Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

I stumbled upon this cookie recipe while in the bulk food aisle of Whole Foods; I knew I could use up the leftover pumpkin puree I had in the fridge. The cookies turned out to be yummy and nutritious. I added a chocolate drizzle because there is no sugar added to the cookies and I like mine to have a little sweetness. The recipe calls for orange juice which has a lot of sugar naturally; I ended up using an orange carrot juice blend instead with a little less sugar. I would suggest adding a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the cookies for additional flavor depth. The original recipe also called for one cup of chopped pitted dates which I did not utilize and added some dried cranberries instead.

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 2 cups pecans

- 1/2 cup oats

- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp cloves

 - 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

- 3/4 cup of orange juice (I used an orange carrot juice blend with less sugar)

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

- chocolate drizzle (optional)

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a food processor or blender, pulse pecans and oats about 20 times until a coarse meal forms

- Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to mix well

- Transfer to a large mixing bowl

- Add pumpkin, orange juice, vanilla and cranberries

 

 

 

- Stir to mix well. Mixture will be kind of thick like a frosting

- Drop on a lightly greased baking sheet in about 2 tbs size drops. Flatten the batter slightly to shape.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

- Makes about 8 cookies.

- Drizzle with melted chocolate and refrigerate, if desired





 

 

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Sunflower Seeds

I made some more of my favorite cookies yesterday evening. I made a few tweaks to the recipe: I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of unbleached white, I also used dried unsweetened coconut and added chocolate covered sunflower seeds from Whole Foods. Those seeds are addicting! You can check out the original recipe below. These almond butter cookies are my favorite and you would never know that they were Vegan. 

http://theoccasionalgourmet.blogspot.com/2012/08/almond-butter-oatmeal-cookies-vegan.html

Chocolate Bourbon Balls

For those of you that were at my Kentucky Derby Party this year, you will definitely remember the Chocolate Bourbon Balls...for those of you that were late, you didn't stand a chance :) These things were flying off the table and they were addicting, you couldn't have just one. Bourbon balls are a Derby Day staple. Never having previously made them, I got my recipe from browneyedbaker. 



You can see the bourbon balls in the center of the table, behind my roasted goat cheese summer salad.

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min (to let sit, before forming into balls)

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed into crumb size pieces

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1 cup of pecans, finely chopped

- 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

- 1/2 cup bourbon

- 3 tbs light corn syrup

- granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions

- Combine wafers, powdered sugar and pecans into a large bowl. Stir to combine.

- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 second increments, stirring between each until melted

- Stir the bourbon and corn syrup into the chocolate

- Combine the chocolate mixture to the wafer mixture. Stir well to combine

- Let mixture sit for 30 minutes

- Spread granulated sugar on a plate or in a small bowl

- Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll in the granulated sugar to coat.

- Place balls in an airtight container and let sit overnight to allow flavors to develop. If the chocolate appears melty, place container in fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!
- Makes about 25-30 servings



Baked Oatmeal Muffins

I love making Baked Oatmeal and today I saw a post on Pinterest for Oatmeal Muffins. I didn't use the recipe however I did steal the idea for baking the oatmeal in muffin cups. Nick is always in need of a grab-n-go breakfast and these are the perfect idea. I decided to make the Baked Oatmeal but with a few modifications this time based on what I had available. I added some pumpkin because I had about 1/4 a cup left in the fridge and then instead of strawberries and bananas, I used pears and apples. You could easily omit the pumpkin and add any fruit you like. They turned out great and they don't have all of the carbs of a regular muffin because they don't have flour :)

Yummy Pear and Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Ingredients

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1/4 cup brown sugar and additional for topping

- 2 tbs cinnamon

- 1 tbs nutmeg

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Dash of salt

- Handful of dried fruit (I used apples and cranberries)

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 cups of milk (I used 1 1/2 cups of hazelnut milk and 1/2 cup of almond coconut milk)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 chopped apple

- 1 chopped pear

- 1/4 cup pumpkin

- 2 tbs maple syrup

- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

- Granola (optional, I used pumpkin pie spice granola from Whole Foods)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. I mixed the dry ingredients first and then added the wet ingredients and combined.

- Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on top if desired

Oatmeal going into the oven

                                                      

- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden

- Let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Store in fridge.

