Happy Monday everyone! I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend, despite the rain! I don't know what my deal is lately but all I've wanted to do is bake. Something about this cold, dreary weather makes me want to make things that require butter and sugar. Hmmm. Interesting :)

Anyhoo, this cake is sure to knock your galoshes off! It's super moist and the sweet potato adds such a unique flavor. 

 This cake is satisfying even without the glaze but if you want to add an extra blast of yumminess then you must add the icing, and I mean ALL of it. Don't let any go to waste, or I'll bop you on the head with a wooden spoon :)

Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

• 4 (8 ounce) red skinned sweet potatoes
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur AP made from hard red winter wheat)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar (I only used 1 1/2)
• 1 cup canola oil (I prefer to use real butter) 
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

       For the Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (I only used 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For cake:
Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, peel and mash sweet potatoes. (I don't like microwaves so I steamed mine until tender)

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then generously butter pan. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Measure enough mashed sweet potatoes to equal 2 cups. Transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and oil (or butter) to sweet potatoes; using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan. The cake will feel very heavy, don't worry it will lighten up in the oven.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.

For icing:
Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Stir brown sugar, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, occasionally stirring and swirling pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar. Whisk icing until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Cool icing until lukewarm and icing falls in heavy ribbon from spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon icing thickly over top of cake, allowing icing to drip down sides of cake. Let stand until icing is firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

  I would like to announce that we have successfully gone through thirty pounds of apples....finally! I've got  enough apple butter to last me a year! But that is okay because I love the stuff and enjoy it every morning in my yogurt with some granola or toasted nuts, plus they make excellent gifts!  

This recipe and technique is very similar to making applesauce however you take it a step further and bake the applesauce on low in the oven to make it into a thick, condensed paste that is tart, sweet and full of autumn goodness.

 With this recipe I was able to fill about three 8 ounce mason jars, but you can double, trip quadruple the recipe and make several jars for gifts. I would recommend properly canning (pressure cooker or hot water bath) the apple butter if you are to give as a gift but if you don't want to just tell the recipient that the butter will keep for a couple of weeks. (They will probably eat it all in a day!)

Spiced Apple Butter

(makes about 1 cup)

• 10 (about 3-3 1/2 pounds) apples, I used Jonagold (don't use green apples)
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 small pinch of cloves
• 1/2 cup sugar (I only used 1/4 cup of Sucanat, or brown sugar, it really depends on how sweet you want it and how sweet your apples are)
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Combine apples, apple cider, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place mixture over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring often with a large wooden spoon to prevent scorching, until apples are broken down and saucy, about 1 hour. Mash any large pieces of apple with large wooden spoon (I use a pastry cutter) to help them break down.

Turn heat off. Using a rubber spatula, scrape out apple mixture from pan, and to a food processor or blender and puree.  Return to pot and place in a 250 degree oven (do not put the lid on) leave for about 2 hours or until it is to the consistency you prefer, stirring occasionally. I left mine in there for about 2 1/2 hours because I like mine real thick like a paste. Remove from oven, and let stand to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Before I get too far into this post I must clarify that this is NOT a cupcake, if you are looking for those go here. No my friends this is just as pretty as a cupcake yet a little more healthy and filling. I found this recipe from Jamie Oliver's  book Jamie Oliver at Home which I absolutely love and highly recommend. Jamie's book is about a year of cooking using produce he grew and game he hunted. His photographs are beautiful, rustic and real. No overdone food styling or staging, just Jamie out in the woods and in his garden doing what he loves. The main reason I love this book is because Jamie sorts every recipe by season, which is how we should eat.  We should not be making a caprese salad in the dead of winter, winter tomatoes come from who knows where and are probably genetically engineered to ripen quickly with the aid of chemicals. Don't do it! No matter how badly you want that way too perfect looking tomato....reach for real winter crop such as pomegranates! By eating seasonally you are suporting local farmers that worked their tooshies off to get you fresh food. Don't support overpaid scientist who spend their day spraying green tomatoes with ethylene!

