Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This bread is super tasty, quick and easy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease & flour loaf pan. (I also lined mine with parchment paper.)
2. In large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt TWICE.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk together until smooth.
5. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
6. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Breakfast Casserole

Serves 6
1 pkg “Little Smokies” or other mini pre-packaged mini sausage*

1 8ou can refrigerated crescent rolls 

2C grated cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack, etc.)

4 beaten eggs - maybe more depending on how many servings you want

3/4C milk

¼ t salt

1/8t pepper

• Preheat oven to 425degrees.
• Unroll refrigerated crescent rolls (if not cool, they will get sticky and not unroll well) and line bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, pressing perforations together to seal into one sheet.  This forms a bottom crust.
• Grate cheese.  
• Crumble meat (or use food processor).
• Sprinkle crust with meat and cheese, distributing evenly.
• Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper - beat well (until slightly frothy).  
• Pour over meat and cheese mixture, distributing evenly throughout pan.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until set and top is slightly brown.  
• Take out and sprinkle with fresh or canned parmesan cheese (optional: do this the last 5 minutes of cooking if you’d like parmesan to melt into casserole a bit)
• Let stand approximately 5 minutes to allow it to set up enough to cut.
• Cut into squares and serve immediately.  

*Note:  Cooked crumbled bacon, ham, bulk sausage (crumbled, cooked and well-drained) or other meat/protein of choice may be substituted for the sausage.

Holiday Egg Nog

INGREDIENTS:
6 Eggs (separate yolks, reserve whites)
2 Cups Sugar
1 Pint Bourbon
1 Cup Dark Jamaican Rum
1 Cup Brandy
3 Pints Heavy Cream
1 Pint Milk

DIRECTIONS:
Beat 6 egg yolks until very thick and lemon colored. Mix in 2 cups sugar. Slowly stir in 1 pint bourbon, 1 cup dark Jamaican rum and 1 cup Brandy. Stir gently until sugar is dissolved. Blend in 3 pints heavy cream and 1 pint milk.

In a separate bowl, beat 6 egg whites until peaks form (stiff but not dry). Fold egg whites into cream mixture.

Pour into punch bowl and sprinkle with nutmeg.

My Mom's Chex Mix

INGREDIENTS (makes one batch)
6 tbsp Butter
4 tsp Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins is best)
1 tsp seasoning salt (I use garlic salt)
2 cup corn, rice, wheat Chex
2 cup Cheerios
1/4 cup Redskin Planter Peanuts (or regular if you want)
Pretzels (straight)

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter, Worcestershire and garlic salt and stir well.
Drizzle over cereals and mix in well.
Add Cheerios, drizzle a little more sauce, stir.
Add peanuts and pretzels, drizzle remainder of sauce, stir.
Bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 60 min, stirring a couple of times.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

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INGREDIENTS

Cake:
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sour cream

Icing:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
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DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper.

2. Bring the stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
Add cocoa powder to the stout and butter mixture. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend.

4. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.

5. Slowly Add flour mixture to the chocolate and egg mixture. Beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

6. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

*For icing (store-bought works too): Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

7. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Cut and enjoy.

Two Holiday Drinks

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HOT APPLE PIE

Ingredients
2 oz Tuaca
hot apple cider
whipped cream
cinnamon stick for garnish

Directions
Pour the Tuaca in an Irish coffee glass.
Fill with hot apple cider.
Top with whipped cream.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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PEPPERMINT PATTY

Ingredients
1 oz. peppermint schnapps
½ oz. créme de cacao
1 tsp. créme de menthe
5 to 8 oz. hot chocolate
About 1 oz. whipped cream
Shaved chocolate

Directions
Pour liqueurs into a glass mug, fill with hot chocolate and top
with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Linzer Cookies

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Ingredients
(makes about 30 small-size cookies)
1 cup blanched or sliced almonds
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar for dusting
1 cup seedless Raspberry Preserves

Directions
Place almonds in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Beat in the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and fill large freezer bags with it. Then roll it out in the bags. Refrigerate until firm (at least one hour and up to several days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, cut the bags and roll out the dough between the plastic (this is only necessary if it is not yet only 1/4 inch thick). Using a cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out half the dough. Place the cookies about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the the centers of half of the other half of the cookies. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small ‘window or cut out’ in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)

Re-roll/refrigerate/cut any scraps of dough. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling place the raspberry jam in a small saucepan and heat gently until it has thickened slightly. Strain if there are any lumps in the jam. Let cool.

