Pumpkin spice latte syrup

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/09/psl-syrup.html

Recipe & photo credit: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/

Whole wheat olive oil pumpkin bread

I don't veer from my favorite pumpkin bread recipe very often, but I wanted to give this whole wheat flour and olive oil combo from Recipe Girl a try.  This bread is delicious, and using whole wheat flour takes away the guilt when my kids eat it for breakfast.  Win-win!!

WHOLE WHEAT OLIVE OIL PUMPKIN BREAD

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices into a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin, oil, eggs and water. Stir in dry ingredients and mix just until combined (don't over mix).

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove loaf to a rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin doughnuts

I love Fall.  I love cooler weather, switching from shorts to jeans, colorful leaves, and all things pumpkin.  My favorite recipe of all time is this chocolate chip pumpkin bread that my friend Kady got me hooked on years ago.  When I make it, which is often, there is leftover canned pumpkin that I need to find a use for.  This time around I made these delicious baked doughnuts from Pia Recipes.  The kids loved making doughnuts at home, and I felt slightly better about them since they aren't fried.  Yum yum!  ** And I just noticed I have back-to-back doughnut posts.  #sorrynotsorry

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

Yield: 12 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar, for coating

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. If you don't have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a standard muffin tin.

2) Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

3) Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

4) Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; use a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well. (If you're making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full; the recipe makes about 15).

6) Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. (If you're making muffins, they'll need to bake for 20-25 minutes).

7) Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar. If you've made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with cinnamon-sugar.

9) Cool completely, and wrap airtight; store at room temperature for several days.

Pumpkin muffins

The girls and I read Bear Says Thanks for our 'book club' this week, and since I don't have a recipe for huckleberry pie, we followed the rabbit's lead and brought muffins to the party.  These pumpkin muffins from Smitten Kitchen are great for breakfast or a snack (or both!).

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar together in a small bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins to rack to finish cooling.  Eat and enjoy!

Pumpkin Sriracha soup

Did you know pumpkin isn't just for baking?  We discovered it makes a great soup, too, when we made this pumpkin Sriracha soup from Noble Pig a few weeks ago.  It's creamy and spicy, and Robert is always game when there's fried sage involved.  It's a great comfort food on these cold nights!

PUMPKIN SRIRACHA SOUP

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

12 fresh sage leaves, divided (1 Tbsp chopped for soup, fry additional leaves for garnish)

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 Tablespoon minced garic

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

1-2 Tablespoons Sriracha (this is a hot sauce typically found on the Asian foods aisle)

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a saute pan until it shimmers. Fry whole sage leaves in batches until crispy, about 30 seconds. Transfer sage leaves to a paper-towel lined plate; season with salt. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of this oil.

In a large pot, saute onion in reserved oil over medium heat, about 10 minutes.. Add minced sage, garlic and paprika, saute for about one minute. Stir in broth, pumpkin and wine, bring to a slight, slight boil. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Simmer soup covered for about 15-20 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream. Stir in Sriracha 1 Tablespoon at a time. Taste after first addition, and add additional Sriracha to desired spiciness. Add the vinegar and serve immediately.  Garnish with extra Parmesan and fried sage leaves.

Pumpkin fudge

It's no secret that I LOVE pumpkin desserts.  I recently made this pumpkin fudge from Brown Eyed Baker and it was fabulous, as expected.  But here's a warning- this makes a 9x13 pan, and that is a LOT of rich, fudgy goodness.  Even our family of five couldn't eat this all ourselves, so I suggest passing some out to family and friends!  Also, I made half the pan with nuts and half without, and we preferred the nutty version- it adds to the flavor and texture.

PUMPKIN FUDGE

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup or 5-ounce can evaporated milk
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped pecans
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides for easy removal.

2. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, butter and spice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234° to 240º F.

3. Quickly stir in the white chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, pecans and vanilla extract. Stir vigoriously for 1 minute or until the chocolate chips are melted. Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Let stand on wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cooled. Refrigerate tightly covered overnight. Cut into 1 inch pieces.

Pumpkin nutella muffins

'Tis the season to bake an endless supply of pumpkin goodies- I just can't help myself!  These pumpkin Nutella muffins from A Feast for the Eyes are a great addition to my regular rotation.  It's easy to half the recipe for 6 muffins, which makes it a great candidate to use the end of a can of pumpkin leftover from another recipe. Delicious!!

PUMPKIN NUTELLA MUFFINS

Ingredients

1 – 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

12 heaping teaspoons Nutella, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line or spray a 12-cup muffin pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups evenly (will be about 3/4 full). Scoop a heaping teaspoon of Nutella onto the top of each muffin. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the Nutella slightly around the top of the batter.

Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Espresso spice pumpkin muffins

These espresso spiced pumpkin muffins from Baking Bites are a repeat recipe for us, but we ate the first batch before I had a chance to post them!  These are moist and delicious, and my girls love them too.

(On a side note, I finally invested in a nice camera- you'll notice an improvement in my food photography!)

