Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Like nearly everyone else in the blogging world, one of my favorite parts about fall is the pumpkins. It is one of the best flavors out there, and the possibilities for its use in both sweet and savory recipes are endless.

But since my sweet tooth has been acting up lately, I opted for pumpkin cupcakes after I unearthed a can of pure pumpkin puree from my pantry. Luckily, I stumbled across a great recipe at Elyse's Confectionery Creations, which was an SMS recipe. I baked them as a Halloween treat for my co-workers (along with some standard chocolate ones), and everyone really enjoyed them. Then I made some more this weekend to enjoy all by myself.


















However, I must admit I made a slight mistake in the original recipe from Everyday Blessings of the Fivedees. I halved the entire recipe, except for the last ingredient (buttermilk). That's what I get for baking at 9pm at night. Fortunately, the cupcakes still turned out delicious and I'll keep using my messed up recipe.

Ingredients
1/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. granuated sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbs. molasses
1 egg
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of allspice
scant 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. buttermilk

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 to 2 c. confectioner's sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line one muffin pan (12 cupcakes) with liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine brown and white sugars. Using a mixer on low speed, mix together to remove any lumps. Add butter and beat until fluffy (1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Add the molasses and egg; mix to combine. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add pumpkin puree and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk (start and end with flour). Mix well after each addition, but don't overbeat.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Tap pans against counter to level out the batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

To make frosting: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and up to 2 c. confectioner's sugar until smooth frosting forms (I used 1 1/2 c.). Spread over cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Bread

Several months ago, I mentioned to my aunt that I was thinking about buying a bread machine. It was something I thought I might like to try, but wasn't sure if I truly wanted to part with my hard-earned dough (har har har) and purchase one.

Lucky for me, my aunt had a bread machine she was willing to let me use... An older(ish) model, but one I could try out and see if I really liked it. So last April, I got the bread machine and stashed it in the corner until I had some time to read the instructions and get baking.

Fast forward six months (and counting), and I finally noticed that bread machine still sitting there, still unused. Today, with equal parts guilt and curiosity, I lugged it out and settled in to give it a whirl.


















And the verdict? Let's just say I'm mad I didn't use it sooner. About 3 1/2 hours total of reading instructions, measuring the ingredients, and "bake time," we now have the perfect loaf of whole wheat bread (better than any store) and an apartment that smells heavenly. The only question that remains: What kind of bread should I make next?!

p.s. Thanks Aunt Deby! :)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. bread flour
1 Tbs. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. nonfat dry milk
1 Tbs. margarine (room temp)
3/4 c. + 1 Tbs. water (75 to 80 degrees F)

Directions
Add ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed above. Choose the appropriate settings on the bread machine and press start. About 3 hours later... Voila! Fresh whole wheat bread just for you!

Chicken Cheddar Chowder

This weekend, I found myself on the hunt for a thick, hearty soup recipe. The days are getting shorter and cooler, and the trees have passed peak and are slowly losing their brilliance... Now is the best time of year for soup.




















I wanted to try something new, so I spent much of Saturday afternoon scouring the Internet (I had all the time in the world, seeing as I was killing time in the WSU library while Gabe scoured SAE articles for his thesis - oh how I don't miss those days!). I finally came across a great find at Inspired 2 Cook that was posted just days ago. I knew it was the one. With a few tweaks to suit our tastes, this one turned out to be a true winner. We'll be enjoying this again and again throughout the upcoming cold winter nights.


















Ingredients
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 c. onions, chopped
3 medium potatoes, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 c. uncooked rice
6 c. chicken broth, divided
2 c. evaporated milk*
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbs. dried parsley
4 bay leaves
1 c. (8 oz.) grated cheddar cheese
4 c. cooked chicken, shredded
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
In a large pot over high hear, melt butter and olive oil together. Add vegetables, garlic powder, celery seed, dried thyme, salt and pepper and saute until tender (3 minutes). Add bay leaves, rice, and 4 c. chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer until vegetables and rice are very soft (20 minutes). Discard bay leaves.

Transfer in batches to a food processor or blender, blending the soup until smooth. Return to pot. Stir in remaining chicken broth, evaporated milk, and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and stir until fully incorporated. Continue simmering an additional 10 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve with chunky bread or - even better - serve in a bread bowl.

* In many recipes, I substitute evaporated milk for ingredients like heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk (because I usually don't have those items on hand).

Homemade Apple Pie

Fall is truly here. A cool, viscous wind blew ominous clouds in from the west. It didn't stop raining all day. Perhaps not the best weather for a weekend day, but it did give me a good excuse to don sweats and curl up with my newest library book.

Another (somewhat more appealing) sign of fall is the abundance of apples. We always have numerous bushels each season since my grandpa has several apple trees in his backyard. And what better way to celebrate this tasty fruit than to make pie! So a few weekends ago, I headed up north so my sister and I could preserve some apples to freeze for the winter, and make a few pies in the process.

Apple has always been my favorite kind of pie. Nothing says comfort food to me like apples coated in cinnamon and sugar, wrapped in a warm, flaky crust. Add a dollop of whipped cream, and I've officially made it to heaven.
