To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together.

Note: You can store the unassembled cookies in the refrigerator for several days in an airtight container. It is best, though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the cookies crisp.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
Simple Buttercream
Cupcake Mix
1 Bag Candy Corn

DIRECTIONS
Using an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes with a generous amount of buttercream. Place 4-5 pieces of candy corn upright in the frosting.

Red, White & Blue Sangria

INGREDIENTS
1 bottle dry white wine
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup citrus or berry-flavored vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup sliced srawberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a large, glass punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve over ice. Makes about 7 servings.

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan, then heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely before using.

Jamie Oliver's Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS
:: sweet pastry ::
2 cups flour
10 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
Water

:: the filling ::
A small knob of butter
Flour, for dusting
1 large Bramley or Rome (or any cooking apple)
2 eating apples (try Granny and Braeburn, one tart, one sweet)
3 tablespoons Demerara or Muscovado sugar (you can substitute with raw or brown sugar)
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
A handful of sultanas or raisins (you can substitute with any dried fruit)
1 egg yolk mixed with a splash of milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. To make the pastry, in a food processor, whiz up the flour, butter, sugar and lemon rind, then add the egg yolks and a tiny drop of water to bind the mix together. Butter an 8-inch metal pie dish (metal conducts heat better than glass, so the bottom of the pie will cook at the same time as the top).

Divide your pastry dough into two and roll half of it out on a flour-dusted surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lay the pastry in the pie dish and gently push it down into the sides. Don’t worry if it tears or breaks — just patch it up — as it will look nice and rustic! Pop the pie dish and the remaining half of your pastry into the fridge while you peel your apples. Quarter the Bramley apple and cut the eating apples into eighths. Toss the apples in a small pan with the sugar, lemon zest, ginger, sultanas or raisins, and a tablespoon of water. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the apples are just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Remove the pie dish and pastry from the fridge and pack the apple mix tightly into the pie dish. Egg-wash the pastry rim (using the yolk mixed with milk), then roll out the other half of the dough. Drape this over the top of the pie and roughly pinch the edges together using your finger and thumb, then trim any excess pastry. Egg-wash the top, make a couple of small incisions in the top crust, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon out the portions of apple pie and serve with some custard!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup(s) flour
2/3 cup(s) cocoa
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
3/4 cup(s) butter, softened
1 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
3 large (plus one yolk) eggs

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean--about 35 minutes. Cool layers completely before icing.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar















DIRECTIONS
1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mistletoe Mojito

Makes 1 mojito.

INGREDIENTS
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. superfine sugar
8 fresh mint leaves
2 oz. white rum
2 tsp. pomegranate seeds
4 oz. Pomegranate 7UP (or pom flavor and 7up)
1 mint sprig 1 lime wedge

DIRECTIONS
1. In a highball glass, muddle lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add rum and pomegranate seeds.
3. Fill glass with ice and top with Pomegranate 7UP. Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge.

Bolzano Apple Cake

Adapted from Scott Carsberg
Time: 1 1/4 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter (4 ounces), plus more for greasing pan
1/2 cup flour, plus more for pan
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 1/4 pounds (3 to 4 small to medium) Granny Smith apples
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
Powdered sugar.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, then smear with thick layer of butter. Dust with flour; turn pan over and tap lightly to remove excess flour.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan. Set aside. Beat together eggs and half the sugar in a bowl. Continue to beat while slowly adding remaining sugar until thick; it should form a ribbon when dropped from a spoon.

3. Split vanilla bean in two lengthwise. Scrape seeds into egg-sugar batter and add pod to melted butter.

4. Peel, quarter and core apples, then trim ends and slice thinly.

5. Remove vanilla pod from butter and stir butter into egg-sugar batter. Combine 1/2 cup flour and baking powder, then stir it into batter alternately with milk. Stir in apples, coating every piece with batter. Pour batter into pan, using fingers to pat top evenly.

6. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate pan; bake for about 25 minutes more, until cake pulls away from pan and is brown on top; a thin-bladed knife inserted into center will come out clean when it is done. Cool 30 minutes, then cut lengthwise and sprinkle slices with powdered sugar.

Tarte Berichonne

INGREDIENTS
Pie tart (not sweet, pick an easy recipe using a food processor...)
Pears, ripe Bartlett or Bosc, diced (12 oz or so)
Kirsch/Poire/Pear Brandy
Almond pastry cream

DIRECTIONS
Make the shell, put it in a buttered metal pie tin with a removeable bottom,
then chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Put in the pears, and splash some kirsch over them,
then grind generous pepper coarsely over it all.

