DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice

I am a spice junkie/addict. I will probably need an intervention soon so get ready to prepare your speeches and tell me why I need to give up my addiction. I acknowledge it is a disease, but I simply love to have lots of spices in my cupboard. I am thinking of moving to a bigger house just so that I will have a huge pantry for my spice collection. Hmm...maybe it is hoarding and not an addiction. I would qualify to be on both reality TV shows.

I have such a fond memory of Thanksgiving and spices. When my boys were "little" (under 4) I volunteered to bring pies to a family gathering for Thanksgiving. I worked almost every holiday, and that year I had to work at 7AM. I had also worked two 12 hour days before the holiday, so I really had no time to bake the night before.  I was lucky enough to get another nurse to come in at 6PM on Thanksgiving so that I could join the family for a late dinner. I knew that I couldn't bake pies during the day, so I got up at 4:30 to bake. Well, I gathered all of the ingredients and realized the cloves container was empty. I panicked! I couldn't go to the store, bake pies,  and get ready to be at work on time. So, I woke my dear sweet husband up and asked him to go to the 24 hour supermarket. It was the first day of his vacation and that wonderful man went out in the dark to buy me a container of cloves. I still have that container and re-fill the bottle with fresh cloves every Thanksgiving. I simply cherish the bottle and will not throw it away. It is symbolic to me and such a sweet memory.

I love fresh spices, and farmers markets or Sprouts/Whole Foods are great places to purchase them. Whenever a recipe calls for the typical blend of fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. I toss in a couple of teaspoons of this homemade pumpkin pie spice. It’s better than any premade version that I have found and since you probably have all the spices on hand, it is less expensive than the pumpkin pie spice you buy in the store.

I measure all of the ingredients into a small weck jar, seal it up and give it a good shake to ensure it’s well blended. Then you can smack a label on it and you’re good to go. Or if you’re obsessed with adhesive vinyl (that's me), you can go that route and cut out a nice font for your homemade pumpkin pie spice. Just store it in your pantry as you would any other spice and you’ll have all the flavors of fall at your fingertips.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

Directions:

1. Combine spices in a small bow, mix well to combine. Store in a small jar or spice container.

Cheater Apple Crumble Pie

I have been super busy these past weeks and I  love having a hot apple pie for fall ready to bring to events or a nice treat. This is such an easy, home baked apple pie...with help from Mrs. Pillsbury. I do like the taste of a pie crust that is not a "cheater". But busy women need help every now and then! I keep a frozen crust in my freezer, and I always have apples on hand for baking, whipping up this pie is a cinch. 

Crust:

Cheat and use ready-made Pillsbury pie crust shell, deep dish. Place it on a cookie sheet in the foil liner – it will make it easier to take out of the oven. If you want it more "home made", put the foil pie tin in one of your pie pans...it almost passes for you own.

Filling:

6 large apples peeled, cored and sliced to about ¼ inch thick. (I use a mix of granny smith and honey crisp)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl – making sure the apples are well covered. Pour into pie crust shell.

It might appear to be really full or high, but it will bake down.

Crumble topping:

½ cup flour
1 cup quick oats
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter
A pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together and press over the apple filling

Bake at 375 for about an hour. If the crust looks like it might be browning quicker than the crisp topping you can cover the edges in foil.

Cool completely and top with vanilla ice cream!

Joanne's Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

I often have wished Betty Crocker was my grandmother, it would be such fun to have her baking in my kitchen with her cute bouffant hair. My grandparents lived very far from us growing up, so I do not have many baking memories with them. I am convinced my mom is somehow related to the Crocker family, she is simply the best baker I know. 

I have not posted in a few weeks, my mom is very ill and I have been caring for her. When I was young, I would watch her make a pie or a batch of cinnamon rolls without looking at a recipe. She would "look" at the ingredients in a bowl and add till it looked "just right". I would always get to stir, add, and pour the batter into the pan. These are my fondest memories of my childhood: baking. This recipe is in my mom's honor, a family favorite.  It has chocolate added, what could be better?  These bars are rich and delicious, and keep well for 2-3 days so they're perfect for a busy holiday season. 

 

Joanne's Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Crust

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

1-2 Tablespoons cold water

Filling

3 eggs

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 375*F

2.  Line the bottom and sides of a 9"x13" baking pan with aluminum foil.

3.  (For the crust)  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter, brown sugar and salt until smooth and creamy.  Add flour, and beat until coarse crumbs form.  While the mixer is running, add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water, as needed to help form dough.  

