5 Spice Pumpkindoodles

I bought Chinese 5-spice this week and discovered that it goes beautifully with pumpkin. I've always wanted to try pumpkin cookies, so I took this opportunity and used my homemade 5-spice pumpkin butter and made snickerdoodles with it. YUM! The warm spicy mix is perfect on sugar cookies warm from the oven...

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup pumpkin butter (see recipe HERE)
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp Chinese 5-spice
Heat oven to 400.
Mix butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Blend flour, cream of tartar, salt, and soda. Stir into butter mixture. Mix well. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll in 5-spice sugar (1/4 cup sugar and 4 tsp 5-spice mixed together).

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes

Ginger Blondies

I have enjoyed blondies (aka Butterscotch Brownies) since I was a kid. But in order to make them taste a bit more like Fall, this time I made them with dark brown sugar and crystallized ginger. Perfection!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9” square baking pan.

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Mix in flour and salt. Fold in ginger pieces.

Spread into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Grape Juice

If you have a lot of grapes, you gotta get hold of a steamer/juicer. A friend gave me a bunch of grapes today and loaned me hers. It is a super fun toy! My youngest son calls it the "still." LOL

It's so simple to do...

1. Fill the base 3/4 full of water. Place on stove.

2. Place the next part (I don't know what to call it???) on top of the base...

3. Place the steamer basket inside the last part and fill it full of washed grapes. Don't worry about taking them off the stems. Just get rid of any yucky ones, sticks and leaves.

4. Then place the hose where it belongs (making sure it is on all the way). Place the other end of the hose into a large pot on a chair next to the stove.

I started with this chair but realized it was too high

5. Turn the stove onto high heat until the water comes to a hard boil. Then turn down to medium-high heat to keep it at a good steam.

Wait until the juice stops flowing into the pot. You may have to fiddle with the hose to get it to flow. It took me about 30 minutes or so to get a full batch of juice.

6. Then remove the lid and the steamer basket very carefully. I put it on a baking tray next to the steamer on the stovetop. Empty out the pulp into a large bowl. You can dump it out or save it for your compost pile. Then refill the base with water and start the process again.

7. When all the grapes have been juiced. Put 1-2 cups of sugar per gallon into your juice. Then heat it to 190 for 10 minutes. Do not boil.

8. Pour into hot sterilized jars (pints or quarts) leaving 1/4" headspace. Place on lids and bands until finger tight. Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes.

Turn canner off and let rest 5 minutes before removing.

9. Check seals after about 24 hours. Place any unsealed jars in the fridge and use right away. Place the rest on the shelf to be used with 12 months.

Overnight Oats

This is a quick, easy breakfast that has almost endless possibilities: pumpkin butter, jams, fresh fruits, curd...

pumpkin butter

blueberry lemon curd

chocolate banana

strawberry jam

Just follow this simple formula for whatever you choose.

Mix equal parts of oats, yogurt, and milk. Stir in whatever add-ins you want and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds.

Cover in small jar or bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Apple Cider Donuts

I really wanted a good apple cider donut recipe. I tried one and it was a total flop. So I just tweaked one of my other recipes and it worked. This is a nice small batch of donuts which is a good thing because you really have to eat them right away. They do not hold.

First: Pour 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1/2 cup line. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir.
Next take 1 1/2 cups of apple cider and boil it on high heat until it has reduced to 1/2 cup. Let it cool to the temperature of your hot tap water.
Then pour 1/2 cup of the hot apple cider into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of yeast on top of the water. Sprinkle 1/8 cup flour on top of yeast. Lightly mix and let sit 5-10 minutes, it will start to get foamy.
Add the milk and the following ingredients to the yeast and cider mixture.
3 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour (I used a bit of whole wheat flour, too)
Stir to make a soft dough. Add more flour if needed to make it stiff enough to knead.
Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead in more flour if it is sticky. You will end up using about 2 1/2 to 3 cups total.
Roll out to about 1/2” thick. Cut out with donut cutter. (I used a biscuit cutter and an apple corer for the centers)
Place on baking sheet, cover with thin towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 30-45 minutes. (I turn my oven to the lowest temp for about 5-10 minutes while kneading and then turn it off)

before rising

(I also used the scraps)

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375.

Carefully place donuts, a few at a time, into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and then flip to cook the other side. Watch them carefully! They cook kind of quickly and turn dark. I think it is due to the cider in them. 

Place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain. 

Then toss in sugar mixed with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

You can also make a glaze from sifted confectioners sugar and apple cider. Pour over while donuts are still hot.

Chai Cider

Chai tea tastes like India and Autumn. On cold rainy days, a hot, creamy sweet chai tea warms you from the inside. But on warm sunny fall days,a chai cider hits the spot. What is chai cider? Cold chai tea and apple cider.

Mine was made with my homemade chai and the cider we pressed on Saturday.

To make chai, simmer 3 black tea bags in 6 cups of water with your favorite blend of spices for 15-20 minutes. I haven't found a combination I didn't like...

Choose from these spices: (always use whole spices, not ground)
cardamom
allspice
black pepper
cloves
cinnamon
nutmeg (whole grated)
star anise
fennel
ginger root

Serve hot with cream and sugar or cold with apple cider.