                                      

Baked Oatmeal

I got the original recipe for Baked Oatmeal from Inspired Taste and I have made it several times since with different variations. It makes a great breakfast option that I can make ahead for the week and a great after workout snack. I also recently saw a recipe on Pinterest for baked oatmeal in muffin cups which is another great idea that I will definitely try next. Baking the oatmeal in muffin cups instead of a casserole dish makes it a great snack or quick grab-n-go breakfast.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and Bananas

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1/4 cup brown sugar and additional for topping

- 2 tbs cinnamon

- 1 tbs nutmeg

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Dash of salt

- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 cups of milk (I used 1 1/2 cups of vanilla oat milk and 1/2 cup of hazelnut milk)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 cup of sliced strawberries

- 2 bananas peeled and sliced

- Granola (optional topping)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients

- In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and vanilla

- In a greased casserole dish, layer the oats and fresh fruit (note: don't put bananas on the top layer because they will brown upon baking.)

- Pour milk mixture over the oat mixture

- Shimmy the dish a little so the milk distributes evenly throughout

- Sprinkle some brown sugar and granola on top

- Bake for 35-40 minutes



Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries

While at Publix in the Greenwise section of the soup aisle, I saw they had some new organic soup options. One of the soups by Imagine Foods was Organic Carrot Almond Soup. I had no idea what I could use that as a base for...I have been experimenting more with organic box soup options using them as bases for pasta sauce, cooking flavored rice etc. I have seen curried carrots before in my local health foods store and I started to think that curry and cauliflower would be good additions to the soup.

The thing I love so much about this recipe I created is 1) it is easy 2) it is quick and 3) it is good for you. I decided to make Baked Portobello Fries as well from one of my favorite food blogs, www.inspiredtaste.net. I have had an obsession with making these delicious healthy fries since first having them while out to eat at Ciccio's in Tampa. They were served with a truffle aioli and were delicious but not cheap. You can't find them on their menu anymore but now you can make them at home yourself, while saving money and lowering you sodium content.

Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries

Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries and Honey Dijon Sauce

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Soup
- Imagine Foods Organic Carrot Almond Soup (Available at Publix)
- Head of Cauliflower, Chopped
- 1/2 cup Onion, Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- Olive Oil
- Curry
- Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Ginger
- Sour Cream (Optional topping)

Portobello Fries
- 2 Portobello mushrooms

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 2 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

- Seasoning (I used a dash of pepper and garlic salt)

- Honey and Dijon Mustard (optional, I mixed for dipping sauce)

Directions

Soup
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- On a mixing bowl, mix the chopped cauliflower with about 1/2 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs of curry.
- On a lightly greased baking sheet, spread out the cauliflower and roast in oven for 25 minutes.
- In a deep pan, saute on medium heat with a little olive oil: onion, garlic and spices. 5-8 min
- Add the box of soup to the pan and simmer on low.
- Once cauliflower is done, add to soup and let simmer.
- Continue to simmer on low while you make the fries.
- Serve in bowls and top with sour cream if desired.

Portobello Fries
- When cauliflower is done, leave the oven on and increase temperature to 425 F for the fries.  
- Wash the mushrooms and slice off the stems. Using a fork or spoon, scrape out the gills.
- Pat dry with a paper towel if necessary to remove moisture
- Slice the mushrooms in about 1/4 inch wide pieces
- Setup a breading station: flour, eggs and breadcrumbs
- Dip each mushroom slice into the flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs
- Spread out on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once during baking
- Meanwhile, make a dipping sauce. I mixed about 2 tbs of dijon mustard with 3-4 tbs of honey.

Here is the original recipe for the baked portobello fries. I have made them before with other recipes, sauteing in a pan, but because these are baked they are delicious and good for you. This recipe only makes enough fries for about 2 people. I would suggest using more than 2 mushrooms if you want more fries because they are addicting.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

These are the most delicious vegan cookies you will ever eat! I have been experimenting with various types of oatmeal cookies for the past few weeks and haven't found a recipe I absolutely loved until I made these.

