LE - October 2010

Autumn leaves warn that winter is just around the corner. Fall is my favorite time of the year with the colorful leaves,the cooler weather and most of all the yummy fall foods.
I've been very excited to see canned pumpkin being restocked on grocer's shelves that have remained bare for some time. I know I tend to think more about baking/cooking with pumpkin and apples when fall arrives. I am delighted to share some favorite fall recipes with you. Enjoy warming the house and satisfying hungry tummies. Maybe some of these recipes will become favorites at your home too.

EASY APPLE DUMPLINGS

4 baking apples
1-8 ozs.pkgs.refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick butter
1/1-3 c.sugar
1/2 tsp.ground cinnamon
1-12 ozs.can (diet)Mt.Dew soda

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9"X13"X2" baking dish. Peel and quarter apples,separate crescent rolls; roll apples in crescent rolls from big end to little end. Place in prepared pan.In small bowl,combine sugar and cinnamon.Melt butter;whisk in cinnamon mixture until smooth. Pour over apples,then pour Mt. Dew around dumplings. Bake 45 minutes-1 hr.Serve warm with ice cream.(You may substitute Splenda for sugar if desired, but it will bake faster.). I cover with foil after 30 minutes of baking time as the dumplings tend to brown quickly.

QUICK APPLE CRUNCH

4 c.peeled,sliced apples
1/4 c.water or apple juice
1 tsp.ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.salt
3/4 c.white sugar
3/4 c.all purpose flour
1/3 c.butter or margarine,softened
caramel ice cream topping,optional

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8"X8" baking dish. Spread apples in prepared pan. Sprinkle with water. In medium bowl,combine cinnamon, salt, sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve warm with milk or ice cream and caramel topping. If you just can't wait,this dish can be microwaved for 12-15 minutes.

PUMPKIN PATCH PANCAKES

Mix up your favorite pancake mix according to directions.For every 1 cup of dry pancake mix used:add 1/4 c.canned pumpkin,2TB.brown sugar,1/2 tsp.vanilla extract,1/2 tsp.pumpkin pie spice.Maybe your family can enjoy breakfast for dinner one of these busy fall days.

HEALTHY CARAMEL APPLE DIP

1-8 oz.pkg.cream cheese,softened

1/2 c.applesauce

1/4 c.pkd.brown sugar

1/2 tsp.vanilla extract

1/2 c.salted peanuts,chopped

3 apples,cored and sliced

Combine cream cheese,applesauce,brown sugar,and vanilla in large bowl and beat well using a mixer.Sprinkle with nuts.Refrigerate;serve with apple slices.If you desire a sweeter dip,drizzle with caramel syrup.May use light cream cheese & unsweetened applesauce.Makes a great after school or bedtime snack.

Grapes have been on sale often recently.This is an unusual and very delicious way to serve them.I'm amazed that this dish keeps nearly a week.

GOOEY GRAPES

5 c. green and/or red grapes, washed and dried

1-(8 oz.) pkg. (reduced-fat)cream cheese,softened

2 c.(light)sour cream

1/2 c. sugar (or Splenda)

chopped pecans,optional

Place grapes in bottom of 9"X13" pan.Mix cream cheese,sour cream and sugar until smooth.Spread evenly over grapes.(May mix together if preferred).Sprinkle nuts over top.Can serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

One option is to cut back on the sugar amount and sprinkle brown sugar over the top before serving for color and sweetness.



For more fall recipe ideas visit my blog at www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com

Butternut Squash Bread

I definitely have a DRIVE to try new recipes, especially if they offer a different 'twist' than others.

And I SO get into a baking 'mode' when fall comes around.  I long to make soups, and dishes with apples and pumpkin BIG TIME!  *-*

I'm hoping to post a few extra times during the months of Oct. and Nov.
just because I have so many wonderful fall recipes and I love sharing with you.

I found this recipe at My Baking Addiction  - check out her blog and recipe at this link.

I was very pleased with the results of this bread, though I tweaked it just a tad.

I took it to a ladies Bible study and had many good comments about it.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  It's MMMM good!

Actually, I made 2 loaves - the picture below is of the one with chocolate chips...

I added craisins to the other and they were both very tasty.