 Okay, back to the muffins! So, these are different in that they are not overly sweet and instead of butter you use olive oil. I know it sounds weird. Trust me, you cant taste it at all and these muffins turn out super moist. The topping is not an icing or frosting but just a slightly sweetened sour cream and you must NOT leave out the fruit zest and lavender petals...they are KEY! These muffins are not something you want to take to a birthday party but rather have as a "healthy" alternative to those snack junk foods you find yourself munching on these cold winter days.

Butternut Squash Muffins with a Frosty Top

(the book said this would make 12 but it actually made 18, maybe he used less butternut squash puree than I did, either way they tasted great)

• 14 ounces butternut squash puree, a little less than 2 cups
• 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( I used half whole wheat and 1/2 AP from red wheat berries)
• 2 heaping tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I only used about 1/2 cup)

      For the Frosty Top

• 1 clementine, zested
• 1 lemon zested
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 TBSP  confectioners sugar (you could try honey if you like)
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• lavender flowers (optional but really add a lot to these muffins)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tins with paper cups or butter your pan.

In a stand mixer beat the sugar and eggs. In a separate bowl combine a pinch of salt,  flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour into sugar mixture. Add olive oil and butternut squash puree and beat until combined. 

Fill the paper cups with the muffin mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the muffins - if it comes out clean, they're done. If it's a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the muffins to cool on a wire rack.

As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your  frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the sour cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds and mix well. Taste and  think about it - adjust the amount of lemon juice or icing sugar to balance the sweet and sour. Put into the fridge until your muffins have cooled down, then spoon the topping onto the muffins.

Serve on a lovely plate (on a cake stand if you're feeling elegant, or on a rustic slab if you're more of a hunter-gatherer type!), with the rest of the clementine zest sprinkled over. For an interesting flavor and look, a few dried lavender flowers are fantastic. Enjoy!

 I've already told you about my love for granola but allow me reiterate how much the hubs and I adore this healthy snack. We eat it for breakfast with fresh yogurt or kefir and snack on it in the afternoon with some berries. Since I had some left over pumpkin puree I thought this recipe would be a great way to finish it off. Now when I first started stirring things together the mixture seemed to be over taken by the maple syrup, DONT WORRY once it has baked all the flavors meld together perfectly and you end up with a not too sweet crunchy bowl of goodness. And when it all said and done you can add just about anything to the mix: cranberries, dried apples or apricots, cashews, pecans, coconut...etc  

Make sure you give the granola a good stir while it is in the oven to ensure even browning and discourage sticking...  

Store in a jar and give some to your neighbor for a frugal fall gift....

Pumpkin Spice Granola

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• pinch ground cardamom
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup of Sucanat)
• 1/2 cup homemade pumpkin puree, or from a can
• 1/4 cup homemade applesauce, or store bought
• 1/4 cup mapple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used almonds)
• dried fruit (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller sheets) with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together spices, salt, sugar, applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), pumpkin puree, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until very smooth.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or large spoon until mixture is evenly coated. Spread on prepared baking sheet(s) in an even layer.
Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over the granola carefully using a large wide spatula. Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola, then bake everything for additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center might not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola to a cooling rack and let the rest cook for another 10-15 minutes until done.

Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack. Break granola up as desired and store in an airtight container. Add dried fruit before serving

Makes about 8 servings

Although Halloween has passed that doesn't mean pumpkin has gone out of style. Pumpkins and squash are still in season and if you can get your hands on a sugar pumpkin I highly recommend you make your own puree. It's fun and very easy, however it just might be the messiest thing you've ever made :)

This cake is one of our fall staples. A simple bundt cake with a killer brown butter frosting, what's not to like? 