Zucchini Patties

The original recipe claims these taste like crab cakes. They don't but they are tasty. We dipped ours in cocktail sauce but they would be good with a nice dill sauce, too. I made some changes, but they turned out pretty tasty and are a great way to use up some of  the zucchini in my garden...

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Place in a colander and toss with 1/2 tsp salt. Let drain for 30 minutes. Then press out any remaining moisture with a clean towel.

Add:
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp melted butter

Then stir in:
1 cup plain store-bought breadcrumbs
2 heaping teaspoons of Old Bay
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash cayenne, optional

Mix well with hands. Press into 6-8 patties.

Coat with panko bread crumbs. Place on baking tray lightly coated with vegetable oil.

Bake at 400 for 14 minutes per side.

Serve hot.

Hawaiian Ham

This is an easy way to use up leftover ham.

Drain a can of pineapple chunks, reserve the juice.

Saute some:

ham, cut into chunks
thinly sliced carrots
chopped onion
bell peppers, cut into pieces
pineapple chunks

Saute in a bit of oil over med-high heat until ham is hot and veggies are tender.

Whisk the following ingredients into the pineapple juice:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Stir the sauce into the skillet and stir over med-high heat until thick and bubbly.

Serve over white rice.

Bourbon Barrel Mocha Stout Cake

This is a variation on my Spiced Rum (aka Pirate) Cake that I think turned out pretty fantastic. My middle son declared it perfect. :)

1 18 1/2 ounce package German chocolate cake mix

1 3 3/4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold strong coffee
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup stout

Glaze:
1/4 pound butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup bourbon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 inch bundt pan. Mix next 6 cake ingredients together with electric mixer for 2 minutes and pour into pan. Bake 1 hour and cool. Invert on a serving plate.
Glaze: Melt butter in sauce pan; stir in the water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Prick cake top with fork. Drizzle and smooth prepared glaze evenly over top and sides, allowing cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This was a pretty simple casserole and a good way to use up leftover ham and/or chicken breast.

Cook and drain 1-12oz bag of egg noodles.

Saute some cut up ham, onion, fresh mushrooms and chicken in butter. Do not cook them too much. Mostly just to sear them a bit and get rid of some of the extra moisture.

Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup and some milk.

Add meat and veggies into the pan of noodles. Pour soup mixture over it and stir well to coat. Stir in pepper and marjoram to taste.

Place in greased casserole dish.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 oven.

Remove and top with thin-sliced Swiss cheese. Place back in oven.

Mix about 1 cup bread crumbs with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

Continue to bake until crumbs are browned and the casserole is heated through.

Crock Pot Egg Bake

Today I made my favorite Tater Tot Egg Bake in my crock pot. So easy and it cooked while we were at church and was ready for brunch for us and our company when we got home.

I'm guessing it would work for any egg bake recipe, but here's the one I like best...

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom with frozen potato rounds/crowns (the flat tater tots).

Cover with your favorite egg bake cooked meats (bacon, sausage or ham), sauteed veggies and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Beat 8 eggs and about 1/2 cup milk.

Pour over stuff in the crock pot.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Remove lid and let sit a couple of minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Brownies

These brownies don't look the prettiest but they are amazing! They are also best served cold from the fridge with a big glass of cold milk! Yum!

First make a batch of my homemade Better Than Box Brownies.

Let cool.

Then make a batch of this peanut butter frosting:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Add about 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. You may have to add more or less depending on how thick you want your frosting.

Spread over the pan of brownies.

Place in freezer to chill a bit.

While the brownies are chilling, melt about 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Remove brownies from freezer. Spread melted chocolate over the top of the frosted brownies.

Place brownies in fridge to let chocolate set.

Store any leftover brownies in fridge.

Beer Cheese Batter Bread

This is just the right bread to serve with a hearty soup or stew on a cold day. It has a muffin-like texture that tastes like just the right amount of beer. The trick is the double-sifting of the flour. Don't skip it!

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar

Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with knife edge. Then sift or shake flour through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Mix in baking powder, sugar and salt. Then sift again.

Toss with some finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Pour in 12 oz of room temperature beer. Lightly stir in.

Add 1/4 cup melted butter. Stir in but be careful not to overmix batter so that your bread will rise.

Pour batter into greased bread pan.

Pour 3 Tablespoons of melted butter over the top of batter.

Bake at 375 for about 1 hour. Cool 1 minutes before removing from pan to cool.

Serve warm.

Norwegian Style Rice Pudding

This probably isn't terribly authentic but it makes a delightful breakfast served warm with melted butter and cinnamon sugar on top.

3/4 cup short-grained rice
1 1/2 cups water

Bring to a boil. lower heat, cover and simmer for 13 minutes.

Mix:
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
ground cardamom, to taste
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Add milk mixture to the rice, 1 cup at a time. Turn to medium heat and stir and cook until thick before adding the next cup of milk. This will take about 40 minutes or so.

Remove from heat.

Serve warm with melted butter and cinnamon sugar on top.

Chill leftovers. Can be served cold or reheated in microwave.