Happy Halloween: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves change color, and it starts to get cooler. I also love the baking that begins this time of year. Apples, pears, and especially pumpkin. This is the first of many recipes I plan on making this year. I wanted to make something for Halloween and these pumpkin cookies from The Joy of Baking looked delicious. These cookies are more like little cakes than cookies, light and fluffy. I changed some spices from the original recipe and reduced the sugar a bit. They are very flavorful, and the cream cheese icing is a nice balance with the cookies because it is not too sweet.

Cookies:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup plus 2T light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Icing:
4 ounces room temperature cream cheese, regular of low fat
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 pure vanilla extract

Halloween sprinkles (optional)

Note: Instead of frosting the cookies, you could add to the batter 1 cup of chopped nuts or 1 cup of chocolate chips.

For the Cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Place small mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. I used a 3T cookie scoop. Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Place small dollops of the frosting on each cookie. Decorate with Halloween sprinkles if desired. Store uniced cookies at room temperature. Store iced cookies in the refrigerator.

For the icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter until combined. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until the frosting is soft and creamy.

Makes about 20 cookies

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie

I love all things apple, so when my mom's work was hosting an apple pie contest, I knew that i wanted to enter.  I decided to make a version of this pie from epicurious.com.  Cinnamon and apples are a classic combination, and I liked that this version was a bit different from a traditional Dutch apple pie.  The crumb topping actually forms a crisp, sugary, cinnamon crust on top.  I thought it was delicious, and so did the customers at my mom's work, who did the voting.

I followed the recipe for the most part, but I did use a different crust.  The crust I use for every pie is Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  It is buttery, flaky, and delicious.  It uses a combination of butter and shortening to give it great flavor and a flaky texture.  It easily comes together in a food processor, and the recipe is easy to double, so you can always freeze half of it to use at another time. 

 

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie

Crust (makes one 9-inch single crust)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose floor
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
• 2 1/2 T. very cold (or frozen) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
• About 1/4 cup ice water

Filling

• 3 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 T. unsalted butter, melted

Topping

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

 To Make the Crust:

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients.  Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse just until they are cut into the flour mixture. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of water.  Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour.  If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary so the dough will stick together when pinched. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper.  If working on a floured surface, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured.  Fit the dough into the pie plate, and using a pair of scissors, cut the excess dough to a 1/2 inch overhang.  Fold the dough under itself, so it hangs a bit over the edge.  Flute the edge or use a for to make a decorative edge.

To Make the Filling

 Mix all the ingredients together to coat the apples.

To Make the Topping

Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream, if desired

CEiMB: Chicken Pot Pies with Phyllo Crust

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly pick is from Shandy of Pastry Heaven.  She chose for us to make the Chicken Pot Pies from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.  I really wanted to try this recipe because instead of the heavy crust that usually accompanies a chicken pot pie (which I do love), this pot pie uses a phyllo dough crust.  Phyllo dough is light and crispy, and typically used in Greek dishes such as spanakopita or baklava.

I must admit, I took a few shortcuts this week, but that is what is so great about Ellie's recipes, they are always adaptable.  Whenever I am making an Ellie recipe, I try to make the most of the ingredients I have on hand because it can get a bit expensive buying special ingredients on a weekly basis.  Fortunately, I had everything on hand for this recipe except the phyllo dough.  Instead of the vegetables called for in the recipe, I used a medley of frozen vegetables from Alexia foods.  It was a combination of roasted red potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions in a sage broth.  I simply cooked the vegetables as directed on the package, in place of the fresh vegetables, after you cook the chicken, and before you make the broth.  I had frozen peas, so I added them at the end. I didn't have any Parmesan cheese, so I just added some fresh cracked pepper and coarse salt to the top of the phyllo crust.

I quite enjoyed this recipe.  The sauce for the chicken and vegetables wasn't too heavy, and it complimented the light crust really well. I will definitely make this again, I think the recipe lends itself to so many great combinations.  Thanks to Shandy for a great pick, and be sure to check out the blogroll to see what other CEiMB participants did with their pot pies!

