Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies

A couple weeks ago, in my excitement over the Fall Season, I bought one of those little recipe booklets you find by the check-out line at your grocery store.  This one was all about Pumpkin!  After quickly thumbing through it I was certain I would try enough of the recipes to make it worth the little splurge…. and THIS was definitely first on my list!  I love white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, so the addition of pumpkin had me drooling just thinking about it.

The verdict… AMAZING!  Like maybe my favorite cookie ever now.  I would say these cookies are dangerously good…. because one day I think I actually ate like 7-8 of them!  They did not last long in my house….  I can never bring myself to make cookies as small as suggested, so I got about 3 dozen out of this recipe.

I did run into a little issue… or maybe not, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.  I thought they would be more cookie-ish I guess, but the texture of mine turned out much softer and more like pumpkin bread.  I even baked them slightly longer than suggested trying to make sure the centers were set up because I could tell they were so soft.  Once I accepted that they weren’t going to firm up however, and embraced the pumpkin bread texture of them I honestly couldn’t have been happier.  I LOVE pumpkin bread lol.  It just made for a harder time storing them without being able to stack them up.  If I had to guess, and I am no expert on the science of baking, I would say there is just too much butter and pumpkin, and not enough flour to get that cookie texture, but as I said I wouldn’t say it was a flaw, just something to be aware of perhaps.

This is definitely one I will make every year to ring in Fall, and I may even share some of them…. maybe.

Yield : 3 dozen

Ingredients :

• 2 cups all purpose four
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts, or walnuts

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda in a small bowl. 
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until creamy.  Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto greased baking sheets (or lined with parchment paper); flatten slightly with back of spoon.
6. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until centers are set. (Read above).  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe from Pumpkin recipe booklet

Buffalo Chicken Chili

I know I just posted a chili recipe, but that’s one of the things I like about chili.  There are SO many recipes out there, often using the same basic ingredients and spices, yet they all taste so different.  Obviously this particular recipe doesn’t stick to the traditional ingredients, but you all know that as soon as I saw the word Buffalo I had to try it!

This may seriously be my favorite chili recipe, ever!  The buffalo flavor is there, but not overwhelmingly so.  I actually tasted it while it was simmering and felt I wanted a little more so I used about a cup total of the wing sauce.  The recipe also just called for Frank’s hot sauce, which I believe is different than the Frank’s Wing Sauce version…. but whenever I am making something “buffalo” I always go for the wing sauce version.  It just makes sense.

It had a nice bit of heat, but again not overpowering for those that don’t like their mouth to be on fire.  I wasn’t sure about the spice amounts, and felt like too much of the traditional chili spices would mask the buffalo, so I ended up using 1 T. chili powder, 1 T. cumin, and about 1/2 T.  of the paprika.  That was perfect for us.  I used turkey instead of chicken, mainly because I was scared to buy Foster Farms chicken after hearing something on the news recently about maybe listeria or salmonella or something even though they didn’t recall it and said to simply make sure it was fully cooked.  I honestly don’t notice much difference between the two when they are ground up anyway since you are adding so much flavor to the dishes.  I also added a can of white beans to my chili and cut back on the amount of meat to make sure it wouldn’t get too thick.  I know a lot of people don’t like beans, but to me it isn’t chili if there aren’t beans!  The biggest addition I made to this, however, was to top it with some crumbled goat cheese (I gave my husband blue cheese, but I am not a fan) and OMG, that was SO perfect for this.  It melted in beautifully and made it so creamy and added that bit of tanginess that cuts through the heat of the buffalo sauce you would often get from either using blue cheese or ranch dressing.

I seriously couldn’t get enough, and it was just as good the next day for lunch!  If you are looking for a great comfort dish to warm you up as the weather turns cold and dark this is one you won’t want to miss!