If you dont feel like making your own puree there are some great organic options at the grocery as well. Also, when you make the icing it wont look like a lot but it will cover the cake nicely. And if you don't feel like using a bundt pan you can use a regular 9 inch round cake pan.  

Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Icing

• 8 TBSP (1 stick) of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup homemade Pumpkin Puree, or canned
• 1/2 cup warm milk

      Brown Butter Icing

• 4 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 TBSP milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line pan with parchment, and butter the parchment. Coat pan with flour, and tap out any excess. (I used a bundt pan)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat until combined. Add pumpkin puree and milk; beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest 20 minutes.

To make the icing: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind.

Add sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk; stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable. 

Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake (I just drizzled it over the top), and ENJOY!!

My husband and I love ice cream, I mean REALLY love it! Even when it is 40F degrees out we still love a heap of Häagen-Daz. So a few weeks ago we were completely out (horror!) so I ventured to the nearest PCC and to my dismay they did not carry Häagen-Daz so I grabbed a pint of Stonyfield Farm's vanilla chai. I left the store disappointed and skeptical, but let me tell you.....the vanilla chai did not let us down! So after we devoured the not so low in calorie pint of ice cream I thought I would look for a chai ice cream recipe online and quickly found one here.

So, I ventured back to the store, went to the ice cream section and said farewell to all of the frost bitten pints , gathered all my ingredients and returned home. Overall, this wasn't the easiest ice cream recipe but it definitely was the most delicious. If you like chai and icecream then this concoction will send you to cloud nine. 

Below are all of the key spices that make up chai, you can find all of these at the store and if you dont want to pay for a whole jar of something just go to the bulk spice section (Whole Foods and PCC Market have an excellent variety) and put however much you need in a little bag.

Click below for the recipe...

Click to read more ...

Oh, I can't believe it's Monday already! We had such a relaxing weekend and even enjoyed some pumpkin carving with great friends and a lazy Sunday cooped up in the house with a pot of soup to warm our bellies.

As October is nearing its end I thought I would share an autumn staple, pumpkin. Most of you have already made pumpkin this or that but if you want to have a go at making your own pumpkin puree rather than buying store bought I highly recommend it! It is very easy to do and a great way to use up those pumpkins that will ultimately be thrown out in the next week or two. Just so you know, you SHOULD NOT use a regular carving pumpkin (the big kind) to make puree. Those pumpkins are more bitter and will not do well in pies and cakes. Make sure you use use a smaller pumpkin (available at any grocery store) such as sugar pumpkins. I just used one pumpkin and it yeilded about 4.5 cups of puree, which I can now use in a variety of dishes. If you want you can use all of the puree as a base for a fabulous pumpkin soup...

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

• 1 sugar pumpkin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap off the pumpkin's stem and halve the gourd lengthwise (I cut mine into fours to make it easier to peel off the skin later). With a spoon or melon baller, remove seeds and rinse for roasting or discard. (See below for how to roast seeds)

Place pumpkin halves cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Loosely drape a piece of foil on top of the pumpkin. Roast until tender, about 1-1 1/2 hours. (If the flesh does not scoop out VERY easily it is not ready to puree so put it back into the oven)

When cool enough to handle, scoop out cooked pumpkin flesh; discard skin. Transfer pumpkin flesh to a food processor; process until smooth.

Set a colander in a large bowl and line with a double-layer of cheesecloth or thin cloth kitchen towel. Place pumpkin puree in cheesecloth or towel. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to drain overnight. This is to remove any excess water and will help you achieve that "pumpkin pie filling" consistency. 

Store in a airtight container for up to one week or 6 months in the freezer.

Mine made about 4.5 cups

Pepita is just a fancy name for pumpkin seeds. And although there are several different ways to roast/toast them I like to keep it simple and just add some olive oil and a few spices and that is it. Some people like to do it in a skillet first and then transfer them to the oven. I've also read that you can toast them on low heat for a long time or higher heat for a short amount of time. I don't know which method makes the best result but the batch I made tasted great to me and I ate them all in two days. 

