The Flavors of Fall

I just can't seem to get enough of the flavors that Fall brings. (It must be in my genes, my brother is a pumpkin addict.) It is a good thing that you can buy canned pumpkin all year round because there are just some recipes I can't do without, even after October & November come and go. Like pumpkin waffles and pumpkin cookies. Here are a couple of recipes that I recently tried out on my family that we all really enjoyed. The muffins stayed moist for days and were even good cold right out of the fridge. And the soup . . . oh, the soup . . . Let me just tell a quick story.

When I was at BYU I came home for the holidays and somehow got roped into being in a play, "A Christmas Carol," at the last minute because someone dropped out. It turned out to be OK, I had a small, simple part and basically just had to die on stage dressed in a flowy white nightgown. It happened to be President Howard W. Hunter's son's family who was putting this play on and after one of our performances we went to their home for a little social. Sister Hunter served the most delicious pumpkin soup - it was a little sweet, but not too sweet, and it was one of the most delicious things I had ever tasted. Stamped on my memory, I have not forgotten it all these years later. I have been on the hunt (no pun intended) for a recipe that would come close to the flavors I remembered in that pumpkin soup. As soon as I tasted the Butternut Squash soup, my first thought was that this is as close as I have ever come. If you could put the holidays in one bowl this would be it! It would make a perfect appetizer to a beautiful holiday dinner.



Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2 1/2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C oil
2 C finely grated peeled apples

Streusel:
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cold butter

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the apples. Fill paper lined or sprayed muffin tins 2/3 full. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in the butter until it is crumble. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Makes 18 muffins.

Notes: These are pretty sweet muffins! Cake really. I might think about increasing the salt a little next time and maybe even decreasing the sugar a touch.




Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 C peeled and diced butternut squash
2 large apples (any kind) peeled, cored and chopped
3 C low sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 C fresh apple cider (NOT apple juice)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Stir in onions, cover and, cook 10 minutes. Add squash, apples, broth, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low; simmer, covered, until the squash and apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. While the soup simmers, pour the cider into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 5 Tbsp. Set aside. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Spoon the solids into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stir back into remaining liquid. Add the reduced cider. Reheat soup and stir in the brown sugar and spices.

Notes: I used one granny smith apple and one honeycrisp. I will consider adding a little garlic next time too. This soup is divine but may be a little too sweet for some. Taste it before you add the brown sugar and decide if you want to add both Tbsp. And I would definitely NOT serve it with the muffins, just in case you were thinking of overloading on the flavors of Fall. This soup needs something truly savory to accompany it. Enjoy!

Sometimes you Gotta Cheat

Probably most of you have heard of that weird recipe out there for candy you make with Saltine crackers, right? Sounds strange - but wait . . . let me tell you how incredibly addicting and delicous it is. It is nothing like eating a cracker. It is more like a little bit of toffee heaven in your mouth - it's easier to make and it MUST have less calories!

It's dangerous how easy it is to whip up a batch. Before long you find yourself standing at the counter, eating piece after piece, straight out of the Tupperware that has the hardest lid to get off, which is meant to confine those little candies and keep my hands off! Was that just a confession? . . . Watch out hips.

Cheater's Toffee

Saltine crackers
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 1/4 C butter
12 oz. package milk chocolate chips (or whatever ya like)
chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet that has sides(about 13x18")with tin foil, over the edges, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Cover the cookie sheet with Saltines, close together. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and let cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Pour mixture over the crackers and spread to cover. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee/crackers. Let sit for several minutes while the toffee hardens and the chocolate melts. Spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cool slightly and put in the refrigerator to chill. When it has hardened, break into pieces and store in an airtight, sneak proof, impenetrable, container in the freezer.



Notes: Don't worry about cramming the crackers in, you will have about an inch or so that is not covered with crackers and it's fine. Also, the original recipe called for 1 C brown sugar and 1 C butter but I thought we could use a little more toffee so I increased both to 1 1/4 cups. And sometimes I have difficulties getting brown sugar and butter to blend well when I heat them together on the stove. Melting the butter first helps I think and also heating everything relatively slowly. I've seen this recipe done with chocolate and peanut butter chips on top, without the nuts but I just can't imagine it without those tasty pecans. Good luck!

Auntie's Soft Gingerbread Men

My Aunt had the best recipe for gingerbread cookies - the soft yummy ones. I have fond memories of making little gingerbread men at her house after Thanksgiving and then we would wrap them up in plastic - 25 all in a row, head to toe, with a ribbon tied in between each one - and then I would take it back to my dorm with me and it became my tasty little Christmas advent calendar. These cookies tasted just as good at the end of December as at the beginning. My kids are dying to add a little royal icing to my festive basket full of little men. Maybe we'll give that a try this afternoon - but I have to say, you don't have to add a thing to these to make them taste great. (although I couldn't resist some raisin buttons) Enjoy!



Soft Gingerbread Men

1 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 C molasses
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
5 C flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cloves

Cream together the shortening and sugar. Beat in the rest of the wet ingredients. Blend in the dry ingredients. Chill at least 3 hours. Roll the dough out to 3/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a cookie cutter. Bake for 6-7 miniutes.

Note: my gingerbread men were kind of medium sized and I got at least 5 dozen from one batch of dough.

Spooky Gingerbread

OK, so I informed you about the Haunted Gingerbread House Challenge, which sounds like lots of fun. I had a request for a gingerbread recipe - not the cake kind but the house kind. So, if you are thinking of getting in on the action, here is a recipe that will do the trick for you. What a treat!

The gingerbread house pictured is obiously over the top, so don't get nervous!

Gingerbread House Dough

Cream together:
1 C shortening
2 C brown sugar (part white is OK)
1 C molasses

Sift:
9 C flour (or more - dough should not be sticky)
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking soda

Make a template from paper for all of the pieces of your house.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternating with 1 scant cup of hot water. Mix well. Roll the dough onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Roll evenly to about 1/4" thickness - the roof should be rolled out a little thinner or it will be too heavy.

Lay your template pieces on the dough and cut around each one. Remove the excess dough. It may take several cookie sheets to get this done. Cut out doors and windows but do not remove before baking.

Chill on the cookie sheet in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until well done, 15-20 minutes. While still hot, re-trace with a sharp knife the doors and windows. Remove them to cool. You can cut the windows in half to make them into shutters. Straighten any crooked edges on your pieces while the gingerbread is still hot.

Assemble and decorate!