I got the original idea for the recipe from a blog I like, vegAnn's Kitchen. I made a few modifications to it based on my personal preferences. I reduced the sugar and added a bit more maple syrup. I also added some of my favorite cookie ingredients like shredded coconut, dried fruit, cinnamon and walnuts. The end result is a delicious, nutty and soft cookie with a hint of sweetness.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups rolling oats (I used quick cooking oats)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Optional Dry Ingredients (I used them, you could add or omit any of them if you like)

1 tbs cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup of dried fruit (I used dried cranberries and apples)

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Dash of flaxseed

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup safflower oil (I used safflower but you could use any vegetable oil)
3/4 cup almond butter
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (you could also substitute regular sugar)
2 tbs organic maple syrup
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I used unsweetened almond coconut milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

- Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

- Combine all of the dry ingredients except the sugar in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients including sugar in a separate, larger bowl, with a whisk. Add dry to wet and mix until combined. Use a 1/3 dry measuring cup to measure each cookie. Pop dough out on to baking sheet and press down on the dough forming the cookie until 1/2 inch thick. Repeat for remaining dough until you have 12 cookie shapes.

Combining the Wet and Dry Mixes

Putting the dough into 1/3 cup for cookie shaping

Take the 1/3 cup and tap lightly on top to release dough onto baking sheet

Cookies once shaped, ready to go in oven

- Bake until lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. The cookies will not firm up until they are pulled out of the oven and allowed to cool. Wait 10 minutes to remove from tray.

Yields 1 dozen large cookies.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Recently I was standing in the bakery aisle at Whole Foods sampling the goodies on display when a mother and daughter excused themselves to grab some Vanilla Pistachio Biscotti that was infront of me on the shelf. The mother quickly told the daughter "grab two!" The mother looked at me and enthusiastically said that they were the best biscotti they had ever tasted and that they were only 25 calories a piece! A little pricey, $6.99 a box, I picked them up hesitantly and looked them over and held onto them (until the mother and daughter duo has disappeared down another aisle) and then placed them back on the shelf. How funny, I guess I was practicing supermarket etiquette...I was afraid that they might be offended if I didn't take their opinion of how delicious these biscotti were by not purchasing them myself. I finished the rest of my grocery shopping and then impulsively right before checking out, I decided to go back to the bakery aisle and get those darn biscotti cookies. What did I have to lose, besides $7?

Well was I glad I bought those cookies because they were delicious! They were very airy and light, not tough like your traditional biscotti cookies. They were almost like a wafer. The ingredients were so simple too: Egg Whites, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, All Natural Unbleached Wheat Flour, Pistachios, Pure Vanilla Extract and Lemon Powder. I was inspired to make my own so I started doing some research online about making homemade biscotti. I ran across a recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti and knew I had to try it.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Final Product - Pumpkin Biscotti

I found a recipe on www.SimplyRecipes.com that is pretty close to what I created. I put the changes I made in highlight below.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 90 Min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of sugar  (I did 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup Agave Nectar and 1/4 cup Honey)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (I used about 2 tbs of cinnamon)
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg  (I used about 2 tsp of nutmeg)
• Pinch of ginger
• Pinch of cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• (I added about a 1/2 cup of dried fruits - raisins, apples)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, dried fruits and spices into a large bowl.

NOTE: If you use honey or agave nectar as substitutes for sugar, be aware that they add more moisture to your dough, so your biscotti will take longer to dehydrate. Another good substitute to use would be evaporated cane sugar. I didn't have that on hand at the time so I used honey and agave.

- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be very crumbly.

- Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Form the dough into a large log or into two smaller logs. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. 

Biscotti shaped into 1/2 inch high loaves in the oven

- Let biscotti cool for 20 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces. Lay the pieces on their sides. Reduce the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Then flip the pieces and bake the other sides for an additional 15 minutes.

Biscotti pieces - sliced and dehydrating in the oven

- Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp you can turn the oven on low say 170 F - 200 F and continue to let it dehydrate for another hour or so. Let cool completely and store in a airtight container. Makes approximately 15 cookies.

These cookies were very good and have that hint of pumpkin perfect for the Fall season. A great holiday gift idea would be to dip one half of each cookie in chocolate and then lay on wax paper in the fridge to harden. These cookies were crispy and perfect for dunking in hot coffee like traditional biscotti. Next time I will try to make the very airy Pistachio Biscotti by using egg whites and beating them until fluffy before mixing in the dough. That is the same technique you use for meringue cookies so I have a feeling it could work. Be on the look out for that post :)