Ingredients :

• 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 lbs. ground chicken (see note above, I used 1.25lb turkey)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. chili powder (see note above, I used 1 T.)
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 T. smoked paprika (see note above, I used about 1/2 T.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2-3/4 cup Frank’s hot sauce (see note above, I used 1 cup Frank’s Wing Sauce)
• 1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15oz.) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• Optional toppings : sliced green onions, shredded cheddar (I used the onions and some crumbled goat cheese for me and crumbled blue cheese for my husband)

Directions :

1. Set a large pot over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the ground chicken and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
2. Stir in the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies have softened.
3. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Stir in the hot sauce, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender and the chili has thickened to your desired consistency. (Best to give it at least an hour)
4. After simmering, try the chili and add additional seasonings and/or hot sauce to taste, if necessary. Garnish with sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, or any other toppings you’d like before serving!

Recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

 

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Walnut Streusel

Continuing on with my Fall cravings I had to try these when I came across them.  I have been trying to be really good and not bake every day even though that’s exactly the kind of food I want this time of year, but after reading that these (without the glaze on top I think) were only 150 calories a piece I all but ran to the kitchen to whip them up.  Luckily I already had everything on hand.

These muffins are fantastic!  They aren’t really sweet, but the addition of the glaze and streusel on top lends just the right amount of sweetness to make these healthier little gems taste as indulgent as the not so healthy ones.  The pumpkin flavor comes through nicely and the spice is just the right amount to not seem overwhelming.  And while these are not large muffins, you could eat two and still be under calorie compared to some of the muffins you COULD be eating.

True to their usual selves neither of my kids would even try these, but I did give some to a friend and she reported that their family loved them, kids included.  My husband and I had no trouble devouring the rest of them.  I would absolutely make these again, and again, and again.  The only slight change I made was to add a little bit of vanilla to the glaze because I just don’t like the flavor of straight powdered sugar.

 

Makes : 24 muffins

Ingredients :

• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg + 3 egg whites
• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Streusel :

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 T. butter, diced
• 2 T. oats
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 T. flour

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a mixer or separate bowl, beat the egg, egg whites, and pumpkin puree together until combines.
4. Mix in the olive oil, both sugars, and vanilla extract.
5. Slowly combine the flour mixture and wet mixture, stirring to just combine.
6. Grease a muffin pan and fill each section a little more than half way.
7. To make the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork or your hands to make rough crumbs. Top each unbaked muffin equally with the crumbs.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.
9. Optional: drizzle with powdered sugar mixed with milk!

Recipe from Apple of my Eye

Pumpkin Mac ‘n Cheese

I always see recipes for these healthier versions of dishes that are made with things like pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, etc, and I find myself skipping over them more often than not because I haven’t enjoyed those ingredients in the past.  I love pumpkin in desserts though.  The funny thing is, though, that I really WANT to like those things because they just scream Fall to me, and they are pretty healthy obviously.  I kept telling myself I just had to find the right dish for me, and this dish proved that theory!

I had no idea what to expect, whether it would taste like pumpkin and just have that cheesy texture, or if the pumpkin flavor would disappear all together like certain other alternative ingredients.  The answer is that it falls somewhere in between.  I could taste the pumpkin, but with the marscapone, garlic, onions and sage it takes on a somewhat sweet quality that takes it far enough away from that raw pumpkin taste that I really enjoyed it.  Texturally it reminded me a lot of mac ‘n cheese, but if you are hoping for that really cheesy flavor this may fall a little short.  Personally I am not a big fan of boxed mac ‘n cheese, and prefer more “grown-up” versions anyway with a variety of flavors and cheeses so I did not find it lacking at all.  Visually it definitely resembles traditional Mac ‘n Cheese.

To make more of a meal out of this I threw in some pan-fried chicken sausages and frozen peas.  I think mine were an Italian variety, but I can’t remember now that I have thrown out the package.  I imagine many of the different varieties available out there will work with this based on your tastes though.  The same goes for the peas.  You could use whatever vegetable you like, just be sure to allow for some cooking time if you are using something other than peas (I just threw them in frozen and the heat of the dish softened them up enough).

One side note…. the recipe calls for grated parmesan cheese, but I am fairly certain they meant the shredded variety.  I HATE when a recipe calls for grated and I get the powder because that’s what it’s called only to realize later they meant shredded.  It doesn’t matter that much in terms of flavor, but sometimes it does in terms of texture.  For this I just added some of it to the sauce as it heated, and then topped with a little more of the powder.

