Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Have you ever walked into some one's home for the first time and felt immediately welcome and comfortable right away?  This is exactly how I felt this past month with my Secret Recipe Club assignment.  I was completely delighted to be in the "home" of Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes.  Honestly, I didn't want to leave! And I truly feel that the title of her blog is beyond perfect as EVERY. SINGLE. recipe that she shares is fantastically delicious!

 My list for recipes to make from Sarah's blog started with her Coffee Cake Pancakes - what a brilliant pairing! I then went onto marking her recipe for a Blueberry Breakfast Braid - blueberries are always wonderful to bake with!  But then I found a recipes for Chicken Parm Meatballs along with Soft Raisin Cookies - both delicious comfort foods in my book.  My world stood still when I discovered Sarah's recipe for Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.  Not only did this recipe call for pumpkin but also for maple syrup.  TWO ingredients that are near and dear to my heart.  I love them.  I really do! 

 This cake is the perfect cake to make for this time of year.  Pumpkin seems to be the theme of all things good and yummy right now and then add in a fluffy sweet frosting with hints of maple syrup and cinnamon you truly can't go wrong! 

Vermont Spice Cake with 

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting 

 (recipe from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes) 

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder  

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin spice 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1/2 cup evaporated milk (I used 2% milk as I didn't have any evaporated milk...worked fine!) 

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 cup water 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

11 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tsp maple flavoring (I used 1 tsp maple flavoring and 1 TBSP real maple syrup)

a squeeze of lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 pan or two 9" round pans and set aside.  

2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt. Set aside.

3.  Cream together butter and sugar until nice and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time beating well for each egg.   Add in pumpkin puree, milk, water and vanilla extract and mix well all together.

4. Gradually add in flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix just until all is combined.  Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

5. Make frosting by creaming together cream cheese and butter.  Gradually add in powdered sugar and then maple flavoring (and maple syrup if you wish) and squeeze of lemon juice. Beat all together until light and fluffy.  Frost cake and enjoy!  

Happy Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Baking!

A gift of a soup...Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

Recently a good friend of mine (Hey, Melissa!) made a big pot of this soup and handed me a lovely container of it for me to enjoy with my family.  What a gift of a soup!  Not only did we enjoy a delicious lunch of hot soup on a damp cold day but I then acquired recipe that I have been able to use over and over again since then to make as gifts for other friends of mine. One of my friends even said that it was the BEST soup she had ever tasted.  Goodness did that make me happy! 

The flavors of pumpkin, curry and cumin all come together to form a delicious party in your mouth.  The texture of the soup is fun too as it has the smoothness of the pumpkin puree but also the perfection of the small black beans along with soft diced tomatoes.  All of the textures and tastes come together to make one delicious soup. 

And the soup is very easy to make!  It would make a lovely week-night dish as it can be made and on the table within 30 minutes.

 

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

(recipe from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed

2 cans (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2)

1 heaping Tbsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt to taste

chives, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1.  Heat a large soup pan over medium high heat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Add in chopped onion and cook until translucent and soft.

2. Add in broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree.  Stir all together and bring soup to a gentle boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream (or 1/2 and 1/2), curry powder, ground cumin and salt.  Simmer soup for at least 5 minutes.  Taste soup and adjust seasonings if need be.

Sprinkle soup with chopped chives and serve with a lovely hearty bread.  D'lish!

Happy Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup Making!

Pumpkies (the cutest name ever)

I mean seriously doesn't it make you want to say, "ahhh" when you hear the word pumpkie?  I just love that word! And I love what a pumpkie actually is! Can you guess what it is? It is not a cookie.  Not cake. Not even a mini pie.  It's a.....brownie!  Yes, a pumpkin brownie! A lovely, sweet and easy to make pumpkin brownie.  A Pumpkie.  Go ahead, you can say it - it will make you smile. :-)

Want the recipe? I know you do!

Pumpkies

(recipe from Mother Thyme - I so LOVE Jennifer's blog)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking pan - set aside.

2. Beat butter until light and fluffy - about 2-3 minutes.  Add in sugar, egg and pumpkin puree.  Mix all together until well combined.

