Here's one of my favorites: pumpkin gingerbread.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons water
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin purée, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the raisins if using. Stir only until incorporated.
5. Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes or longer.
Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners always get me in the mood for sweet potatoes. They are cheap, accesible, and delicious. Add some bacon and they become a great bite sized snack.
ReplyDeleteBacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
1 Large sweet potato, peeled
4-6 slices sugar-free bacon
olive oil
chili powder
toothpicks
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Cut the sweet potato into 1″ chunks. Slice the bacon in half crosswise and then lengthwise to yield 16-24 strips, use enough bacon to have one strip per sweet potato chunk. Wrap each sweet potato chunk with a strip of bacon and secure with a tooth pick, place on baking pan.
For the holiday season, I get many requests from friends and families to bake cookies. I stick to 5 recipes (double chocolate chunk, chocolate chip made with ground coffee, peanut butter, white chocolate and macadamia, and sugar) that are easy to prepare and always a crowd pleaser.
ReplyDeleteFor the holidays I always love the peanut butter kiss cookies.Here's how to make it if you're interested:
ReplyDeleteIngredients:
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional granulated sugar
Directions:
1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.