Pumpkin Bread

Nothing says fall like sweet breads made out of gourds. In October, my boyfriend Adam and I went to a pumpkin carving party with our friends. His vision was to scrape the inside of the pumpkin until it was paper thin and the pattern could show a soft orange glow when the candle was lit. After 30 min of constant scraping, we left with a stuffed gallon-sized bag of shredded pumpkin. What else to do, than to make pumpkin bread! My search for a recipe led me online to Food Network and Alton Brown. I omitted the pumpkin seeds, because from previous experience, their texture isn't pleasant once the bread isn't fresh. 

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin. Once the ingredients are all incorporated, pour into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes. At this point a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin should come out clean. 

I acquired this recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network. 

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie "Derby Pie"

• Last year I had the good fortune to be set up on a girl date with who is now my best friend, Bonnie. She and I share a love of horses and often talk about Kentucky and the races. This summer she made a "Derby Pie," and I will never look at a pecan pie the same way. 
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• The Derby Pie is a tradition of Kentucky, and the only original recipe is a well kept family secret. This version is a cross between a chocolate chess and a pecan. 
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• Frozen Marie Callenders crust 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans 
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon or water 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of piecrust; set aside.
• Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust. Cover with crust shield for first 30 min. 
• Bake at 325° for 50 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.
• Cynthia Ann Briscoe, Birmingham, Alabama, Southern Living 

Oatmeal Cookies

Sometimes you can't improve upon an old recipe. And sometimes you can!

Recently Colorado was bombarded by 8 different forest fires, one of which was in the foothills near my town of Fort Collins. The organization Samaritan's Purse came in to help people sift through remains, clean windows, and put tarps on roofs. Hundreds of volunteers headed up into the mountains everyday with sack lunches. Some of the ladies at my church were asked to bake cookies, so I had a few girls over to share in the experience. We landed on traditional Oatmeal Cookies, and after baking one batch, we mixed it up a little by substituting white chocolate and craisins for raisins. Both were equally delicious!

In my early adolescence, I tested out many different recipes for oatmeal raisin cookies to please my daddy. Every batch was a little different; fluffy, crispy, sweeter, heartier. . . but, alas, none could satisfy him. Finally I called my grandmother in Florida and asked for the recipe she used to make when my father was a boy. She laughed and replied that it was on the Quaker Oats carton! Well, why not? Sometimes simpler is better!

1 cup (2sticks) butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Quaker Oats
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. In separate bowl, mix flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then add oatmeal and raisins. Add dry mix to batter in fourths until fully incorporated. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 min, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an air-tight container to keep soft. Makes about 4 doz.

Apple Dump Cake

One of the things I love about cooking is taking an in-season ingredient and transforming it into something amazing. Last fall a friend gave me apples from his yard. I made apple pies and bread and still had some left over, so I peeled, sliced and froze the rest. I recently came across them and decided I would throw them in with some sugar and cinnamon for a quick dessert. Based upon what I had on hand, this is what I came up with, and it was wonderful! My apples were very tender and moist after being frozen, perfect for short cooking time.

5-6 cups of peeled, sliced apples
Hand full of raisins
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 stick butter, divided
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 with 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of butter in a glass 9x13 pan. Mix sugars and spices in a large bowl, toss apples and raisins to coat. Once butter is melted, tilt dish so that it coats the whole pan. Dump apple mixture in. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top. Add pecans evenly. Melt remaining 1/2 stick of butter and drizzle over the top. Bake for 30 min or so on the lower middle of the oven. (don't want to burn the pecans!) If the top starts to brown before you think the apples are done, cover with foil and cook another 10 min.

Mississippi Lemon Chess Pie

One of my best girlfriends, Jennifer, recently inherited a priceless collection of recipes from a beloved aunt. My little southern heart beat fast at the prospect of finding original recipes like my grandmother and great-grandmother used to make. With her permission, I took pictures of several and am eager to put them all to the test.
My first try was this wonderfully rich pie. Chess Pie is at the heart of any true southerner, and this recipe artfully balances the sweet with the fresh lemon flavor. I'm not typically a huge lemon dessert fan, but this has won me over and I've made it twice already.

See the recipe in the picture below and read my previous posts to find crust recipes and tips.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The iron skillet. It's a staple in the Southern kitchen. I learned to make cornbread, country ham, and fried okra in this skillet. It's even heat conducting makes it a perfect way to caramelize the pineapple and pecans before popping the cake in the oven. This thick batter creates a nice pound cake like texture. The pecans get caramelized, adding a pleasant surprise to each bite. 

Start with 4 tablespoons of butter, melted slowly over medium heat. As soon as it's melted, add 3/4 cup brown sugar, and stir until dissolved. Increase the temp to med high and cook until it begins to bubble, about 2 min. Meanwhile, drain 1 can of pineapple tidbits, reserving the juice. Add pineapple to sugar and cook until it is a nice caramel color, about 2 more min. Remove from heat, gently stir once, and add 1/2 cup halved pecans. 

Heat oven to 350. Stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt.
In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup of sugar and 1 stick of butter,  room temp,  until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, and beat until just incorporated. (Over beating eggs makes for a tough cake.)
Gradually add flour mixture and 1 cup of buttermilk alternately, mixing on low. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 tbl dark rum.
Gently spoon on top of pineapple.
Bake for 25-35 min, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean in the middle (don't insert all the way down). Cool for 4-5 min (no more!) , loosen with a knife, place a cake plate on top, use oven mitts and flip over quickly. May be messy, but it's delicious! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Tips: substitute 1/4 cup buttermilk with pineapple juice, or save for a steak marinade!
Put aluminum foil under your skillet in the over to catch spills