3. Add in flour, spices and salt to your pumpkin mixture.  Mix all together until well combined.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and then pop into preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  Cool as much as you wish and serve.

*I served mine slightly warm and wished that I had some freshly whipped cream to dollop on top as I think that would have been super yummy...next time I will do so!

Happy Pumpkies Baking!



It Is Secret Recipe Club Time!

Recently I joined a fun cooking group online called, The Secret Recipe Club.  Oh. My. Goodness what fun! I was assigned a LOVELY blog and from that blog I got to choose a recipe to make and then share with all of you.  But I couldn't reveal the blog or the recipe until today!  So without any further waiting my secret recipe for today is, Mini Pumpkin Muffins....

.... from the wonderful blog, Everyday Sisters. :-)

Not only did I enjoy this recipe (as I am sure you guys will too) but I fell head over heels in love with this blog!  Four (yes, FOUR...two of which are identical twins and all four of which are just lovely inside and out -  I can tell by their sweet smiles.) sisters have created and contribute to Everyday Sisters. All of them are just lovely - I feel like I know them personally now that I have been following them for the past month.  I felt honored to get to know them via their blog.  I love the variety of recipes that they offer such as Bistro Style Pasta Neapolitano (super yum looking and simple to throw together), White Zinfandel Sangria (one of my all time favorite kinds of drinks...the recipe lots so GOOD!) and Blueberry Cheesecake (which won an award!).  Yup, I did a lot of drooling as I looked through their blog. So many yummy recipes!! :-)

 

I loved these Mini Pumpkin Muffins! These little gems only required 5 ingredients - simple, yummy and fun.  Nothing better than that. Amen! And because they were so yummy and simple to make I made a batch to send to my oldest daughter's Halloween party at school today. I think all the kiddos will love them!

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

(recipe from Everyday Sisters)

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (NOT pie filling)

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil (I used canola)

sunflower seeds - optional - (I used chocolate covered sunflower seeds as that is what I had on hand... which worked out pretty well!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease mini muffin tins or line with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for sunflower seeds. Mix until well combined. 

3. Stir into batter sunflower seeds or you can wait until muffin batter has been scooped into tins.

4. Scoop batter into muffin tins.  I did so with my small scoop from Pampered Chef.

5. Bake for 11-13 minutes.  Cool for a couple of minutes in pan and then remove to serve and enjoy.

YUM!

A special thank you to Ellen, Nanci, Karen and Susan from Everyday Sisters for being part of the Secret Recipe Club so that I could have you as my first Secret Recipe Club blog.  Also, I'd like to thank Amanda who created this cooking club and Tami for hostessing my group.  I can't wait to find out which blog I get for the month of November!

Happy Mini Pumpkin Muffin Baking!

A Wonderful Winter Bread

About 2 weeks ago I started this post.  I had a couple finishing touches that I wanted to do before I posted it and told myself that the next morning I would do so and then push the lovely "publish post" button so that I could share this yummy bread recipe with all of you.  Well, something very special happened before I could do those last minute touches to this post....my water broke at 1:20 in the a.m. and I went into labor.  About 3 1/2 hours later I gave birth to beautiful Colette.  Here she is all snuggled up on my sister....

Needless to say I wasn't able to sit down at my computer the next morning and complete the last touches to this post!  I am slowly getting back on my feet and finding a rhythm to my day that involves a couple more things other than nursing, changing diapers and caring for little Coco and Jolie.  Please don't give up on my blogging as I have every intention to get back into a regular routine of doing so. To all of my food blog friends I miss checking you out on a daily basis! - I feel like I have so much to catch up on. :-)

In the mean time here is my blog post that I started a few weeks back....it's kind of fun to read that I was still pregnant with Colette when I originally wrote this post. :-)

**********************

Yes, I have yet to have my baby (as of 9pm on 1/11/11).  We are all waiting patiently.  Every day I wake up and wonder, will this be the day?!? And then in an effort to keep busy I tacile one more project in preparation for the baby's arrival.  I also find something wonderful to bake or cook  just to keep busy and active.  Needless to say my queue for blogging recipes is FULL!  - this is a good thing for I have a feeling that once the baby arrives my flexibility and time will be taken up by the tiny Bambino.  Can't wait!!!

