Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

I told you I wasn't done with pumpkin. Can't stop. Won't stop.

Pumpkin white hot chocolate. As soon as I found this recipe, I went to the grocery store and bought two bags of white chocolate chips. I knew that this would quickly become an addiction.

I was right. I had four in one week.  I justify the guilt of consuming that much white chocolate by thinking of how much money I saved by making the hot chocolate rather than buying one at Starbucks. So what if I had to log some extra hours at the gym? It was totally worth it.

I love the texture of this drink. I used skim milk and it still had an extremely creamy texture as if I had used half and half because of the pumpkin. I like to think that means it's more healthy. Leave me to my illusions, please.

The only changes I made to this recipe were to use skim milk instead of whole, increase the amount of cinnamon, and use white chocolate chips instead of a chopped bar. I also changed the servings from 4 to 3 because it would only make 4 small servings and... good luck only having a little of this!

It's definitely an interesting and delicious variation on white hot chocolate. It's gotten me thinking about other white chocolate flavor combinations like with raspberry, peanut butter, peach, caramel, etc. This could get very dangerous.  How long do you think I could live off of only hot chocolate? Until the weather warms up? I'll let you know...

Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate (3 servings) from Closet Cooking

·         3 cups skim milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate chips
pinch salt

1. Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer.

2. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

I know it's almost Christmas but I still have a plethora of pumpkin recipes to share (and more to come because I've hoarded about 15 cans. I'm crazy, I know). So here's a good one!

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a huge fan of pancakes. I generally like a savory breakfast of eggs, meat and carbs. I'm also a big fan of cereal and toast with peanut butter. But pancakes and french toast aren't my favorite. I think it might be that I don't really love syrup or anything maple flavored. However, Tom enjoys them and I don't absolutely hate them so I try to make one of the two when I see him.

This was my first time making pancakes (ya know, because I don't like them). So I was really nervous that I'd either burn them or turn them into a pile of gooey mess. But I didn't! It took a lot of effort and caused my unnecessary stress but I managed.

Also, I will never just make plain pancakes. Ever. I don't like my food boring so I always have to jazz it up. So if I'm going to make pancakes, I have to make some version of the bland breakfast that will: a) incorporate things that love and b) have some kind of flavor so I don't have to use much syrup. And this is how I decided upon pumpkin.

You all know how I feel about pumpkin. Obsessed. Now you will learn how I feel about streusel. LOVE IT. I won't eat a pie without streusel topping. It's just perfect, especially when it gets a little dark and crispy. This recipe had both so it was on my "make immediately" list.

These pancakes are really filling. Tom and I shared them and we couldn't finish the whole plate because they had a very cake-y consistency. So just keep that in mind when you decide how many to make because a little goes a looooong way!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes (4 servings) from Two Peas and Their Pod

·         For the cinnamon streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

·         To make the pancakes:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.

4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.

5. Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup and butter.

the gigantic pancake that was extremely difficult to flip

SUCCESS!

you can tell how hard I'm concentrating

beautiful finished product :)

Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Oatmeal Crumble

Pumpkin pie... the most traditional Thanksgiving dessert ever.

I won't lie. I don't love it.

Weird, right? First, because I love all food. Second, because I love pumpkin. I buy some every time I go to the store so I can hoard it away and pull it out when it's no longer in season. Trust me, you'll see pumpkin recipes on here in the middle of summer. My taste buds don't care about seasons.

Anyway, I think it's a texture thing. And it's just kind of boring, you know? There's no wow factor. That and by the time I get around to the dessert, I don't even want to look at food. For an average sized girl, I can eat an absolutely disgusting amount of mashed potatoes and stuffing. No really... it's gross and unnatural.

Well, I set out to find a recipe with some pizazz and that would amend the texture issue.  I found this. The cinnamon crunch is delicious and makes the pie feel less like custard. And it's just different enough to grab my attention. Granted, I only had a tiny piece because I couldn't stop eating all the Thanksgiving carbs, but I thought it was good! Definitely much better than the ones you can buy at the store that, for some reason, can sit out on the shelves for weeks. So give this a try if you're sort of impartial to pumpkin pie and want to spice it up!

 Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch (adapted from Bobby Flay's Throwdown recipe)

• Cinnamon Crunch

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold

• Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg, lightly beaten

• Filling

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

11/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

11/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for the top

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1.       To make the cinnamon crunch, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.       Combine the flour, oats, muscovado sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor, and process a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Pat the mixture evenly into a 4-inch square on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Keep the oven on.
3.       To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until combined. Press evenly onto the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie plate. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until light golden brown and firm, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
4.       Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
5.       To make the filling, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, both sugars, and the molasses together in a medium bowl. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla seeds or extract. Whisk in the butter.
6.       Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, pour the pumpkin mixture into the shell, and sprinkle additional cinnamon over the top. Bake until the filling is set around edges but the center still jiggles slightly when shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
7.       Cut the pie into slices and top each with a large dollop of whipped cream and some of the cinnamon crunch.

Pumpkin Smoothie

I cannot stop drinking this.  I've had one (and sometimes two) daily for the last week.

It's really quick to throw together, has very few ingredients, has a great consistency (not too watery and not so thick that you have to eat it with a spoon), and is really healthy!  Oh, and it tastes like cold pumpkin pie.

I know what you're thinking... "pumpkin smoothie" does not sound appetizing. I totally agree. Usually my smoothies are super fruity so this is totally different.  But just try it, I promise you won't be disappointed. Plus, it's HEALTHY and tastes like PIE. So you can have it - guilt free - whenever you want. It can be a sweet treat for breakfast or a light dessert. Can't get much better than that.

I've topped it with fat free whipped cream, graham crackers, and granola. All delicious and add to the pumpkin pie aura. 

