Pumpkin & Apple Butter Spice Cake

Ingredients

2/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3-1/2 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 C 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 C apple butter
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C chopped pecans (I used candied pecans from a pkg.)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease bundt pan with vegetable shortening or PAM for baking. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment of electric mixer.  Add oil and eggs, and mix until incorporated. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Turn mixer to low and slowly incorporate dry ingredients Add pumpkin and apple butter and mix slightly, but not completely.  Add raisins and pecans and incorporate by hand.  Do not over mix or cake texture will be denser.  Add batter to prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until tester near center of cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove and cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar or prepare Brown Butter Maple (recipe below) glaze and pour over cake.  Serve cooled cake as it or try it with whipped cream cheese and/or apple butter.

Brown Butter & Maple Glaze

1 stick of salted butter
1to 1-1/2 C confectioners' sugar (start with 1 C and add an additional 1/2 C if needed)
2 T milk
1-2 T pure maple syrup

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Keep heating until butter begins to turn brown and smells nutty.  This takes 4-5 minutes.  Watch closely as once it starts to turn brown it goes very quickly!  Remove from heat and add confectioners' sugar, milk and syrup.  Stir until smooth.  If glaze is too thick to pour, add more milk a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the proper consistency. Pour over cake.

Enjoy!

Everything Cookies

You can substitute whatever mix-ins you would like in this recipe.  Just be mindful of the total amount.  Try not to add more than 2-1/2 cups total of mix-ins. Otherwise, the batter will be compromised and too dry to hold together properly.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped dates (or try other types of dried fruits; i.e., cherries, cranberries, figs, blueberries)

1/3 cup chopped chocolate covered graham crackers

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup sweetened coconut

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in dry ingredients, mix well.

Form into balls about 1 1/2" in diameter.  A cookie scoop works well here.  Place 2" apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for about 14-20 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.  Baking time determines the firmness of the cookies.  Less time = softer middles.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

The original recipe calls for cranberries.  I made mine with 1/3 cup each of cranberries, chopped figs & golden raisins.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 can (15 ounces) 

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice or water

1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries, OR

1/3 cup each cranberries, chopped figs & golden raisins

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe makes two loaves.

(Recipe adapted from VeryBestBaking.com )

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home recipe.

Ingredients

2-1/4 c flour

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 c buttermilk

1/4 c butter, melted

1/4 c canola oil

1/3 c currants

1/3 c dark raisins

1/3 c golden raisins

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, & baking soda. In another bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk, butter and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in currants & raisins.

Fill greased muffin cups (or use liners) three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.Yield: 1 dozen.

Cead mile failte!

Cereal Encrusted French Toast w/Sauteed Bananas

Ingredients:

1 loaf Challah or Brioche, cut into 1" slices
4 large eggs
1/3 c whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 c crushed cereal flakes, any type (I used Barbara's High Fiber w/Cranberries)
12 T butter, divided
3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 c maple syrup
Powdered Sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 200*.
In a shallow bowl beat eggs with milk, vanilla & salt.  In another bowl add the crust cereal. Add 6 T butter to a cast iron or heavy duty skillet and melt over medium heat.  Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture then coat each side with the crushed cereal.  Place in skillet and cook on each side until a dark golden brown.  Remove from skillet and put in oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven while making the topping.

In a large skillet melt remaining 6 T butter and add sliced bananas.  Saute for 2 minutes then add the maple syrup.  Continue cooking until the bananas are softened.

Warm serving plates in microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Place french toast slices on each plate and spoon banana mixture over top.  Dust w/powdered sugar if desired and serve.





Bon Appetit!