Last week I was blessed to have a day with my mom.  I had been wanting to make bread and had found a wonderful recipe in a small Taste of Home magazine that I had picked up at the super market earlier this year.  In this little magazine I found a recipe for Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread.  A hearty bread cock full of delicious flavor and color from the pumpkin puree and plump raisins mixed into this lovely bread.  My family ate the bread toasted with butter or peanut butter.  I also made a lovely french toast with slices of this bread dipped in a mixture of egg, milk, vanilla and ground cinnamon.  Super yum bread with so many possibilities.

I do have to say that one of the hardest parts of making this bread was the kneading process.  Thankfully my mom was with me and was able to put her strength and non-pregnant body into helping with this part.  Because she is a little bitty of a woman my mom had to gain some height for extra strength so she kneeled on a stool to really get "on top" of the bread....

At one point she had to really put her body into the kneading and she actually stood up from a kneeling position on the stool to a standing position.  Mothers are so great!  Here is an "action" shot of her kneading....

Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread

(recipe from Taste of Home)

Recipe makes 2 loaves of bread

Bread Ingredients:

4 1/2 - 5 cups AP flour

3 cups whole wheat flour (I used WHITE whole wheat flour)

2 cups oats (I used regular although quick-cooking was recommended)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (120 - 130 degrees)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 heaping cup raisins

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Bread Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine 2 cups AP flour, (white) whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice,  salt,  sugar and yeast.  Add in warm water, pumpkin puree, applesauce and oil - mix until just moistened.

2. Add in eggs and beat until smooth. 

3. Stir in remaining AP flour to form a firm dough then add in raisins.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic - about 6-8 minutes.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease all of the dough...

  Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about an hour...

5. Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface, cut in half....

  Roll each portion into an 18"x9" rectangle.   Brush each dough rectangle with softened butter within 1/2" of the edges....

  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle over buttered dough.  Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.....

  Pinch seams to seal.

6. Place each dough roll seam side down in two greased 9"x5" loaf pans. Cover pans and let rise until doubled - about 30-45 minutes....

  I buttered my risen breads just before I popped them into the oven....just an added touch on my part.

7. Bake breads in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  

Slice and enjoy as you please!

Happy Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread Baking!

Gratitude and a Pancake Party

Gooble! Gooble!  Happy Thanksgiving!

 In honor of Thanksgiving I would like to share some thoughts and feelings on gratitude. I am grateful and so very fortunate for my beloved family (far and near), my precious, precious friends, a home that provides us with warmth and happiness, an amazing job and of course my love for creativity in so many realms of life - especially in my kitchen!  Which brings me to the fact that I have been wanting to thank all of you that read and follow my blog.  When I receive a comment on my blog or run into someone out and about in town that gives me a compliment or expresses how much they have enjoyed a particular recipe I have shared it makes me so happy (and grateful too!).  I send all of you a virtual {HUG} of appreciation for all of the support, guidance and positive reinforcement that you have given me through my blog....it is GREATLY appreciated. :-)  May your Thanksgiving be filled with delicious foods, wonderful memories and plenty of laughter!  Happy, Happy Turkey Day!!!

In hopes that most of you have a special holiday weekend planned ahead of you I thought I would share some of my most recent favorite pancake recipes so that you could treat yourself and your friends and family to a extra special breakfast.

I always enjoy a good pancake or two (or three)....especially with warmed up REAL maple syrup and butter that melts right into the pancakes.  Yummieeeee! 

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes
(recipe discovered on TK from member, sapeylissy)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup AP flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder (yes, thats right 4 tsp of baking powder)

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1/4 butter, melted

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and ground cinnamon.  Whisk all together and set aside.

2. In another bowl combine beaten eggs, milk, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla extract.
Stir in flour mixture until combined - do not over mix.

3. Heat your griddle or frying pan with butter over medium-low heat.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan for each pancake.  Brown on both sides.

Serve with warm maple syrup and butter....enjoy!

