Pumpkin Poppers

So things in the Sprinkles Household have been a bit hectic lately with the MATM2 contest (I didn't win, but I'm okay.) and my work with Adler Planetarium on a new curriculum project, so Mr. Sprinkles has been a bit neglected in the baked goods department.  I decided to make that up to him with some pumpkin poppers which are a bit like little pumpkin doughnut holes and very tasty for this chilly fall weather.  I stumbled upon the recipe from Domestically Speaking while indulging my new addiction, Pinterest. Enjoy!

Recipe @ Pumpkin Poppers by Domestically Speaking

My observations/suggestions/tips:

• The recipe makes about 30 poppers
• Dip the poppers into the butter and cinnamon sugar mixture quickly!  Don't worry about trying to coat every bit of the popper or let it sit in there too long or they get sickeningly sweet.
• Domestically speaking suggests coating only half of the popper to avoid them being too sweet and I may try that next time although the hubby is a serious sugar fiend.

Month at the Museum 2!

I'm a Month at the Museum Finalist!!!!!!!! The competition is fierce! Please, please, please vote for me once a day until Oct. 3 at 5pm, repost as your status, and tell everyone you've ever met to do the same! :)  Sooooo excited!!!! http://www.msichicago.org/matm/finalists/katie-duff/

Pumpkin Butter Squares

These are one of the hubby's favorite fall treats.  It is made with Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter which is available on their website as well as at Williams-Sonoma.  It's a bit pricy so I like to wait until the week or two before Thanksgiving when it's on sale and buy as many as I can.  I made them for him this week and he shared them with his office and according to him they were a big hit.  So for everyone that asked me for the recipe, here you go!

Muirhead Pumpkin Butter Squares
Makes one 9x13 pan

• 1 box of yellow cake mix, divided
• 3/4 cup of butter, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1/8 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the crust:

1. Take the box of yellow cake mix, reserve 1 cup, and mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup of melted butter and one large egg.
2. Press lightly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

To make the pumpkin layer:

1. Mix one jar of pecan pumpkin butter with 2 eggs and 1/8 of a cup of milk.
2. Pour over crust.

To make topping:

1. Mix and crumble the remaining 1 cup of cake mix with 1 tablespoon of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of soften butter, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. Spread over the top of the pumpkin layer.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden.

Just like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

Well this little baker has gone back to the classroom so there are a lot more papers to grade and a lot less time for baking.  I love bringing something yummy with me to work like a fancy flavored ice tea or an iced coffee to make the day go by faster and the middle schoolers easier to take at 7:30 in the morning.  I love Tazo's passion tea and was thrilled to see an iced version for the summer.  Paired with lemonade, it's an awesome treat but at over $3, it's a bit pricey.  I decided to scour the web for some imitation recipes and after some tweaking, decided that this is pretty darn close.  For another yummy iced beverage, check out my dear friend's recipe for an iced mocha at Memories by Christine.

On a totally unrelated note, check out my friend Sarah's new blog called Monday's Love.  Both the author and the blog are completely wonderful.

Just like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
Makes approx. 2 quarts

• 4 Tazo Passion Tea bags
• 6 Cups of water
• 1 12 oz can of lemonade concentrate
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 15 oz of simple syrup

1. Heat 3 cups of water to boiling.  Remove from heat and add in tea bags and allow to steep for at least 6 minutes.
2. In a pitcher combine lemonade concentrate, remaning 3 cups of water, orange extract, and simple syrup and place in the refrigerator.
3. After tea has cooled, add to the pitcher and stir.
4. Serve over lots of ice.

Cinnamon Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

I wanted to make something delicious for the hubby before school overtook my life again and this delicious little recipe seemed to fit the bill.  I got a couple of gorgeous bartlett pears from Fresh Market (love, love, love this place) and found that the pears were big enough that I could bake an extra coffee cake to send home with my mom and dad who visited last weekend.  The hubby loved it and my mom said it was "the best coffee cake ever."  Ours disappeared before I got a taste or a picture, so I'll have to take their word for it. :)

Cinnamon Pear Streusel Coffee Cake
Makes 1 8x8 cake


Cake:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups pears; cored, unpeeled, and chopped (For me this was one large bartlett pear)

Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut up
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Gently fold in the pears.
5. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Make the streusel by mixing the sugar, flour, and butter with your fingers until crumbs form.  Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the batter.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

DFTS Original Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Thumbprints

One of my fellow box office employees was checking out my blog and nicely hinted that they'd love some lemon squares.  Since we're eating on the go in the box office and lemon squares are best if kept refrigerated, I thought I'd attempt to make a cookie version of my strawberry lemonade bars.  The hubby says they're great - just enough strawberry and lemon flavor so it's not too tart or too sweet.

 Strawberry Lemonade Thumbprints
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups flour

Filling:

• 1 egg beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons strawberry lemonade (I used the Trader Joe's version)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine butter, confectioner's sugar, and flour.  Mix well. 
3. Roll into small balls.  Flatten and indent centers.
4. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
5. In saucepan combine filling ingredients. 
6. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring well until thickened (20-30 minutes).  Beware, this mixture burns easily.
7. When cool, spoon filling into indent of each cookie.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Boozy Apple Pie

My dad LOVES apple pie so when I heard about a recipe that used hard cider, I was very intrigued.  This recipe comes from a google search but the recipe was adapted from a recipe by Lucy Baker's The Boozy Baker.  My dad loved the end result which creates a delicious glaze to cover the apples.   I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Pie before baking

Hard Cider Apple Pie
Makes 1 pie

• 2 1/2 pounds (about 5 medium) Granny Smith applies, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4 inch slices
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons hard cider, divided
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Zest of 1 lemon

To glaze the crust:

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar

1. Make the crust or cheat and use premade crust like me.
2. Make the filling. In a large saucepan, combine apple slices, 2/3 cup hard cider, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved and the apples are thickly coated, about 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of hard cider and cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture to apples and boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the liquid is thick and clear. Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest, and let cool for 30 minutes.
4. Remove both portions of the pie dough from the refrigerator. On a clean, well-floured work surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Pour the apple mixture into the crust. Don't worry about getting all the glaze.  There will be plenty and if you use it all it bubbles all over your oven and makes a huge mess, trust me.
5. Roll the second half of the dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer it to the top of the pie. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Trim any excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Crimp the edges, and cut 2-inch vents in the center of the top crust. Transfer the pie to the freezer and chill for 1 hour or until it is very cold and the crust is firm to the touch.
6. Heat the oven to 425 degrees and place a rack in the lower third.
7. Glaze the crust. Brush the top crust with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar, if using.
8. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil. Cool the pie on a wire rack before serving.