Put the almond pastry cream over the top and bake for
approx 30 mins at 375.

Pumpkin Pie a la Easy

Submitted by Wendi.

INGREDIENTS
1-1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
2/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
4 eggs
2 cans (15 oz. each) solid pack pumpkin
2 cans (14 oz. each) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
OR use 3 _ t. of Pampered Chef Pantry Cinnamon Plus-YUM!
1 t. salt
Thawed frozen whipped topping (optional)
Pecan halves (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, oats and brown sugar. Chop pecans and add to Batter Bowl.
3. Melt butter and add to dry ingredients; mix well. Press mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, lightly beat eggs. Add pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, spices and salt; whisk until smooth. Pour over crust.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until filling is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool at room temperature. Cut into squares.
6. Garnish each serving with whipped topping using, pecan halves and additional ground cinnamon (or Cinnamon Plus), if desired. Refrigerate any leftover pie squares.

Spiced Pumpkin Tartlets

Submitted by Wendi.

INGREDIENTS
1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend
1 package (3.4 ounces) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
Powdered sugar (optional)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 small orange (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Allow pie crusts to stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Roll 1 crust into a 12-inch circle. Using a scalloped bread tube, cut out 12 pastry pieces (9 from outer edge and 3 from center of pastry circle); press 1 into each cup of a stoneware muffin pan. Prick bottom of pastry with pastry tool. Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove tart shells from pan to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining crust to make 24 tart shells.

2. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, whipped topping and spice blend in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until smooth and thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Lightly sprinkle tart shells with powdered sugar, if desired. Attach open star tip to a decorator; fill with pumpkin mixture. Pipe into tart shells. Chop pecans; sprinkle over tartlets. Zest orange; sprinkle zest over tartlets, if desired

Cook's Tip: Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend, if desired.
Tart shells and filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Store shells in resealable plastic food storage bag at room temperature. Store filling, covered, in the refrigerator; fill tart shells just before serving.

Butterfinger Carmel Apples

Submitted by Wendi.

INGREDIENTS
6 wooden craft sticks (found in cake decorating or hobby shops)
6 tart apples-firm
1 package caramels (about 50)
2 tablespoons water
2 Nestle Butterfinger Candy Bars

DIRECTIONS
1. Line tray with wax paper. Insert 1 wooden stick into stem of each apple.

2. Microwave caramels and water in large, microwave safe bowl on HIGH power for 2 minutes. Microwave at additional 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

3. Dip each apple in melted caramel; scrape excess caramel from bottoms. Quickly roll bottom half of apples in chopped Butterfinger, and then place on prepared tray.

4. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until set. Store apples in the refrigerator in airtight container. Apples are best if they are served the same day as they are prepared.

NOTE: If caramel becomes firm, return to microwave oven for 20-30 seconds or until dipping consistency. Cook’s Tip: Be sure apples are completely dry before dipping---otherwise the caramel will not stick to the apple.

Be creative - you can roll your caramel apples in all kinds of toppings: Chopped CRUNCH bars, pretzels, Oreos, Heath (toffee) bars…etc, etc.

Spooky Eyeball Tacos

Submitted by Wendi.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning mix
12 taco shells
¾ cup chunky salsa
¾ cup sour cream
1 can sliced pitted ripe olives
Chopped lettuce

DIRECTIONS
Mix meat and seasoning mix. Shape into 36 (1 inch) balls. Place on stoneware bar pan. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Fill each taco shell with 1 meatball and chopped lettuce; drizzle with salsa. Top with two meatballs dipped in sour cream and garnished with olives to make “eyeballs,” Kids will LOVE this!

Jack-O-Lantern Casserole

A delicious, festive Halloween dinner!
Submitted by Wendi.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium pumpkin
1 chopped onion
1-2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 (4oz) can mushrooms (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ - 2 cups cooked rice
1 (8oz) can sliced water chestnuts

DIRECTIONS
Clean out pumpkin and decorate outside with black permanent marker, if desired. Brown hamburger and onion. Mix in remaining ingredients. Put pumpkin on cookie sheet. Fill pumpkin with mixture. Place in oven and bake pumpkin with lid on for 1 hour at 350F or until pumpkin is tender. Ladle onto plates out of the pumpkin!