Anyway, both Jeff and I agreed this was a great dish and that we would make it again.  If you have kids that eat real food they would probably like this as well.

Serves : 4-5

Ingredients :

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 1/4 cup marscapone cheese (I added about 1 T. more)
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 12 oz. whole wheat pasta (something with ridges will catch the sauce best)

Directions :

1. In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, garlic and sage and saute until the onions are translucent.
3. In a blender, combine the pumpkin puree and cooked onions, garlic and sage, and blend until smooth.
4. Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and heat through.
5. While the sauce is heating, cook pasta according to package directions.
6. Add the mascarpone and parmesan to the pumpkin sauce and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Drain the pasta once al dente, reserving about half a cup of the pasta water.
8. Place the drained pasta back into the pot and add the pumpkin sauce, stirring until all the pasta is coated. Add pasta water if necessary to thin out the sauce.
9. Any add-ins should be mixed in next – I sauteed chicken apple sausages and added frozen peas to give a little more substance.
10. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and devour.

Recipe from Bites N Brews

Dark Chocolate Espresso Pumpkin Bread

Sounds amazing right?  Well it is!!  I almost couldn’t bring myself to bake it because the batter was so good.  Yes, I know I shouldn’t eat raw eggs, but I just can’t help myself lol.  I have always loved pumpkin bread, and then last year I made pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins which I also loved.  So when I saw the addition of espresso in this bread I knew I had to try it.  Problem is I knew my husband wouldn’t want any because of the coffee.  As I have mentioned before he absolutely detests it, and claims even the slightest bit ruins it for him lol.  So I just didn’t tell him.  He did taste it though, and said though he didn’t hate it, the coffee was gross and he didn’t want anymore.  No problem…. more for me!!!!

The bread was nice and moist, and you could taste all the elements from the pumpkin, to the spice, and the chocolate and espresso.  I didn’t have a 70% chocolate on hand so instead I used half a 60% bar and half a 100% bar.  It worked well for an overall flavor, but once in a while I ran into a chunk of the 100% that I didn’t chop small enough and it was a bit weird.  If I didn’t have the 70% on hand I would use the two again, but just make sure to chop it smaller I think.  This took a while to fully bake for me and I didn’t want the top to get too dark so I ended up putting some foil loosely over it during the last half of the baking time (which for me was a bit longer than the longest suggested time).  Unfortunately for me it stuck in my pan in one spot on the bottom even though I buttered and floured it well, but it wasn’t a big deal other than for pictures.  I also didn’t have actual espresso powder on hand, but I had just finished making a batch of cold brew espresso the day before so I just subbed the water in the recipe out for that and it worked perfectly.

Despite my husband’s protests to the coffee in this bread I am definitely going to be making it a lot this Fall.  I may or may not share with friends…. lol

 

Makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients :

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 T. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T. pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. espresso powder (see note above)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup room-temperature water (see note above)
• 6 oz. good quality dark chocolate, chopped (60-72%) (see note above)

Directions :

1. Position rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until well combined. Add in the espresso powder and both sugars and whisk until combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then the vanilla. Add in the water and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Be careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 65 to 85 minutes. (mine took 80 minutes) (see note above)
5. Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack, and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Turn out the loaf onto the wire rack and cool completely.
6. The bread can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.

Recipe from Portuguese Girl Cooks

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

As I said before, I am ready for fall, and find myself already searching for meals that remind me of my favorite time of year.  Even though I am not a big soup/stew fan, I can’t deny that it just screams fall, and so I am always on the look-out for new soups to try.  I am noticing I tend to gravitate towards rice soups, which isn’t a bad thing, just an observation.  I think it’s because I don’t like a real brothy soup.  Anyway, this is of course a rice soup as well, but for a bit of a change I decided it was finally time I tried wild rice.

