Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Hello, everybody! I have been trying out different fall recipes, and I thought a pumpkin spice latte would be just the right thing for this week's article! I put whipped cream on it, then I found out afterwards that you only put whipped cream on the iced lattes...oh well, it tastes yummy anyways! 
The measurements are also not very exact; that's because I went by taste, and I didn't measure everything. I think different people like their drinks with more spice, and some may not. This is the second drink recipe in a row, but the weather is perfect for this kind of stuff! I hope you like this recipe! I know I did! :) Happy Eating! 

                                  Pumpkin Spice Latte
                          
                   1 cup brewed coffee, black
                   1/4 cup milk
                   1-2 tablespoons pumpkin (to taste) 
                   pumpkin pie spice, to taste
                   cinnamon, to taste
                   1 tablespoon sugar (as much as you want) 
Whipped Cream:
                   1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
                   sugar, to taste

In a small saucepan, slowly heat up the milk (it will curdle if you heat it too fast) with the spices and sugar until it is hot. (I added my spices and sugars a little bit too late, so the spices didn't mix in all the way, and I needed to strain it into the coffee.) 
Once the milk mixture is hot, pour the coffee into a mug, then pour in the milk mixture. (Once again, depending on how much cream you like in your coffee, you can put in more or less.) Mix them together well, then, if you want, you can top it with whipped cream. 
To make the whipped cream, simply put the cream and sugar in a cup and mix it with a hand blender until it is the texture of whipped cream. Gently put spoonfuls on top of the coffee. Mine didn't sit nicely on top like store-bought lattes, but it was yummy anyways. You can sprinkle a little bit of pumpkin pie spice on top to make it look pretty if you want as well. It is so yummy! Enjoy! 

Homemade Hot Cocoa

How many of you know where hot cocoa originated?  I was curious, and looked it up.  This is what I found:  The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayas around 2,000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD.  The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was even used medicinally to treat ailments such as stomach diseases. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States. Wow!  Isn't that cool?  I hope you all enjoyed these interesting facts as much as I did, because today's recipe is homemade hot cocoa!

Hot Cocoa

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

1 T. sugar

unsweetened cocoa powder (to taste - 1/4-1/2 tsp.)

Directions

Heat milk in a small saucepan, whisking constantly until steaming.

Mix in sugar, whisking until dissolved.  Add vanilla.

Put desired amount of cocoa powder, more for a stronger chocolate flavor or less for a weaker flavor.  Whisk until dissolved.  Enjoy!

I loved this hot cocoa recipe.  I hope that in future, you will give my partner and I your favorites!

Buttery Cocoa Wafers

I have another cookie recipe for you all!  Well, actually it is more of a wafer.  I found this recipe on the back of a hot cocoa container, and thought I would test it out.  I used a mint hot cocoa mix for the recipe, but you can use any flavor you want.  I would probably use a different flavor next time as well. 

Cocoa Wafers

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 ounce hot cocoa mix (any flavor)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*.

Combine butter, sugar and egg yolk in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour and cocoa mix and scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten cookies to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of buttered glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool completely.  Enjoy!

As I said before, I would not use mint hot cocoa mix.  They are still good with mint, but not as yummy as they could be.  I hope you will tell us your favorite variation!

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug

Hello, everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying this blog! Today I have a recipe for a chocolate chip cookie--in a mug! I know Koko posted a brownie in a mug recipe awhile back, but I wanted to post a simple, quick, yet delicious recipe, and this is what I came up with. Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies?! I don't know about you, but sometimes when I make cookies, I get really bored waiting for them to bake, and I usually end up eating cookie dough instead...I mean, who doesn't? I have a perfect solution for you, though! This "cookie" is so yummy, and it only takes 1 minute to make! (plus, it doesn't make so many that you have to worry about eating too many!) I hope you like it as much as I did! :) Happy Eating! 

                          Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug

                           1 tablespoon butter

                           2 tablespoons brown sugar

                           dash of salt

                           1/4 cup flour

                           1/4 tsp. baking powder

                           1/4 tsp. vanilla

                           1 egg

                           2 1/2 tablespoons chocolate chips

In a large mug, melt the butter in the microwave, then add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the egg and vanilla, then add in the chocolate chips last. Cook in the microwave for 60 seconds. Make sure you don't overcook it! It will swell up in the mug, but don't let it overflow! Also, it will look slightly underdone after a minute, but as it cools, it finishes cooking. (I know that sounds weird, but it's true.) Dig in with a fork, and enjoy! Yummy! :) 

~Nutmeg

                                         

Melt In Your mouth Peanut Butter Cookies

Who loves peanut butter?  I sure do.  This recipe is one of my grandma's that I modified for a friend.  In fact, I am eating one as I type!  These cookies are extremely simple, and very rich.  For good reason though!  They have a whole pound of butter in them!   Fortunately, there are plenty to go around, because this recipe makes over 40 cookies!