Ingredients
6 to 8 c. apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon
2 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter, cut into small pieces
2 (9-in) unbaked pie crusts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a 9-in pie plate with pie crust on a rimmed cookie sheet. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together apples, both sugars, cinnamon, flour, and nutmeg until incorporated. Drain excess fluid. Pour into unbaked pie shell, being careful not to overfill. Place pieces of butter evenly across the top of the apples. Top with remaining pie shell and press to seal. Cut slits in top pie shell to allow steam to release.

Bake for about 60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Set on a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Watermelon Arugula Salad

I love going to the beach. It's that simple. Love the sun, the sand, the waves. Love to sprawl out on a blanket and enjoy a good, mindless summer read. Sandra Brown comes to mind; perhaps Janet Evanovich. Or even a gossip magazine or two.

Lucky for me, I live in a state surrounded by some of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world, with miles and miles of coastline to discover. Since I currently live in southeastern Michigan, Lake Huron is the most easily accessible to us. Not *quite* as nice as Lake Michigan in my opinion, but pretty great all the same. Here's me and my sister doing one of our favorite beach pastimes... Looking for petoskey stones (Michigan's state stone, cute little buggers).

After a day at the beach, I can't be bothered by steamy, time-consuming meals that involve either the stove or oven. So why not a salad? I found this salad in two, yes two, separate magazines on the exact same day. I took it as a sign that I needed to make it right away.

Disappointed I was not. The salad had a nice balance of tart (arugula) and sweet (watermelon). It was a snap to throw together, and was punched with flavor. A perfect light meal to end a relaxing day.

Ingredients
Watermelon, cubed

Arugula

Goat cheese

Walnuts, chopped

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs. honey

1/4 tsp. poppy seeds

salt + pepper to taste

Directions

Arrange salads on two plates. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until incorporated. Drizzle over salads right before serving. Enjoy! (serves two).

Blueberry Pancakes

Breakfast is pretty much my favorite meal of the day. Due to the hectic-ness of the work week, I only have time for cold cereal and a muffin if I'm lucky. However, I always always always find time for a great breakfast meal on the weekends.

Taking this love affair one step further, what could be better than making your favorite breakfast foods... for dinner? Really, not too much in my book. Since the blueberry season is in full swing here in Michigan, I went out picking with my two sisters this past weekend. Not only is "u-pick" blueberry picking fun, it's also much more economical than buying them a pint at a time at the grocery store and a great opportunity to catch up on family gossip.

Can you see where I'm going here? Tonight, Gabe and I made the works for our breakfast at dinner feast. Sausage, bacon, orange juice, and - the star of the evening - blueberry pancakes.

I used to say that boxed pancake mix was just as good as homemade (gasp!), but I stand corrected. Majorly corrected. Once I found this recipe, I knew I'd never go back. This homemade pancake recipe is based on a Marion Cunningham recipe I found online. It produces luscious pancakes that are slightly browned and crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside. And with the addition of blueberries, you just can't go wrong.

Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. (ish) fresh blueberries

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir carefully until just combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once pan is warmed, grease with cooking spray and ladle on some of the batter (make whatever size you like). Dot with some blueberries. Wait until batter starts forming bubbles and bottom side is cooked to a golden color. Flip and continue cooking until other side is browned and pancake is cooked through. Place in heated 200 degree oven to keep warm until all are cooked. Enjoy! Makes about 6-8 smaller sized pancakes.

Quesadillas on the Grill

Summer time requires some improvising. Some days when it's hot out -- like today -- you just don't want to stand over a hot stove or oven at all. I'm not the first, and certainly not the last, to think this. After lounging by the pool today in 85+ degree F weather, I hadn't the energy or patience to make something fancy. Save that for a rainy day. So instead, I decided to adapt one of my favorite stove-top dishes for the grill instead.

Quesadillas. I'm not sure what it is about these little suckers, but they sure do taste good. And I found out today, they taste really good on the grill too. In the past, I have based my quesadillas off of The Pioneer Woman's recipe with good results (does anything she post NOT result in something spectacular... not in my experience so far).

So here is today's version of quesadillas, hot off the smoking grill and enjoyed in the waning sunlight of a beautiful Michigan summer evening.

















Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
additional salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. butter + 1 Tbs. olive oil
assorted peppers and onions, sliced thinly
soft taco shells
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Directions
Preheat outdoor grill. Pound or slice chicken into thin cutlets. Combine cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper in a small bowl; whisk to incorporate. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken, patting to make sure spice mixture sticks to the meat. Place on grill and cook until no longer pink. Remove from grill and slice into thin strips.

While chicken is cooking, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil, stirring to melt/combine. Add peppers and onion, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft and pliable.

Once chicken is finished, heat soft taco shells on grill until slightly browned and crispy on both sides (not too done - you'll be putting them back on the grill later). Assemble quesadillas by putting a layer of cheese, a layer of chicken, and a layer of vegetables on a soft taco shell. Add a few spoonfuls of salsa and another layer of cheese. Top with another taco shell. Return to grill for about 2 to 3 minutes, placing on a greased piece of aluminum foil, until cheese is fully melted. Remove from heat and slice into quarters. Enjoy with sour cream.

Note: We made 4 quesadillas and had A LOT of meat leftover (yay, can't wait for tomorrow!). I would guesstimate that this makes at least 8 to 10 quesadillas, so adjust ingredients as needed for yourself, and enjoy!