And if you like cream cheese even a little bit, this bread is fantastic topped with cream cheese. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAD

1 cup butternut squash puree

2 eggs

(I used 1 TB. ground flax seed meal and

3 TB. water to replace one egg)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

(I used 1/4 c. applesauce +

1/4 c. oil)

1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cardamom

(I replaced with pumpkin pie spice)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one 8" X 4" X 2" loaf pan.

In large bowl, mix together the squash puree, eggs, oil, water and

sugars until thoroughly combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the squash mixture.  Combine just until

incorporated; do not overmix.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center

of the loaf comes out clean.

Add any 'extras' you'd like...dark, semi sweet, or white chocolate chips,

nuts, craisins, etc.

Enjoy surprising your family & guests with a 'hidden' ingredient!

I LOOOOOVE RASPBERRY ICE TEA! DO YOU??

(Hmm....I just found this draft in my posts...my intention had been to share it earlier in the summer, but I figured 'better late than never', so..  Even though it's a bit late, I hope you will enjoy it - you can use raspberries from the freezer if you prefer).

Raspberries are my favorite all-around fruit - any way they're served.

credit: K. Kendall

When we go out to eat, I love to order raspberry tea - this recipe for tea is simple to make right at home. Hope you enjoy it often....

Feel free to sweeten it with Splenda....YUM! Click on the
link for the recipe - it's printable at that site.



MAKE-YOUR-OWN RASPBERRY ICED TEA

"Homemade" Pumpkin Puree

I'm SO excited because I finally found canned pumpkin on the grocery store shelf today. (9/23/10).

I was aware that there had been a shortage as I haven't been able to find any ANYWHERE for months!  And had recently heard that we would have it available for the holidays.  Hurrah! 

I love pumpkin and use it for many things.

It's a great substitute for oil.  I will share some pumpkin recipes soon, but for now, I want to share with you how I recently made pumpkin puree  for my freezer.

I purchased some smaller 'pie pumpkins' from a local vegetable/fruit stand a few miles from our home for $1 each.  They are 'meatier' than a regular larger-sized pumpkin, which contains a lot of water.  (I know - I've baked them up in the past and can testify that these smaller pumpkins produce much more of the solid pumpkin.) In the picture above, I got all that puree in the bowl (about 4 cups) from one small pumpkin that size!

I cut them open, cleaned out the 'gunk' inside, and layed them upside down on a foil-covered cookie sheet, added about 1/4 c. water and baked them for about 1-1/2 hrs. or until tender.

I baked 2 pumpkins together with a large butternut squash. I had baked 1 smaller pumpkin the day before. I let them cool and the peel came right off the fleshy meat.

I put the 'meat' in my food processor, about 3-4 cups at a time, and whirred it until it was the right consistency - butternut squash mixed in with the pumpkin, for color, texture and flavor too. (Did you know the two can be interchangeably used?) I actually added water when needed to make a smoother texture.

And the best part was - I spent $3.50 for 3 small pumpkins and the butternut squash, and ended up with 16 cups of pumpkin!

I placed it in freezer containers then will let it thaw in the fridge for a day before I'm ready to use it.

Isn't it just beautiful!??

Oh my!  I'm thinking...

Paradise Pumpkin Pie...Pumpkin Cake Roll...Pumpkin Sheet Cake...

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Dump Cake,

Chocolate Cake Muffins...Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread...and MORE!

Stay tuned for upcoming holiday recipes - you'll

have a hard time choosing which ones to try.

Or maybe you will be like me, and try them all!

Especially now since pumpkin is available once again!

Mini Meat Loaves from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Cookbook

OK - try saying that 3 times in a row huh?  All I can say is...MMMMM!  *-*

Meatloaf is one of my all-time favorite meals and I guarantee this one is tasty! I recently made this recipe while at my daughter Deb's and the house smelled divine while they baked in the oven.

More MMMM!  MMMMini Meat Loaves!!!

photo: Jane Doiron

Actually, I made meatballs and browned them in the oven. After they cooled, I put them in the freezer for Deb to make something later.  They tasted divine!

The author of this great cookbook, Jane Doiron, has become a special email buddy. She has done much to help me get things set up at Facebook and my blog, to spur more traffic. She's a busy school teacher, mom & wife. I certainly appreciate her sharing her expertise with me.

Check out this delicious dish and then check out many others she shares.  She has wonderful recipes and great ideas for cooking ahead. Her cookbook is available online at

Amazon.com - click Here

Mini Meatloaves