Moist Cranberry Pumpkin Bread ~ By Caroline

This pumpkin bread recipe has been a favorite in our family ever since we first discovered it, for it's amazing moist consistency and delicious flavor!  Usually we make this with apples in it, but this time I decided to switch the apples with dried cranberries, and top it with some pecan streusel... the result was amazing! :-) 

 

 

12 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Bake: 1-1/2 hours + cooling

Ingredients

• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (we usually omit these)

Pecan Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt 

Directions for Streusel

In a medium bowl wisk together the flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt. met butter, and pour into dry ingredients; mix until well combined and when the mixtures is very crumbly.

 

Directions for Bread

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and cloves. In another large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, water, eggs and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour, then add the streusel topping pressing it down slightly into the bread to keep it from falling off, and continue baking for another 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.

 

Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

Pumpkin Roll ~ By Victoria

This is definitely a favorite fall dessert! I like to make two and freeze one for another occasion.  If you want to frost the whole cake as shown in the picture, double the cream cheese filling and use half for the top and half for the middle.

Cake:

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pure pumpkin

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

 

Cream Cheese Filling:

8oz  cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

 

FOR CAKE:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts. 

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Filling:
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish ~ By Caroline



 
I've recently been making this delicious recipe for breakfast the last couple weekends!  They are so good and everyone LOVES them!! :-)  It takes some planning ahead, and some extra time and effort to make the dough, but it's DEFINITELY worth it!  If you love Danishes, then these will be right up your alley. ;-)

 

This recipe makes two braids: enough for a medium size family and/or company. I doubled the recipe for my family and it was the perfect amount!

 

So without further ado...Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 1/4 cup (60ml) warm water, 105F-115F degrees
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 standard package)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, at room temperature*
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 14 Tablespoons (210g) unsalted butter, cold

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk

Cream Cheese Filling 

• 8oz (224g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds (optional) 

Blueberry Sauce

• 1 c. Frozen or fresh blueberries
• 2 TB. Sugar
• 1 Tb Corn Starch
• 1 TB. Lemon juice
• 2 TB Water 

Vanilla Glaze 

• 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream (or milk)

Directions for the Dough:

1. Whisk the yeast and warm water together in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 3 minutes until foamy. Add milk, egg, granulated sugar, and salt. Once these wet ingredients are mixed together, set the bowl aside and make your butter/flour mixture.
2. Cut butter into 1/4 inch slices and add to a food processor or blender. Top with flour. Pulse the mixture 10-12 times, until butter is fairly crumbled.
3. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Very gently fold the two mixtures together. Do not be angry with the dough! You want to be very, very, very gentle when you are folding the two together. Fold *just until* the dry ingredients are moistened. The butter must remain in pieces, which creates a flaky pastry. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. After 4-12 hours, take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the "rolling and folding" process. Flour a work surface. The dough will be sticky, so make sure you have flour nearby as you roll and fold. Using the palm of your hands, gently flatten the dough into a small square.  From there, roll out into a 15 inch long rectangle using your rolling pin. You may have to continue to lightly flour the counter as you are rolling. Fold the dough together as if it were a business letter. And roll it out into a 15 inch long rectangle again. Then, fold again into a business letter. You'll repeat rolling and folding 1 more time for a total of 3 times.
5. Fold the dough up tightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
6. After at least 30 minutes, take the dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half. Wrap 1 half up and keep chilled as you work with the first half. Roll out your dough to make a 12x6 inch rectangle. I rolled this dough out onto a floured work surface, but I suggest you roll it out onto a lined baking sheet. (Lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.) It is tough to transfer the braided dough from the counter to the baking sheet, unless you are very careful!
7. Cut off two corners of the dough and then two small triangles at the other end.
8. Cut slanting strips (3/4 inch - 1 inch each) along both sides. I used a very sharp knife, but a pastry wheel or pizza cutter will work just fine. I find this video VERY helpful. 

Directions for Filling, Baking, and Icing

1. Make the cream cheese filling: in a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and egg yolk together on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. 
2. Meanwhile add all the blueberry sauce ingredients together in a saucepan, and cook until thick and bubbly. Blueberry sauce should be very thick.
3. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese filling down the length of the center of the strip. Spread 1/2 of the blueberry sauce on top of that by dropping small spoonful's over the cream cheese filling. 
4. Fold the strips one by one over each other until you reach the bottom, then fold the bottom end up to "seal" the filling in and allow the braid to rest for 15-20 minutes as you preheat your oven. Repeat with the second half of the dough and the rest of the filling.
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Beat the egg wash ingredients together. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash. There will be enough egg wash for both braids. The egg wash gives your pastry that beautiful sheen.
6. Bake each braid for 15-16 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure to rotate the pan at least two times to ensure the braid is browning evenly.
7. Meanwhile, wisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth.
8. Remove the braids from the oven. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Drizzle with glaze, slice, and enjoy!