 Peanut Butter Cookies

1 lb. butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 cups flour

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*.

 Combine sugar, vanilla, butter and egg, beat until creamy.

 Add flour gradually, scraping sides after every addition.

 Mix in peanut butter.   Dough will appear to be crumbly.

 Roll into 1-2 inch balls, and slightly flatten with your first two fingers. 

 Bake for ten minutes.  Cookies will look extremely underdone.  Let cool until firm.  Enjoy!

These cookies are a great treat for any day of the week!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Today's recipe is a rich, creamy, delicious soup.  It is chock full of things you might find on a baked potato.  It is my little brother's favorite.

 Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. dehydrated garlic

2 Tbs. minced dehydrated onion

5 cups milk

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1/3 cup soft spread cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked ham, diced

4 lbs. cooked red or gold potatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

4 green onions, diced

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour until smooth and allow mixture to cook for a few minutes; add garlic and onion.  Slowly add milk, one cup at a time, whisking smooth between each cup.  When all milk has been added, continue whisking until mixture thickens.  Add yogurt and spreadable cheese; whisk and heat until combined and smooth.  Stir in ham, potatoes, and cheese.  Continue to heat and stir until gently bubbling.   Add green onions and heat through.  Serve and enjoy!

My whole family enjoys this amazing recipe!  I hope yours does as well.  Give us your favorites!

Mini Caramel Apple Pies

Hooray for fall!! I have been posting so many pumpkin recipes, so I decided to mix things up a little bit and do one with apples instead! I thought I would post a few "progress pictures" too, just to see how it works out. Happy Eating! :) 

                               

                              Mini Caramel Apple Pies

           For the Crust:
                          2 cups all-purpose flour
                          1/2 tsp. salt
                          1/2 tsp. baking powder
                          1 cup cold butter, cubed
                          1/2 cup sour cream


        For the Filling:
                  4 cups peeled, cored, finely chopped apples
                  1/2 cup packed brown sugar
                  2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
                  1 tsp. cinnamon
                  1/2 tsp. salt

      For the Caramel Glaze:
                         1 cup sugar
                         1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
                         1/4 cup water
                         1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, warm
                         1/4 cup milk, warm 
                         2 Tablespoons butter, soft
                         1/2 tsp. salt
                         1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions for the crust:
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Use your hands to work the butter in until the mixture resembles wet sand. 
Add in the sour cream, then turn onto a floured surface and knead it until it comes together. (The dough will be very sticky after you put in the sour cream.)
After you have gotten the dough to the desired consistency, roll it into a 8x12 rectangle. Sprinkle both sides lightly with flour, and fold into thirds. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for about half and hour. 
For the filling:
Mix together all of the ingredients until they are well combined. (This is the easiest step in the whole recipe!:) 
Assembly:
Once the dough is chilled, unfold it and roll it out until it's smooth. Cut out circles with the top of a cup. (I found that a cup with about a 4 inch top worked well.) It should make about 18 circles.
Place the circles on an ungreased cookie sheet and put one spoon of filling on top. Take another dough circle, place it on top of the filling, and seal the edges together. Crimp the sides with a fork to make it look pretty. 
Mix together 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of water, and brush over the pies. Cut three little slits in the top of each one. 
Bake at 425* for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them sit for 10 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet and putting caramel over them. 
For the caramel:
Ok, this is where it gets slightly harder. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir it constantly over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling. Let it boil without touching it until it turns a deep amber. (Kind of a light brown color.) 
Remove it IMMEDIATELY from the heat, otherwise it will burn! (Be VERY careful!) 
Slowly pour in the milk and cream. (you can mix them together first.) It will bubble up furiously, and steam alot. Begin stirring it, scraping the bottom to make sure nothing sticks. If it clumps, return it to the heat and keep stirring it until it is smooth. Stir in the butter and salt and mix it well. 
Let it sit for 3 minutes, then drizzle it over the pies. Oh, so yummy!! 