As a kid I was a picky eater, and we didn’t eat rice very often and definitely never had wild rice.  As an adult, I am obviously more likely to try new things, but my husband has insisted for years that he absolutely HATED wild rice, so I have skipped over it.  Finally I just decided he needed to “man up” and give it another shot….. he still doesn’t like it.  But I did!  I actually couldn’t find just wild rice at the store other than a tiny box for l like $5 that wouldn’t have even been enough for what I was making and some quick versions I didn’t want, so I ended up with a wild and brown rice blend which was the same price for a much larger amount.  I think it had about 5-6 different types in it.  I really liked the nutty flavor of the rice, which was a nice change from the mostly flavorless other stuff.  I could actually enjoy eating rice by itself if it had flavor!

One note though…. I started to follow the cooking directions on the package but noticed that after about 25-30 minutes (it was supposed to go for 45 minutes and then steam off the heat for another 10) there wasn’t any water left in the pot so I went ahead and did a taste test then.  It was still ever so slightly chewy, but I actually prefer my rice that way.  I don’t appreciate mushy rice, and rather enjoy a bit of texture.  So I took it off then and allowed it to sit for the 10 minutes and that was perfect… especially since it was going into soup and I knew that would soften it even more.

As for the soup… I really enjoyed it, but my husband couldn’t see past his wild rice prejudice lol.  It had a great earthy taste, and was creamy and comforting, just like soup should be.  I used rotisserie chicken again (I know big surprise) and a bit more mushrooms than it called for probably since I actually halved the recipe and still bought an 8oz container of mushrooms.  I used probably 3/4 of the package.  I served a soft multi-grain baguette that I slightly toasted under the broiler with this and it was perfect!  The only thing I will do differently next time, and there will be a next time to my husband’s dismay, is to use poultry seasoning in place of the ground thyme (I know it called for dried thyme but I didn’t have any).  I should have used even less of the ground thyme since it’s flavor is stronger than dried thyme but I guess I misjudged just how much stronger it was.  I have never been a huge fan of thyme and so a blend that still has that earthy/fall taste without such an overpowering thyme flavor seems like it would suit my tastes nicely, and I did end up liking the amount of seasoning the ground variety gave, just not the flavor if that makes sense.    It was great heated up the next day by the way.

Serves : 8

Ingredients :

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped  (I used white)
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried thyme (see note above)
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 8 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions :

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions. (See note above)
2. In a large pot, or dutch oven, heat oil.  Saute carrots, celery, and onions until soft; about 4 minutes.  Add thyme and flour and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring so it doesn’t burn.
3. Add in your chicken stock, and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken, mushrooms, and salt & pepper, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add cooked wild rice and half-and-half, bring back to a boil, and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Turn off heat and stir in the chopped parsley.

Recipe from Roti n Rice

Kicking off the Fall Season with some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Let me just start off by saying WOW!  My house sure smells amazing right now!  Not only were these muffins quick, and delicious, but they were also made from things I had on hand which is always a good thing.  This is especially true when you are trying to bake on a budget so to speak.  Maybe not everyone has cans of pumpkin on hand but I usually have at least three at any given time.

We really enjoyed these muffins, and my only thought is that it could stand to have even more spice to it, whether you use cinnamon or pumpkin spice, or nutmeg or ginger or whatever.  The recipe actually called for 2 Tsp. of cinnamon but I did 1 Tsp. cinnamon and 1 Tsp. pumpkin spice.  I also did 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar for these.  I am pretty sure the recipe called for milk chocolate chips, but I tend to prefer dark chocolate so that is what I had on hand.  I don’t think you can go wrong with chocolate though.

I realize Fall has already started, and even the weather of late has been right on track for this great season.  However, in my house it isn’t truly Fall until October when we get to decorate for Halloween and start making all the yummy fall treats.  It’s also the month of my oldest son’s birthday so it’s always extra special now.  Anyway, these were the perfect thing to round out a day of decorating, and I hope everyone else is enjoying their fall as much as we are!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Serves : 28-30 muffins            Time to make : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 16 oz. canned pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine the eggs through oil into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl combine the flour through salt and then gradually incorporate into the wet ingredients until mixed well.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Fill muffin cups (greased or lined)  3/4 full and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 16-20 minutes.