 Pumpkin Smoothie  (serves 1)

• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 very ripe medium-sized banana, frozen
• 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup crushed ice

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, making sure the ice is completely crushed. 

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

I'm giving up on the appetizers.  I'm sorry.  I'll do it when I can but I found myself feeling pressured to constantly munch on them because I had so many leftovers.  And I was substituting meals for appetizers all week and it was making me cranky. But there's good news....

MORE PUMPKIN!

I always said that I would never drink coffee in the morning because I never wanted to need something to help me wake up. My mother needs her morning coffee to function and I swore it would never be me.

Then I started substitute teaching.  I now need a morning coffee.  And generally an after-school coffee.  And sometimes even an evening "pick-me-up" coffee.

Not only does the caffeine get me through the day, I just love the flavor.  Usually I just drink it with skim milk and Splenda but sometimes, when I need an extra dose of happiness in my life, I need a coffee drink that is packed with delicious flavors and labeled with a fancy name.

In the fall, my drink of choice is a pumpkin spice latte.  I can't go by a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts without craving one. However, at about 3-4 dollars per drink, my wallet was getting a little lighter than I'm comfortable with. Therefore, I decided that I had two options:

1) Go on a mission to find a recipe that would allow me to indulge my cravings without breaking the bank.
2) Ask Starbucks if they would consider hiring me and paying me in coffee.

I chose number one because I don't really want to make coffee for other people. Just me.

I found this.  It's quick and easy.  You don't need some at home barista machine to make it.  It takes me about 2 minutes to make and it provides me all the happiness I need to get through my 2 and half hour graduate class. That's a lot of joy in one cup.

This is an iced version because it's still warm enough to enjoy iced beverages.  Or I'm just trying to avoid the inevitable winter season.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte (1 serving) from Healthy Food For Living

• 3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch ground ginger
• tiny pinch ground nutmeg
• tiny pinch cloves *if you don't have all of these spices, you could just use pumpkin pie spice!
• ice cubes
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee that has chilled thoroughly in the fridge

1. Combine milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices in a blender; blend until well-combined and frothy. You could also just put the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them until frothy (which is what I did).
2. Pour mixture into a large glass filled halfway with ice cubes. Slowly pour in the chilled coffee. Serve with a dusting of cinnamon and whipped cream, if desired.

Pumpkin and Salted Caramel Blondies

This is my first pumpkin baking escapade!

And I finally tried substituting unsweetened applesauce for butter.  The original recipe called for two sticks of butter but I used one stick of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" and 1/2 of a cup of applesauce.  I have never made this recipe before so I can't comment on any taste difference. But it tasted plenty sweet and delicious to me so I think I'll continue using this trick. Between substituting applesauce for butter, using Splenda and whole wheat flower, I'll give myself a pat on the back for cutting out hundreds of calories and making this recipe more healthy!

I would bake this again just to have my kitchen smell like comforting fall spices and warm caramel.  Oh, and because they were delicious. I wrapped some up for my grandmother to bring to my grandfather and apparently they didn't make it to him so I guess that's a good sign (either that or she left them in the car, but I'm choosing to think positive).

The only downside to these treats is that the caramel makes them SO sticky.  Though this makes for a tasty treat, they were a pain to cut and came out looking a little rough.  Therefore, I wouldn't bring these to a party because they just don't look pretty.  But there's nothing wrong with some ugly deliciousness between friends and family :) After they taste these, I promise they'll forgive you!

I think these taste best warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds with a little bit of ice cream or whipped cream (I use the fat free stuff so I can go whipped CrAzY!). Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Salted Caramel Blondies (from baked bree)

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick room temperature butter(or margarine for baking)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (I used 1 1/8 cup of brown sugar Splenda blend)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup store bought caramel sauce with 1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla.
3. Add the pumpkin puree. Add the reserved flour mixture slowly, and stop when the batter is just combined.
4. Spray a 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray. Add half of the batter and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.
5. Pour over the caramel sauce.
6. Cover the caramel with the remaining batter.
7. Return the blondies to the oven and bake for another 40-50 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean. Let the blondies cool before cutting. 

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I know this isn't a typical man-pleasing football appetizer.  But I'm by myself this Sunday so I figured I'd make a light girly appetizer.  Girls like football too and sometimes (but only sometimes, I swear) I crave food other than meat and cheese.  And considering it's starting to feel like fall, I am craving anything with apples and pumpkin.

I found a pumpkin pie dip.  Into which you dip apples.  Pumpkin and apple goodness in every single bite?!?! This was a no brainer.

Also, I put the entire dip together as my coffee was brewing.  This recipe has it all... great fall flavors, quick and easy, inexpensive, low fat, and it even freezes well! I only ate it with apples but I'm positive it would be great on other fruit and graham crackers.  This is a very liquidy dip.  I don't mind because I can just dip the apples into it rather than using the apples as if it were a mini shovel to pile the pumpkin concoction into my mouth.  If you wanted a thicker dip, you could add another container of coolwhip, but the pumpkin flavor would be more subtle.  Enjoy this as an alternative to the caramel apple dip that you can buy from the grocery store!

Pumpkin Pie Dip (12 servings – 103 cals) from skinnytaste

• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used a brown sugar Splenda blend)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
• 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt (I used Chiobani)
• 8 oz fat free cool whip
• cut up apples to dip

1.  Mix pumpkin with brown sugar, vanilla and spices, blend well. 

2.  Mix in yogurt.  

3. Fold in cool whip and chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.

4.  Serve with apples or graham crackers or anything else you'd like!

And this was my lunch today.  That might be pumpkin coffee with half of an apple spice muffin.  And I had leftover pumpkin ravioli for dinner. I am prepared to say that I have an obsession but in no way is that a problem.