Pumpkin Roll

Another pumpkin recipe!  These pumpkin rolls are much easier to make than they look.  They are moist and a great dessert to make if you want something that looks special.  You can also make them in advance and keep them in your freezer for spur-of-the-moment guests.  Recipe from Libby's Pumpkin.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

CAKE

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

FILLING

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions

FOR CAKE:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Herbed Edamame, Black Beans, and Quinoa Salad

With Spring around the corner, I couldn't resist posting one of our favorite salads.  It is so flavorful and healthy.  We usually have it as a main dish, so I double it.

Herbed Edamame, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

1 1/3 cup water
2/3 cup uncooked pre-rinsed quinoa
1/2 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
2 cups loosely packed spring greens coarsely chopped
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (I don't add this)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. dried, crumbled oregano
1/8 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
2 oz. reduced fat crumbled feta cheese (about 1/2 cup)

In medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the quinoa.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 8 minutes.

Stir in the beans and edamame.  Cook, covered, for 2 minutes, or until the water is evaporated.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the feta cheese.  Add the quinoa mixture and the feta, tossing until the spring greens are wilted.

Serves 4.

Cowboy Coffee Cake

I remember this being my favorite coffee cake growing up and it is STILL my favorite.  It came from mom's old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  My newer BH&G cookbook doesn't have it, so luckily I copied it down a long time ago.  I thought my sisters would like a copy.  Every once in awhile I get a craving for it.  Today is one of those days!

Cowboy Coffee Cake

2 1/2 C sifted flour
2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 C shortening
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 C. sour milk
2 beaten eggs

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and shortening until crumbly; reserve 1/2 cup.  To remaining crumbs, add baking powder, soda, and spices; mix well.  Add milk and eggs; mix well.  Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 inch round pans; top with reserved crumbs.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.  Serve warm. 

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars

These are really good!  I found them HERE on Betty Crocker.

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

½ cup sugar

2/3 cup toffee bits, finely crushed

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding mix, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and 1 whole egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set in center. Immediately sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

*To easily crush the toffee bits, put them in a food-safe plastic bag.  Seal the bag and finely crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

Nancy's Chili

I tried this chili at a ward chili cook-off last year and loved it!  The nice lady who made it, Nancy Lewis, shared her recipe with me.  I was surprised at how easy it was and it's now my "go to" recipe for chili.  Thank you, Nancy!

2 lbs. hamburger, browned
1 diced, sauteed onion
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can Hunt's Spaghetti sauce (mushroom)
1/2 c. ketchup
1 diced bell pepper
1 Tbs. chili powder

Brown hamburger and onion.  Stir in beans, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, bell pepper, and chili powder.  Let simmer for awhile.  It's always better the next day.

Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie

I tried this Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving this year and will never try another recipe.  I love Pecan Pie and have been looking for the perfect recipe.  My search is now over.  I love how she chops the pecans instead of leaving them whole.  No more cutting into a big pecan and having your piece break apart.  Now it's just nutty, caramel-ly goodness in every bite. 

1 whole unbaked pie crust
1 c white sugar
3 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 c corn syrup (I used light)
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 c melted butter
3 whole eggs, beaten
1 c (heaping) chopped pecans

First, whip up your pie crust.  Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.  Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.  Pour syrup mixture over the top.  Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil.  Bake pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.  Note:  Pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.  If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set.  Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe.  Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!  (I baked mine for a total of 70 minutes.)  Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.  Serve in thin slivers.

Thunder Cake

I think each of my children have brought this recipe home from school at some point.  They read the story at school and then come home wanting to try the recipe.  We've made it a couple of times, but it had been awhile.  Lauren just brought it home, so we made it for FHE on Monday.  Wow!  I had forgotten how deliciously moist this recipe is.  Pair it with Chad's mom's chocolate frosting and you've got one of my all time favorites.  The kids get a kick out of it because it has tomatoes in it.  Enjoy!

Cream together, one at a time:

1 c shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated (Blend yolks in.  Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)
1 c. cold water
1/3 c pureed tomatoes

Sift together:
2 1/2 c cake flour (I just use regular)
1/2 c dry cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture.  Bake in two greased and floured 9 inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  Frost with chocolate butter frosting.  Top with strawberries.  (I didn't.  Never have.)

Chad's Mother's Delicious Chocolate Fudgy Frosting

1 cube butter
2/3 c cocoa powder
3 c. confectioners' sugar
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and stir in cocoa powder.  Alternately add the confectioners' sugar and milk and beat until smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  If it is too stiff, add milk by teaspoonfuls.  A little goes a long way.  Makes 2 cups.

Gingerbread Cookies

This is the time of year that I start dreaming of gingerbread.  Here's one of my favorite cookie recipes that we always have to find time to make during December.

3/4 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c molasses
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice or ground cloves
1 large egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 c flour

In saucepan set over low heat, or in the microwave, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar, molasses, salt, and spices.  Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, let it cool to lukewarm, then beat in the egg.

In a large bowl, whisk the baking powder and soda into the flour, then stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture.  Divide the dough in half and wrap well.   Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.  (This is important to have a good working dough.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  There's no need to grease the baking sheets.