Toasted Pepitas

You can really put just about anything you like on these. I opted for a little olive oil and a salt blend that my family calls the "magic" salt because it is made by a woman who lives out in the woods in Tuscany and what ever she puts in it is truly fantastic and we sprinkle it on just about everything. It is a combination of several different salts, dried spices and herbs including cayenne, rosemary, and thyme. Some people like to sprinkle their seeds with cinnamon and sugar, or others just prefer  a little sea salt. Play around with it, make several batches with different toppings to see what you and your family like.

Once you have tossed the seeds with the oil and/or salt and spices, spread on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place in a 400F degree oven and toast for about 15-20 minutes. When you start to hear the seeds "pop" they are ready. 

These are exceptionally good right out of the oven, and because these seeds have a lot of natural oils in them they go rancid quickly so when I have left overs I keep them in the fridge and then give them a quick toast in the little toaster oven for a few mintutes.

Enjoy!!

 Oh I love soup season! Although it's not that cold here in Seattle the days are shorter and I bundle up in my sweaters and boots and embrace winter's chill, even though she has yet to grace us with her presence :) So as I unpack my winter garb and galoshes I also bring out my perfectly broken in stock pot. Hello old friend, I gently say to her as I douse her in fruity olive oil and extra butter (one must stay warm!) and fill her up with various winter spices and hearty ingredients. And before long, the house smells of smokey cumin, woody cinnamon, and spicy chilies.

Now I must tell you, this is not your average chili, no my friends, in the folds and layers of this complex stew lies a secret flavor that one can't usually pin point at first but after a few spoonfuls the mystery is solved and there is an "ah-ha!" moment. Cinnamon and honey. Bitter and sweet. These two flavors make this dish and without them it's a regular 'ol pot of chili. 

So dust off your dutch ovens, turn on some tunes, and kick off this season right with a batch of homemade goodness, the always faithful and never disappointing...chili.

 Three Bean Chili

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 TBSP chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can (14 ounce) great Northern beans
• 1 can (14 ounce) kidney beans
• 1 can (14 ounce) navy beans (you could use black beans instead)
• 2-3 TBSP honey

In a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook the meat until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, , garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, and cinnamon, and cook until vegetables are soft, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stock, honey and bay leaves; bring the mixture to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans, stir to combine, and continue to cook another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the flavors have come together and the chili has a nice, thick consistency. (I usually let mine stew for a couple of hours) Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. ( I always end up adding a pinch of this and a dash of that.......it's up to your taste buds to decide when the chili is ready:)

Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

So after our apple picking excursion the other day I thought it fitting that I make a batch of homemade applesauce. This recipe is so easy and isn't loaded with sugar like many brands you find in the grocery store. (You can take this recipe a step further and make apple butter if you like) When your brew is ready you have a healthy and frugal snack for the whole family to enjoy! If you make a lot you can use half to snack on and the other half to bake with! There are several ways to cut out unnecessary fat/oil by substituting with applesauce. Whether you eat it or bake with it you won't be disappointed! Have fun!

Cinnamon Applesauce

• 6 apples, mine were Jonagold apples
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar (this is optional depending on how sweet your apples are, I used Sucanat)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches of nutmeg

Peel and core apples and cut into quarters. Place them in an enamel sauce pan with the water and lemon juice then bring to a boil then turn the heat down slightly and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir often to break the apples down. (You can use a potato masher or pastry cutter, that is what I used)  Take off the heat and stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. You may need to alter the amounts of sugar and spice you add depending on how you like your applesauce. If you like it chunky you can leave it as it is. Or if you like the traditional version of applesauce you can mash it up in a blender (this is what I did) or stick an immersion blender in your pot and blend it that way. Store in a mason jar or airtight container in the fridge.

My batch made about 4 1/2 cups of applesauce.