boil consistently allow to boil for one minute. Continue to stir constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off the white residue with metal spoon and add in the vanilla stir well.

Ladle jam immediately into prepared mason jars or jelly jars using a funnel. Fill jar to 1/8 top & wipe jar, rim, & threads completely dry or the jars may not seal appropriately. Place two part lids on jars and screw the band on on tight.

Place the vessel (after the lid is placed on jar tightly) into the water bath make sure to submerge fully with 1-2 inches above jar. Allow jars to rest in gentle boiling water for 10 minutes to seal the lids. You may need to cover the stock pot with a lid.

Remove jars from pan with canning tongs and allow to dry upright on towel to cool completely. Once jars have cooled off check to make sure they sealed properly. To make sure jars sealed properly press down on center of the lids and if centers bounce back jars did not deal and refrigerate right away.

This recipe yields: 14 1/2 cups of jam!

Spiced Banana Zucchini Mini Loaves

I still have zucchini leftover from the fall harvest and I had some really ripe bananas that were just about to be placed in the freezer for a sweet treat.
But instead I decided to combined the two for a quick bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cup ap flour
2 ripe small/medium bananas mashed
2 cups of shredded zucchini (no need to peel)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp mace
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 egg
2/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 TB milled flaxseed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powered
1 tsp ground Vietnamese cinnamon
2 tsp pure Mexican vanilla extract

Yields: 4 mini loaves and 12 mini muffins.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray with cooking spray 4 mini loaf molds. Set aside.

2. Place sugar, mashed banana, zucchini, egg, egg substitute, sugars, vanilla in large bowl. Whisk to incorporate.

3. In a separate bowl mix spices, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, baking powder, & flours.

4. Add dry ingredients into wet. Mix with whisk to blend all dry into wet batter.

5. Place scant 1 1/2 cups of batter into each mini loaf vessel.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let sit in molds for 5 minutes remove and allow to cool on wire rack for remainder of cooking process.

8. For mini muffins , use size 60 scoop and portion batter evenly in tins. Bake for 11 minutes on 325 or until toothpick comes out clean.

Wrap up in parchment paper and use festive string to decorate as gifts!

Spinach Mushroom Alfredo Lasagna for two

I love making lasagna ! But when I cook it is usually just for 2. So making a large lasagna only happens with a party or gathering. But since I like to bake lasagna I’ve found an alternative option. The secret to smaller batches is utilizing a bread loaf pan. Generally an 8.5 inch pan will work for this dish.

Ingredients:
1 & 1/3 cup shredded lite mozzarella or fat free
1 cup fat free ricotta
1/4 cup of egg substitute
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles ( I purchase the kind that cook white to trick the non whole wheat critics) *** (dreamfield, Ronzoni Smart taste, Barella white fiber) ***
3 cups of fresh spinach
1 jar 15 oz lite Alfredo
1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Cooking spray
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 tsp pasta sprinkle (or italian seasoning)
Cracked Fresh pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to box & preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In meantime in a small bowl combine egg substitute, ricotta, pasta sprinkle and Parmesan; set aside.

3. Spray pan with cooking spray. On medium heat sauté garlic, spinach and mushrooms. Once spinach wilts remove from heat and set aside.

4. Spray the loaf pan with Pam.

5. Spread 1/3 cup sauce on bottom of the pan. Lay noodle (cut to fit the pan) on bottom place reserve noodle on side. We don’t waste food in my kitchen.

6. Spread 1/3 cup of sauce over noodles evenly.

7. Spread 1/3 cup of the egg cheese mixture over the sauce.

8. Sprinkle some sautéed veggies over the cheese spread.

9. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the mozzarella

10. Repeat layers twice.

11. Top with remaing noodle. On top of last noodle spread 1/3 cup Alfredo sauce and remaining mozzarella. I like to grate with an extra bit of Parmesan on the top too.

12. Bake for 30 minutes on 400 degrees.

13. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes

Serves 3 to 4 serving.

A Pinch of Luv

from scratch baking and cooking blog