                                         

Butternut Squash Soup

How are you all liking our blog?  We would like to have all of your opinions on something.  My partner and I would like to add more pictures to our blog, and would like our viewers to put it to a vote.  How many of you would like us to do so?  Leave a comment with your opinion and we will get back to you.

Today's recipe is a deliciously smooth Butternut Squash Soup.  My family loves it's slightly sweet, nutty, garlicky flavor.

 Butternut Soup

3 stalks celery, diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

2-3 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken broth or water

1-2 cooked butternut squashes, peel removed*

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

2 dashes (shakes) nutmeg, or to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a stock pot over medium low heat, sautee onions and celery in oil until both are soft and translucent in color.  Add garlic; sautee an additional 3 minutes.   Stir in broth or water to deglaze pan.  Add cooked squash and spices; heat through.  Use a blender to puree soup in batches (or an immersion blender...) until smooth and creamy.  Return to pot and re-warm if necessary. 

We love to serve this soup topped with candied walnuts or alongside Chihuahua cheese quesadillas.  It is perfect for a cool autumn day.

*TO COOK BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Preheat oven to 400*.  Carefully cut squash in half lengthwise with a heavy knife.  Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and scrape the seed cavity clean.  (If you save the seeds, you can roast them just like pumpkin seeds!)  Place halves cut side down on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.   Bake 40-50 minutes or until you can easily pierce skin with a fork.  Remove from oven.  When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp with a large spoon and use for desired purpose.

The Pancake That Wasn't

This is not a recipe for a German Apple Pancake.  In fact, there IS NO SUCH THING.  What we have come to know as the  German Pancake, or Dutch Baby, actually originated in North America.  It is very loosely based on the German Pfannkuchen, which is a thick crepe, and a Dutch breakfast popover.  Leave it to Americans to super size a good thing.  It was a great idea.  Thankfully, there is more than enough of this firm, custard-like pancake to go around.

Baked Apple Pancake

2 Tbs. butter, melted and divided

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

5 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 425*.

Use 1 Tbs. melted butter to grease a 10" pie pan or dish (I used a deep pie dish).  In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, and vanilla.  In another medium mixing bowl, combine salt, sugar, and flour, stirring well to combine.  Slowly mix  1/3 of egg mixture into dry mixture; stir until smooth.  Continue to mix liquids into batter by thirds until a smooth batter forms and everything looks the same.   Pour into prepared pie dish and bake for 10 minutes.  Do not open oven during baking time. 

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 Tbs. butter, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Remove from heat.

When batter has baked for 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with apple mixture.  Some of the batter in the center may be loose.  That is okay!  After adding apples, bake pancake for another 10 minutes, or until pancake is puffy and golden brown around the edges.  Serve immediately when done. 

This may be served with syrup, but we like as it is!

Delicious Pumpkin Roll

Hello there!! I have yet another yummy autumn recipe for you guys! This time, it is a pumpkin roll! I made my first pumpkin roll last week, and, although I didn't roll it tight enough, it still tasted very yummy. I got the recipe from landolakes.com and I loved it. Hope you guys enjoy it! Happy Eating! :) 

                        Delicious Pumpkin Roll 

         

      Pumkin Roll:

                3/4 cup all-purpose flour

                1/2 teaspoon baking powder

                1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

                1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

                1/2 teaspoon cloves

                1/4 teaspoon salt

                3 eggs

                1 cup sugar

               2/3 cup pumpkin

      

      Icing:

               1 8-oz package of cream cheese (softened) 

               1 cup sifted powdered sugar

               6 Tablespoons butter (softened)

               1 teaspoon vanilla

          

                extra powdered sugar (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 375*.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large bowl, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and sugar, then mix in the pumpkin. Add it to the flour mixture. 

Pour into a greased and parchment paper lined jellyroll pan and bake for 13-15 minutes. (mine was done within 13 minutes, but baking times may differ.) 

Once it is done, immediately transfer to a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully roll it up, starting form the short side. (another thing, I also rolled it up the wrong way!) Place it on a wire rack and cool it completely. (about one hour) 

Meanwhile, for the icing, mix together the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Keep it refrigerated until you use it. 

Once the roll is cooled, unroll it and spread the icing over the whole thing, then re-roll it. If you want, you can sprinkle it with powdered sugar to make it look prettier, but I didn't. Yum, yum!! 