 

For more information as well as step by step pictures, I would highly recommend you visit the source of this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/02/16/blueberries-n-cream-danish-braid/

Strawberry Rhubarb Danish ~ By Victoria

 

 

 

 These are SOOOO good!!  I've made them a couple times this summer and had to guard them in order to get just one picture for the blog!  The directions are pretty sketchy when it comes to how you shape them, so I took some pictures to show what I do. The directions say to let the dough chill overnight, but I was in a hurry one day so decided the night would last about 4 hours. :) It worked fine.

 

 

 

 

 

Danish Pastry Dough:

 

1/4 cup warm water, 105*F. to 115*F.
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks cold unsalted butter

 

 

 

Pour water into bowl; add yeast and let stand for 2-3 minutes until yeast foams. Add milk, egg, sugar and salt and whisk to mix; set aside.

Measure flour into food processor with metal blade in place. Cut butter into 1/4 inch thick slices and drop into flour. Pulse 8 to 10 times, until butter is cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Empty flour mixture into bowl with yeast and with rubber spatula, gently fold the two mixtures together just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Don’t be too energetic! The butter must remain in pieces so that you will produce a flaky pastry, not a bread dough or cookie. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days to suit your schedule).

Lightly flour a work surface; turn dough out onto it, and dust dough with flour. Using the palms of your hands, pat dough into a rough square. Roll out to 16 inches on a side. Fold dough into thirds, like a business letter and turn it so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Roll out again, into a long narrow rectangle, about 10 inches wide by 24 inches long. Fold into thirds again. Roll out to make a 20-inch square. Fold square into thirds again to make a long, narrow rectangle. Then again, fold into thirds to make a square. (If at any point in this procedure the dough gets very soft, cover and chill it for 30 minutes or so.) Cover and chill the dough before final shaping. You can store the dough in the refrigerator for 4 days or wrap it air tight and keep it frozen for 1 month; thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Filling:
8oz cream cheese (softened)
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs flour

 Mix the ingredients together and chill for at least 30 minutes.

 Preheat oven to 400f.
 Roll out the dough,  cut into desired shapes, top with cheese and then fruit. Brush edges with egg. sprinkle with sugar. and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
Source: Good Morning Grace

 

Thick, Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles ~ by Caroline

I am excited to share with you the best recipe for the ultimate Snickerdoodle! I've always been a fan of Snickerdoodles, but could never seem to come up with the perfect recipe that made them nice and chewy. After trying several recipes with them all ending up crispier than I like, I finally found this one.  And believe me, it is THE BEST!!  These cookies are light and buttery, soft and chewy, and so thick and delicious you won’t be able to eat just one.  ;-)  

 

The directions are for regular sized cookies. If you want to make them mini sized, roll into 1″ balls and bake 6 minutes. You want them slightly underdone so they stay soft and chewy!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter
• 3oz Cream Cheese
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 
• 1/e tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 tsps. Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 3 1/4 cups Flour

Topping

• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1 heaping tsp. Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a mixing bowl beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and mix well.  Add in the cream of tartar, baking soda, and half of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined.  Add in remaining flour and mix again just until combined. 

In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2" balls and coat them with the cinnamon sugar topping.  Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Let cool for a couple minutes on the cookies sheet before cooling completely on a wire rack.  Store in an air tight container. Enjoy!

Source: backforseconds.com

Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie ~ by Caroline

 

I have always loved pecan pie, but chocolate pecan pie is even better!  After trying out several different recipes, we have decided that this one is definitely the BEST!  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

 

Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.  Pour the filling over the pecans.  Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

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I actually tried doubling the filling last time I made this, and it turned out great!  But either way is awesome.  :)

 

Source: food.com 

 

 

 

Broccoli Salad ~ By Valerie

 This summer, we were introduced to this broccoli salad by some new friends that invited us over to their home!  We all enjoyed it very much!  But I especially LOVE this salad!  I even requested it for my birthday meal!  It has so much flavor and texture to it! And it is all fairly healthy things that go in to it!   So I knew I needed to record the recipe here, and share it with you all!  Enjoy! 

 

Broccoli Salad

    5 C. fresh broccoli florets

    1/2 C. raisins or craisins

    1/2 C. sunflower seeds

    1/2 C. cooked bacon

    1/2 C. onion (any variety, but we haven't added these to ours yet)

    1/2 - 1 C. grated cheese

    1 C. frozen peas, thawed (our family isn't a big fan of peas, so we haven't added these) 

Dressing:

    1 C. Mayo

    2 TBS. vinegar (any kind)

    1/2 C. Sugar 

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk dressing ingredients together.  Add dressing to salad and mix well.  Chill before serving.

 

Source:  Mrs. Langdon's Kitchen