CEiMB: Apple Brown Betty

After a hectic September, and a much needed vacation I am back on track with Craving Ellie in My Belly.  This week's pick is from Jessica of Learning to Love Vegetables.  She chose for us to make the Apple Brown Betty from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  

I had never made an Apple Brown Betty because for some reason the concept of it never seemed that appealing to me.  An Apple Brown Betty is essentially an apple crisp, but instead of an oat and flour crumble topping, the apple mixture is topped with bread crumbs.  So I am glad that this recipe is was chosen this week, and that I belong to a group like this because without it, I probably wouldn't have tried this recipe, and I am really glad that I did. Like most of Ellie's recipes, this was quick and easy to put together.  You simmer the apples in apple cider and brown sugar then place them in a pie plate, top with bread crumbs and nuts (the original recipe called for walnuts, but I used pecans because I like their flavor better than walnuts), and bake in the oven.  

I really enjoyed this.  I liked the fact that the apples were simmered in cider, it gave the dish a wonderful "Fall" feeling, and the dish wasn't overly sweet, which I think is the problem with a lot of desserts.  The sweetness usually overpowers many of the flavors, and this isn't the case with this dish.  I used Honey Crisp apples (my absolute favorite) instead of Golden Delicious. On another note, my dish only took about 25 minutes to bake instead of the 30 minutes called for in the original recipe.  I also doubled the amount of cinnamon called for in the filling because it just didn't seem like enough, and I really love cinnamon, you could smell the dish baking throughout the whole house. I would definitely make this again, and I like the "crust" that the bread crumbs formed on top of the dish.  Next time I would like to mix it up a bit.  I might try it with pears or maybe add some dried cranberries and some orange zest.  So thanks Jessica for a great pick, and be sure to check out the Craving Eliie in My Belly Blogroll to see what other bloggers did with their dish!

Ham, Tomato, and Spinach Frittata

A frittata is basically a crustless quiche.  They are great for brunches or family breakfasts because they require minimal preparation, and you can make endless combinations.  I like to start my frittatas on the stovetop and finish in the oven.  You can add any ingredients that you would normally add to an omelet, and once the initial ingredients are softened on the stovetop, you don't have to sit and monitor the eggs, just pop it in the oven.  I made my frittata with a combination of diced ham, spinach, scallions, tomatoes and cheddar cheese, a great combination.

Ham, Tomato, and Spinach Frittata
      serves 6

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 10 larges eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup (packed) baby spinach, chopped
• 1-2 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. diced ham
• 2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat an ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter.  
• Add the ham, spinach and scallions and cook until the onions are soft and the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.  
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and stir in the Cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Spread out the ham, spinach, and scallions mixture evenly in the pan, pour the egg mixture into the skillet and using a spatula, lift up the mixture to allow some of the eggs to flow underneath.  Place the tomatoes slices on top of the frittata.
• Place the skillet in the oven, and cook until the frittata is puffy and golden, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the oven (careful, the handle will be hot), and let the frittata cool for at least 5 minutes.  Cut the frittata into six wedges and serve. 

Roasted Tomato Salsa

What do you do when you have a table full of tomatoes from your garden??

You make salsa!  I love my Pico de Gallo recipe, but this time I wanted to try and give the salsa a more roasted flavor. so I simply took the same ingredients and tossed them in some olive oil, and roasted them in the oven until they were soft and a bit charred.  I then put them in a food processor with some lime juice and cilantro, and presto, salsa!  This recipe makes quite a bit of salsa, but it will keep for at least a week in the fridge, and it can be used for so many things.  It is great topping for fish or chicken, or stir in some black beans and corn for an easy side dish.  I like my salsa hot, but feel free to scale down on the chile peppers if you like a more mild salsa.