Note from Nutmeg: The recipe says to grease and flour the parchment paper to keep it from sticking, but I didn't and it turned out fine. You can do that if you feel more comfortable with it, though. :) 

   

Cheater Apple Dumplings

Who can see the smile?!

I just got back from a weekend of hunting with my grandpa.  Before I left, I made a quick batch of these Cheater Apple Dumplings.  They were a hit, and a perfect snack after a long day out.

Cheater Apple Dumplings

1 pkg. generic refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Approximately 3 cups pie filling of your choice (from scratch or from a can!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400* (or according to pie crust baking directions).  Bring crusts to room temperature before removing from package .  Roll out gently into flat circles.  Slice each circle into quarters, giving you a total of 8 quarters.  Place 1/3 cup pie filling in the center of each crust.   Bring corners together and pinch to join in center.  Continue to join edges and pinch to seal all openings.  Make sure not to leave a high point, or the tip of the crust will burn.   Lay dumplings on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Best served warm.

Munch, Munch, Munch...

Easy Apple Breakfast Rolls

A couple days after we went apple picking at the orchard, we received an unexpected call from our neighbor.  He wanted to know if we could use some apples!   They have already made as much sauce, pie, and crisp as they could with the apples from their own tree, and were sick of picking them up off of the ground.  My mom never turns down an offer for free produce.  Happily, we drove home that day with four more bags of apples.  We are discovering new ways to use the apples every day.  Can you guess what ingredient will be featured in my next few posts?!

This next recipe is super easy, but very satisfying!  It is so easy, in fact, that it is really more of a guideline than a recipe.  You can't go wrong!  If you don't already have some cinnamon sugar laying around, be sure to note the Cinnamon Sugar recipe following the Easy Apple Breakfast Rolls.

Easy Apple Breakfast Rolls

6 frozen Rhodes White Dinner Rolls (dough -  thawed but still cold)

Cinnamon Sugar*

2 apples, peeled and sliced thin or chopped fine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.  In the meantime, grease a 6 cup muffin tin; set aside.  On a very lightly floured board, roll out each of the thawed frozen rolls into a small rectangle.  Sprinkle the 6 rectangles generously with cinnamon sugar.  Distribute apple slices evenly over sugar.  Next, starting on a short side, roll each rectangle up as tightly as possible.  Place each roll spiral-side up in prepared muffin tin.  Cover pan very loosely with a greased piece of plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft free place to rise. When rolls have risen to about double in size, bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

TIP:  Rhodes rolls take anywhere from 1-2 hours to thaw at room temperature. You can also thaw the dough in the refrigerator in about 8-12 hours.  Yet another option would be to prepare the rolls and refrigerate them in the pan overnight.  Be sure to cover them with greased plastic wrap first.  Remove them from the fridge in the morning and let them warm to room temperature (and continue rising, if needed) before baking.

*Cinnamon Sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 heaping Tbs. ground cinnamon

Directions

Pour sugar and cinnamon in a clean old spice container with a shaker, cap, and shake well to combine.  It's that easy!

My family loves the simplicity of these rolls, but you can fancy them up with all kinds of yummy variations.  Try adding nuts with the apples or butter on the dough before you add the sugar.  Try changing the spices in the cinnamon sugar mix.  Next time  - because there will definitely be a next time - we might make a basic icing with powdered sugar and apple cider.  I'll let you know how it turns out!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Hello everybody!! I just realized that I have been posting several recipes involving pumpkin, but it's fall, so why not!! :) I've been doing a lot of autumn baking lately, and I thought I would share this delicious recipe for pumpkin spice muffins. I found it at verybestbaking.com, changed it slightly, and came up with these yummy muffins! Happy Eating! :) 

                 

                            Pumpkin Spice Muffins

                 3 cups whole wheat flour
                 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of pumpkin                    pie spice
                 2 teaspoons baking soda
                 1 teaspoon salt
                 1 cup brown sugar
                 1 cup granulated sugar
                 1 can pumpkin
                 4 eggs
                 1/2 cup vegetable oil
                 1/2 cup orange juice
                 
Preheat the oven to 350*.  Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners, or if you don't have any, you can grease it. 
Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 
Mix the sugars, pumpkin, eggs, oil, and orange juice together well. 
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix it just until it's moist. (If you mix it too much, it will get rubbery and tough.) 
Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
These are good cooled, or you can eat them warm if you prefer them that way. 

Note from Nutmeg: The recipe calls for canned pumpkin, but you could probably use fresh if you want to. Experiment a little and try it out! :)