Take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator and flour a clean work surface and the dough.  Roll it out as thin or thick as you like; for slightly less crisp cookies, roll it out more thickly.  I usually roll out about 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle flour under and onb top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.

Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, cutting them as close to one another as possible.  Transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake the cookies just until they're slightly brown around the edges, 8 to 12 minutes, or until they feel firm.  Immediately after you pull them from the oven, press red hot candies in cookies to decorate.  (I've tried baking different varieties of red hots and they always end up melting all over the cookies.  So, I just poke them in after baking.)  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, or until they're set.  Transfer them to a rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Makes 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon Glaze

I had to make poppy seed bread the other day and went to look for the recipe on this blog and...it wasn't there!  How could I not have poppy seed bread on here?  I don't know.  But here it is.  This is the recipe we've always made in my family.  I like to make it in small loaves, like I do with all of my sweet breads.  Makes about 6 small loaves or 2 regular loaves.  Sorry there aren't many poppy seeds in the picture.  I was a little short.  And speaking of poppy seeds...have you tried the lemon poppy seed muffins at Kroger?  The ones with the sugar crystals on top?  Holy smokes.  Those are good.  One look at the nutrient label is enough to put it back on the shelf.  Not that this bread is that much "healthier" but at least it doesn't come with a label pasted on it. :)

Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon Glaze

3 c. flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

2 ¼ c. sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ c. milk

1 c. + 2 T. oil

1 ½ -3 T. poppy seeds

1 ½  tsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. almond extract flavoring

1 ½ tsp. butter flavoring

  Add in order given.  Beat 2 min.  Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 min. or until firm.

Glaze:

¾ c. powdered sugar

½ tsp. butter flavoring

½ tsp. almond flavoring

¼ c. lemon juice (or mixed orange juice-I prefer lemon)

½ tsp. vanilla

  Mix together well.  Spoon over hot loaves while still in pans!  Let sit 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and let cool.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I don't know why I made this.  I saw it, it looked good, and then it never left my mind for weeks!  I made it just to get rid of the bookmark on my computer and the image in my head.  And boy was it good.  Really good.  It's from Pioneer Woman so of course it's good, right?  But it's also REALLY easy.  I did cheat and use a premade Oreo crust.  The homemade one would have been even better, I'm sure.  If you like all things peanut butter, chocolate, and creamy then you should probably make this.  Look at her pictures though.  They are much prettier.  But don't say I didn't warn you.  You might not get them out of your head and then you really will have to make this.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

FOR CRUST

25 whole Oreos

4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 package (8 Ounce) Softened Cream Cheese

1-1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1 package (8 Ounce) Cool Whip, Thawed

Preparation Instructions

CRUST:
Crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

FILLING:
Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Warning: This is ultra, ultra-rich. Cut small slivers—your guests will thank you!

The BEST Carrot Cake

I got this recipe from a blog called A Feathered Nest.  She claims it's better than Cheesecake Factory's Carrot Cake.  I've never tried theirs so I can't tell you if that's true...but this IS very tasty!  I love the pecans in it.  It's actually called Dr. Frederick's Carrot Cake I guess.  But whatever it's called, it's good.  And her pictures made it look so good.  So I had to make it.  Definitely check out HER pictures.

Dr. Frederick's Carrot Cake

4 eggs

1 1/4 c. vegetable oil (or 3/4 oil and 1/2 c. applesauce)

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar

3 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground nutmeg (fresh ground is best)

3 c. grated carrots - (coarse grate, not fine grate)

1 c. chopped pecans

8 oz. drained crushed pineapple (I drained the pineapple and measured 8 oz. - or 1 c.)

FROSTING:

1/2 c. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chopped pecans

pinch of salt  (I added this in - I've found that if I add just the tiniest pinch of salt to my frostings, it makes the flavor pop.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan or two round cake pans.

*Note: Using a food processor with the grater blade attachment, you can grate your carrots in no time.  I started dropping handfuls of baby carrots into the opening of the lid and had 3 cups of grated carrots in seconds.  You can also chop your nuts in the food processor, as well.  Save yourself some time.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl (I used my Kitchen aid mixer), beat together eggs, oil, applesauce (optional), sugars, and vanilla.  Mix in flour mixture.  Slowly stir in carrots, pineapple, and nuts.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  (baking times may vary)  Let cake cool in pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

For the frosting:

Beat everything together except the nuts until it's smooth and creamy.  Fold in pecans.  Make sure your cake is completely cooled before you frost it.

French Dip Sandwiches (Crock pot)

My cousin, Laura, shared this recipe with me and my family loves it.  I love it because it's tasty and so easy!

1 Big Boneless Roast (I usually use a beef rump roast)
1 cup soy sauce
4 c. water
2 bay leaves
2 t. rosemary
2 t. thyme
2 t. garlic powder
1 package of sliced french rolls or hoagie rolls (Any firm roll will work.  You don't want the roll too soft or it will be too soggy.)

Put all ingredients except rolls in crock pot.  Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.

Remove roast and cut into very thin slices or shred.   Place beef on rolls and dip sandwiches in the au-jus from crockpot.