Roasted Tomato Salsa

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 6 hot peppers, stems removed (I used 3 jalapenos and 3 serranos, if you want a milder salsa, cut back on the hot peppers or slice the peppers in half and remove that seeds and inner ribs of the peppers)
• 6 lbs tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Juice from two limes
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• salt

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place garlic cloves, onion, and hot peppers in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and toss with olive oil.  Roast for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  You can use this time to chop and seed your tomatoes.  
• Remove the dish from oven and add the tomatoes, season with salt.  Return the dish to the pan and roast the tomatoes until they are soft and somewhat charred, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool at least until the dish can be handled.  
• Transfer the contents of the dish to a food processor (if your food processor is small, you may have to do this in batches).  If your tomatoes are ripe, roasting them will generate a lot of juice.  I used a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes, because if I were to transfer all that juice the salsa would be way too runny.  
• Add the lime juice and cilantro to the food processor and pulse until you reach the desired consistency for the salsa.  The vegetables should be pretty soft, so it won't take long.  Taste and re-season with salt and/or lime juice if necessary.

CEiMB: Salmon Cakes with Creamy Sesame-Ginger Sauce (and a giveaway)

It's my week to pick a recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly.  I have chosen for the group to make the Salmon Cakes with Creamy Sesame-Ginger Sauce from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.  I thought this recipe would be a good alternative to your typical crab or tuna cakes, plus I loved that the ingredients had an Asian flair with lots of healthy ingredients that I enjoy.

This salmon cake combines ingredients such as water chestnuts, cilantro, and scallions.  It uses eggs and whole wheat bread crumbs as binders, and the cakes are served with a yogurt-based sauce with flavors of sesame oil, ginger, and soy sauce.

A few notes/changes to the original recipe:

• I think that it is important not to chop your water chestnuts too finely or else you will lose that great crisp texture.  
• Next time I may cut back on the bread crumbs because I found that the cakes did not hold together to well.  I had a hard time flipping the cakes without them falling apart.  Alternatively, I might refrigerate the cakes before adding them to the skillet so they will hold together better.  
• I added a few tablespoons of chili-garlic sauce to the cakes to impart a bit more flavor and add a bit of heat to the cakes. 
• For the sauce I cut way back on the amount of ginger that is in the original recipe.  Instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger, I only added 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger and I still found the ginger to be quite prominent.  1 1/2 tablespoons would be way too overpowering. I also doubled the amount of soy sauce called for in the recipe, I wanted the sauce to have a bit more of a salty flavor.
• I served my cakes on a bed of baby spinach, it went really well with the salmon cakes.

I liked the flavor of these cakes and I think that the sauce complemented them really well.  I would definitely make these again


Salmon Cakes with Creamy Sesame-Ginger Sauce  
      Yield: 6 servings (2 cakes plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce per serving)

• 6 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 2 (15-ounce) cans salmon, drained, skin and bones removed (I used boneless, skinless cans of salmon)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 scallions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped canned water chestnuts
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons Chili-Garlic sauce (optional)
• Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce (Recipe follows)

Salmon Cakes:

• Remove crusts from the bread, break into pieces, and process in a food processor until you get a fine bread crumb. In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork. Add the egg and mix well. Finely chop 4 of the scallions and add to the bowl. Add the water chestnuts, cilantro, pepper, and the bread crumbs and mix well. Shape the mixture into 12 patties.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add 6 patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.
• Chop the remaining 1 scallion. Serve salmon cakes with the sauce and garnish with scallion.

Sesame-Ginger Sauce:

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 6 tablespoons nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (I only used 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (I used 2 teaspoons)
• If using regular yogurt place the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel. Put the strainer over a bowl and place in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 30 minutes.
• Place drained yogurt or Greek-style yogurt into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Whisk until smooth.

In addition to hosting CEiMB this week, I am also giving away an extra copy of  The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.  I love this book, and I would love to be able to share it with someone else.  All you have to do is leave a comment here by Sunday, August 22 by 8pm EST telling me what is your favorite healthy recipe.  My apologies, but I can only send the book to residents of the United States and Canada. 

Thanks for checking out this post, and be sure to check out the Craving Ellie and My Belly blogroll to see what other members of the group did with this recipe.

Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables

When it is the middle of summer, and I am picking vegetables daily from my garden, sometimes the easiest thing to do is just to make a simple, refreshing salad.  Nothing taste better than fresh corn and tomatoes at the peak of ripeness.  They are sweet and delicious.  I've had a garden for three years now, and I have been spoiled.  Each year, tomatoes have been abundant.  A store bought tomato cannot compare with a tomato picked from your backyard.  For the most part, if it's not summer, I usually cook with canned tomatoes because they have so much more flavor than a fresh tomato in the middle of winter. 

This salad is simple and filling it is full of chickpeas and summer veggies.  The zucchini, shallots, and corn are sauteed briefly before being mixed in with cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, and feta cheese.  The whole salad is dressed with a light champagne vinaigrette and fresh herbs add some great flavor.  It is a great healthy lunch option.  You could also add some canned tuna to the salad for some extra protein.

Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables

 

for the salad:

 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 cups of fresh corn, from 4 ears of corn
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium seedless cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

 

for the vinaigrette:

 

• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

 

finish with:

 

• juice from half a lemon (optional)

  

To assemble the salad:

 

 

First make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl add the vinegar and Dijon mustard, slowly drizzle in olive oil, while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, set aside while preparing the salad.

 

In a skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil and once it is warm, saute the zucchini, shallots, shallots until everything is slightly soft, but not mushy, about 3 minutes. It is going into a salad, so you still want the vegetables to still be somewhat firm. Place in a bowl and allow to cool.

  

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, dill, parsley, and feta cheese to the bowl, pour on the vinaigrette (whisk before adding to the salad if it has separated while it had been set aside), and stir the salad gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and if desired squeeze a half of a lemon over the salad and stir to combine. I felt that the salad needed a bit more tartness, which is why I added the lemon juice at the end, but that might not be the case for everybody.

 

 

 

CEiMB: Chicken with Warm Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Salad

It's Thursday! That means it is time for another Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. This week's recipe was chosen by Danica of Danica's Daily.  She chose for us to make Chicken with Warm Tomato and Corn Salad from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  A link to the recipe online can be found online at Ellie's website here.  This was a perfect recipe for summer.  It is full of wonderful summer vegetables like corn and tomatoes.  I used cherry tomatoes and cilantro that I picked from my garden and fresh corn that I picked up from a farmer's market earlier this week.

I changed this recipe up a bit, instead of salt and pepper, I used my favorite southwest/Mexican spice, Goya Adobo with cumin to season the chicken and the corn and tomato salad.  I also added a jalapeño to the salad, and, instead of avocado, which I only like in guacamole form, I added a can of black beans.  Black beans and corn is one of my favorite combinations, and I thought that it would add some substance to the dish and make it more of a complete meal.

I love the flavors of this dish, it is fresh and light, a great summer meal.  Thanks to Danica for a great pick, and be sure to check out the Craving Ellie in My Belly blogroll to see what the other bloggers did with their dishes.

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling

Fine cooking is one of my favorite food magazines.  They constantly have great recipes, tips, and techniques.  One of my favorite issues has a feature on blueberry desserts, and I must have looked at this recipe for Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling a hundred times, saying to myself "You've got to try this recipe."  Well, I finally got around to making them for a co-worker's birthday, and I wish I would have made them sooner.  They were delicious.  The blueberry flavor is quite prominent and goes so well with lemon filling.  And I love the combination of blueberries and lemon.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it is really easy to make, I didn't even have to use my mixer.  So, even though I couldn't seem to get a great picture of these bars, I just had to post this recipe because I loved these bars so much.


Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling
 adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

• 8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
• 13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 large egg, separated
• 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
  
• 2-1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries (about 13 oz.), washed and drained on paper towels

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. You can tamp it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust and then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries; it’s fine if the lemon mixture isn’t perfectly even. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours but otherwise should be kept in the refrigerator.

Note: I refrigerated my bars still in the foil, and I had some difficulty removing the bars from the foil once the bars were cold.  It may be better to try and remove the foil once the bars have cooled and before you store them in the refrigerator. 

Look how attentive my dog Riley can be when he wants a treat!