The second pancake recipe I present to you is full of delicious pumpkin flavor.....wonderful as a Fall breakfast treat!

Pumpkin Pancakes

(recipe discovered on TK from the member, Heather Christo)

Ingredients:

1 cup AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional) - for garnish/topping

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl with a whisk or a fork.

2.  Make a well in the center of your mixed dried ingredients and add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and melted butter.  Mix well all together until batter is smooth.

3. Grease your griddle or pan over medium-low heat with butter or oil.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter into heated pan.  When bubbles start to form on the surface of your pancakes, it is time to flip the pancakes.  Let them cook another minute before removing them onto a plate.

Serve hot with butter and REAL maple syrup and sprinkle with some chopped toasted pecans if you wish....ENJOY!!!

Wishing each and everyone of you a festive and warm Thanksgiving along with lots of happy yumminess as you make your pancakes!

Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

Hello there pumpkin friend!  I just wanted to let you know that I simply adore you.....you are full of gorgeous color, texture and taste (especially in a baked tasty treat).  :-)

I got to play a little bit with my pumpkin friend this past week.  I made some adorably d'lish mini loaves of Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cakes for my first month of The Cake Slice baking group.  My Dear Dad was part of an Art Tour a couple of  weekends ago in which he was able to open up his photography studio for all to come see and visit.  It is often a family affair when he does an art show.  My sister, my mom and even Jolie come together and help him set up, spruce up and even take down his pictures at the end.  Because I was not available to help him set up I offered to provide some of the refreshments (no better excuse to bake some special treats!) - I decided to make some goodies that were easily handled.....in other words, mini goodies!  I made Pecan Muffin Cutie Pies and slices of Mini Pumpkin (White) Chocolate Chip Loaves.  Both were HUGE hits and disappeared just like that!

I was particularly excited to make this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake recipe for it is the first recipe I have made part of The Cake Slice Bakers group that I have recently joined.  We will be baking out of Cake Keepers Cakes by Lauren Chattman cookbook for the next 12 months.  Get ready for some wonderful recipes coming your way from this book....I have already tagged a bunch of DEE-lish recipes that appeal to me as I have been browsing through this book.

You can find all the lovely blogs that are also part of The Cake Slice Bakers group HERE. :-)

I was quite pleased with this recipe.  My mini loaves came out with a lovely crumb texture full of pumpkin flavor that only improved over time.  I did consider making a fluffy cream cheese frosting to go over the breads but then decided against it.  I felt like the yummy full flavor of the bread would be taken away from the frosting.  No need to foul around with a good thing!

Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

 (recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes cookbook)

Ingredients:

*1 3/4 cup flour

*1 tsp baking soda

*1 tsp baking powder

*1 tsp cinnamon

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/4 tsp ground ginger

*pinch of nutmeg

*1 stick butter, unsalted - softened

*1 1/4 cup sugar

*3 large eggs

*1 cup pumpkin puree

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1/3 cup milk

*1 cup mini chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips instead)

*1 cup chopped walnuts (I did not use these)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease desired bread pan (mini or regular) with non-stick spray and then lightly dust pans with flour.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a medium bowl.

3. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl.  Beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy - scrap down bowl at least once.

4. Keeping the mixer on medium-low speed add in eggs, one at at time.  Scrap down bowl in between each addition of the eggs.   Add in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract - mix to combine. Add in milk...

5. Slowly add in flour mixture (1/2 a cup at a time) as mixer is on low speed.  Scrap down bowl to ensure all flour is combined to the pumpkin mixture.

6. With a wooden spoon stir in chocolate (which every kind you wish) chips and nuts (if desired) to batter....

7.  Pour batter into pan/pans.  Smooth the top of bread with a rubber spatula....

 Bake for 55 minutes for a regular size loaf pan and about 30-35 minutes for the mini loaves.  Bread should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when fully baked.

8. Cool bread/breads in pan/pans for 5 minutes and then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Yum to Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake!!!

Happy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Baking!

This recipe has been linked to....

http://eatathomecooks.com/2010/10/ingredient-spotlight-pumpkin.html

From My Tiny Kitchen - Pumpkin Blog Hop Party