Pumpkin spice syrup

Some of you may know about my love for Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes.  I count the days down until their arrival in September, and I consume a large amount of them until the stores run out of syrup and tell me no more.  Well, here's a solution for having pumpkin spice lattes in the comfort of your own home, and it's available year-round-- make your own pumpkin spice syrup!  I tried a recipe last year that was just so-so, but was committed to finding a better version this year.  And I found it via Pinterest, from Baker Girl's blog.  This syrup is perfect, please try it.  I make it with half-Splenda, half sugar to make it a little more calorie conscious...  you know, so I can pile on the whip cream without any guilt!!

(Oh, and it's a great way to use the rest of that can of pumpkin from the chocolate chip bread you should be making!).

Pumpkin scones

I was on a pumpkin kick today so I made these pumpkin scones I had bookmarked a few weeks ago on A Feast for the Eyes blog. They. are. delicious!! I used a combination of cinnamon chips and mini-chocolate chips (heavier on the cinnamon chips), and no crystallized ginger. My only mistake is that I halved the recipe - I missed these when they were gone!

P.S. I've added a 'pumpkin' label to my recipes that call for canned pumpkin. A single recipe rarely uses an entire can, so you can click on the pumpkin tag to see other options to help you finish the rest of it! Today I made a repeat of the pumpkin spice marshmallows in addition to these scones.

Pumpkin spice marshmallows

I've been interested in trying homemade marshmallows for a while now, and when I saw this pumpkin spice version on Taste and Tell, I knew this would be my inaugural attempt. I don't know what to say about these other than they're AMAZING. They are fun to eat plain, but oh my goodness, add a few to your morning coffee and WOW! These rival Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes, which are a personal favorite of mine. Next, I'm going to try them in hot chocolate and S'mores. The recipe says they last a week in the fridge, so we banished some to the freezer to make them last longer. Seriously, make these today - your coffee will never be the same!

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread

I can't believe my favorite recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bread hasn't made an appearance on the blog until now. My friend Kady brought a loaf of this to the office when I worked in DC, and I've been hooked ever since. I don't even want to know how many loaves of this I've made since then - it might embarrass me. Try it, you'll love it!

1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first five ingredients and mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Mix together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

(I usually cover mine with foil for the last 10 minutes or so, to make sure the edges don't get too dark while the middle finishes baking).

Pumpkin-swirl brownies

Last night's treat for our Bachelor watch party was pumpkin-swirl brownies from Everyday Food. The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, which doesn't make the brownies spicy, so I guess it just enhances the chocolate flavor. These take more time and effort than your basic brownie - you split the base batter to make one the chocolate layer and the other the pumpkin layer - but the result is pretty special. They are almost too pretty to eat! But don't worry, we ate them - with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Pumpkin whoopie pies

I can't remember if I've posted these before, but they're one of my favorites and deserve a repeat if I have. This is a recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies from Rachael Ray's magazine. These are simple to make and are DELICIOUS. The recipe says to make 12 generous mounds of batter for 6 large cookies, but these are pretty rich, so I make more, smaller versions (usually 28ish mounds for 14ish cookies). This is definitely one of my favorite fall recipes!!

Pumpkin ginger spice granola

I made a batch of homemade granola last week, because I am a sucker for anything that contains the words 'pumpkin spice' (hello, Starbucks)! This is a delicious and very versatile treat - you can eat it dry as a snack, for breakfast with a splash of milk, or as a topping for ice cream and yogurt.

Pumpkin Ginger Spice Granola

Preheat oven to 325F.

Mix the dry ingredients.
2 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats
2 Cups Steel Cut Oats (If you don't have this, just use rolled oats)
1 Cup Almonds, coarsely chopped or slivered
1 Cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
2/3 Cup Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Allspice

Add in wet ingredients:
15 oz Pumpkin Puree
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Oil
Mix until thoroughly combined and everything is moist. Put mixture on cookie sheets and bake for a total of 1 hour. Stir mixture every 10-15 minutes.

When 10 min remain in cooking time, add:
1 Cup Golden Raisins (we subbed Craisins)

09.30.09 Pumpkin white chocolate blondies

When September arrives, I start humming Christmas carols and mentally decorating Christmas trees. This is my favorite time of year and I want it to last as long as possible! I knew I had to try this recipe for pumpkin white chocolate blondies as soon as I saw it. And Oh. My. Goodness. They're delicious!! I recommend making a batch of these as soon as possible.

(I also recommend baking them a bit longer than suggested - my toothpick came out clean, but when I sliced them, they were gooier than the cake-like substance I expected. I borrowed the above picture from the blog where I got the recipe because hers photographed better).

09.12.09 Pumpkin-ginger-pecan waffles

Breakfast this morning was pumpkin-ginger-pecan waffles from another food blog, My Baking Heart. I am a sucker for a pumpkin recipe, and these waffles were amazing! They tasted like fall (if it's possible for food to taste like a season), and were perfect with warm maple syrup. A decadent, delicious treat on a lazy weekend!