4.  Press dough into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan.  Prick the dough with a fork several times, randomly around the pan.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

5.  (For the filling)  In a large bowl, mix eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter, bourbon and salt with a whisk until well blended.  Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.  Pour filling into baked crust.  

6.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and filling is set.  

7.  Cool 1 hour, then set in the refrigerator to further cool.  Cut into squares using a serrated knife, with a slight sawing motion, and clean the knife between cuts as needed, if you want nicely cut bars.  Store covered, in the refrigerator.  Serve cool, or at room temperature.  Can be stored up to 3 days.     

  

Shopping for my Halloween Baking

Here are some of my favorite things for my Halloween baking. There are lots of colorful sprinkles, candy melts, and cupcake toppers for this very fun holiday. I purchased them at Target, Wal-Mart and Michaels. The lime green  candy melts are very unique and with orange, a great mix of color.

Simply amazing!

I love these cupcake wrappers, they are easy to use and make the cupcakes have a personality. They have wrappers for almost every holiday and occasion available at the stores. These were just too cute to pass up. Stay tuned for pictures from my baking weekend, I am very excited!

Pumpkin Nut Fudge

This recipe is the basic chocolate fudge from the back of the Kraft marshmallow creme jar, but with the addition of a few extra ingredients. Be prepared for sweetness, but the pumpkin taste is oh so good!

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar 
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (you can add up to a cup of pumpkin if you want it to have a stronger pumpkin taste)
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice  (I double this, I like it spicey)
• 1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate morsels
• 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème (who doesn't like this? So incredibly yummy)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (you don't have to add them, it's your choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

• Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage). Make sure to use a candy thermometer, it has to be soft ball or you will have a grainy, sticky mess. The thermometer's are under $10 at Wal Mart/Target, and well worth the investment for the serious candy maker.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 9-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.
  
  Notes: Line pan with aluminum foil before you begin to cook the fudge. Once the candy thermometer reaches 234° and the remaining ingredients are added, quickly spoon the fudge into the pan. If you don't work quickly, the pan will continue to cook the fudge and you will have burnt fudge :(

Apple Pie Bars

apple pie bars

Ingredients:

This recipe is delicious and so easy to make on a cool fall day. It is like having an apple pie to hold!

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FILLING:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 pounds (about 12) Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored & thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (preferred)
1/2 cup water, as necessary

TOPPING:
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

Directions:

1. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the flour, spices and salt until a soft dough forms. Press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and 1/2 inch up the side in an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a very large, deep skillet melt the butter with the brown sugar. (If you don't have a large skillet, divide between 2 skillets). Add the apples to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook until the apples are caramelized and very tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes longer; scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet and add up to 1/2 cup of water to the pan to prevent scorching. Let cool.

3. Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using fingers (wash your hands and take off your rings first!), squeeze the butter into the oats & sugar and crumble together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press the mixture into clumps.

4. Assemble the bars: Spread the apple filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking, and keep an eye on it to make sure the top isn't getting too browned. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2-inch bars.

Tips:

*For this recipe, the 12x17-inch rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan) is easiest to use. It fits perfectly in this pan. If you don't have this pan, you can try and wing it using a couple of smaller ones.
*This recipe makes a large quantity. Make sure you have lots of people to feed :)
*The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or frozen for up to a month.

Yummy Pumpkin Spice Latte: Homemade!

  

Do It Yourself version of Starbuck's delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte...YUM!

pumpkin spice latte

Yield: 1 drink

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 4 min

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed, coffee- I always use my Keurig- donut shop plain coffee works best
2 tablespoons half & half cream or for the dieters-skim milk
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, or more to taste-splenda works great tto
whipped cream, optional-never optional for me
ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and vanilla. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes- watch closely and remove it from the microwave when the milk is hot and frothy.

2. Pour the pumpkin milk into a tall mug or glass. Add hot coffee. Pour in the cream. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir, and taste. Add more sugar, if desired.

3. Optional, but oh so good (let's be honest, it is not optional) add whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve immediately!

Tips:

*Feel free to lighten up the recipe by using nonfat milk and fat-free half & half. It won't be as rich, but it will still give you that yummy pumpkin latte flavor.

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice in your collection of spices, make your own! Mix equal parts of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg- and measure from there.

Source: RecipeGirl.com