Monthly Archives: December 2011

Pumpkin Pancakes Part Two

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I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  We sure did.  Boy, did it go by fast, though.

For those of you who have been patiently waiting for the pumpkin pancake recipe as promised, Macho Man (that’s my husband, in case you are wondering) delivered and gave me the pumpkin pancake recipe today!  Here it is:

Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl.  Stir.  Gently mix the moist ingredients with the dry, just enough to combine.

2. Heat a lightly oiled* griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Scoop the batter onto the griddle, using ¼ cup measuring cup* for each pancake. Brown on both sides.

*Note: Swiping butter across the frying pan instead of oil makes for really tasty pancakes.  Also, these pancakes freeze very well between wax paper.  We often make smaller pancakes of about 1/8 of a cup so to have less waste for smaller eaters (a.k.a. Kids).

And now you have the prized pumpkin pancake recipe!  A healthy one, too…only 1 tablespoon of oil.  Give it a try!

Until  next time,
Muncho Mom

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Pumpkin Pancakes

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Yesterday was my birthday!  It was a great one.  Guess what  my husband made me for breakfast?  PUMPKIN PANCAKES.  They are one of my absolute favorite things to eat.  Boy, were they delicious.  Am I a lucky gal or what?!?  I’m still waiting on him to give me the recipe to post…maybe he wants to keep it top-secret…but in the meantime, enjoy the picture!

In other news, I made some bear cookies today using the cookie recipe I posted on the first of the month.  Yum!

Aren’t these little guys cute?

Happy Holidays!
Muncho Mom

Molasses Crinkles

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This is another one of my holiday favorites – soft, chewy, bite-size molasses cookies.  I can’t remember how I happened upon this recipe.  I first made them last year for Christmas and decided right then and there that I would be making them every year.  They are that good!

Molasses Crinkles
3/4 cup soft shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup light molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses.  Blend dry ingredients and stir in.  Chill.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.  Dip tops in sugar.  Place on baking sheet 3 inches apart.


Sprinkle each dough ball with 2 or 3 drops of water.  Bake 10-12 minutes just until set.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Makes 5 dozen cookies.

This cookie recipe is very easy.  The only complicated step is dipping each dough ball in sugar, then sprinkling the drops of water on top.  The sprinkled water is what give the cookies that “crinkled” look.  I hope you enjoy this classic holiday treat!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Chocolate Shortbread Trees

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Here’s a recipe for another great holiday cookie – Chocolate Shortbread Trees.  My mom first introduced me to these several years ago.  They are soft, delicious, and very easy to make.  I think the original recipe came off the back of a Land O Lakes butter box.

Chocolate Shortbread Trees
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Sift flour, cocoa and cinnamon.  Add dry ingredients to mixture and beat until well mixed.  Chill dough.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated) to 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut with tree-shaped cookie cutter.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.  Cool completely on wire rack.

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Icing
1 1/2 cups white baking chips
2 Tbsp shortening

Melt baking chips and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (2 to 3 minutes).  Place icing in small resealable plastic bag.  Snip 1/8-inch off one corner.  Pipe icing as desired onto cooled cookies.  Decorate as desired, and let stand until set.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

I must confess…I had some buttercream frosting on hand which I used to decorate the cookies with instead of making the white chocolate icing.  It does sound divine, though!  I also sprinkled the cookies with sanding sugar for a special touch.  I just love how they look so festive for the holidays!

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Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Tasty Granola Bites

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Do you pack lunches every day for your children?  I do, so today I am posting a recipe that is great for school lunches!  And it’s healthy, too.  With the holidays right around the corner, you have plenty of time to stock up on the ingredients and make them in the New Year!  Or even better – make some for your holiday travels.  I have my friend Allison Lore to thank for this recipe, because she posted it on facebook.  It comes from the website http://www.anotherlunch.com.  This is a great site!  If you are a lunch-packing mom or dad, you really must check it out.  Here’s the recipe:

Granola Bites (makes 4 dozen)
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
Optional Ingredients:
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup wheat germ

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients (minus optional add-ins) very well in a large bowl.  If mixture seems dry, add more oil or honey a teaspoon at a time, until it starts to clump.  Stir in chocolate chips and other optional ingredients.

Use a rounded tablespoon and scoop into small silicone baking cups.  Press in.


Bake until golden on top, about 12-15 minutes.  Let cool before removing.

I have made these granola bites countless times since I first saw the recipe (thank you, Allison!).  I am addicted to them.  I make a batch every other week!  Some for my hubby to keep at work, some for me to keep at home, some for the van (because really, it is my second home after all).  I highly recommend finding a good silicone pan or silicone baking cups to bake these in.  It makes things really easy!  I found a great one at Michael’s Arts & Crafts and I absolutely love it.  The granola bites just pop right out!

I love these granola bites for the fact that they are a simple, yet healthy snack.  Try them yourself and you will see what I mean!  Be sure to check out http://www.anotherlunch.com for tips on making these granola bites into granola bars, as well as some other great recipes.

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Buttermilk Biscuits

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Boy, have we been pummeled by the stomach bug this weekend! Three of us (myself included) have been down and out.  Here’s hoping my husband can escape it!

Obviously, I have not been able to do anything exciting in the kitchen this weekend.  This makes me very sad!  Hopefully I can change that soon.  For today, I am posting a recipe I tried a couple of weeks ago from the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook for buttermilk biscuits.  This recipe is very easy.  It does make A LOT of biscuits, so it’s a great recipe if you are feeding a crowd. Otherwise, be prepared to freeze them or give some away to a lucky neighbor! Since the recipe calls for both shortening and butter, these biscuits are very buttery and rich.  They would be perfect with ham.  My husband had one with pork on it and declared it delicious!

Buttermilk Biscuits
(From The Pioneer Woman Cooks! Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold butter (5 1/3 tablespoons), cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Stir together.  Add the shortening and cold butter pieces.  With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Pour in the buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until just combined.  The biscuit dough will be sticky, not overly dry or crumbly.  Lightly flour a clean surface.  Turn the dough out of the bowl and roll to a 1/3- to 3/4-inch thickness, depending on how thick you like your biscuits.  Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter and place them on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 11-14 minutes, until golden brown.  Do not underbake or biscuits will be doughy.

Do you see the butter?

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Zippy Black-Bean Burritos

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Today I’m posting one of my favorite go-to recipes when I am in a hurry.  It came in handy this week!  The recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine and it is so simple and easy.  I also love the fact that it is a totally meatless dish.  It is just spicy enough, but not too much.  My daughter loves these!

Zippy Black-Bean Burritos
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese (mexican blend or colby jack work just fine too)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in vinegar and tomatoes; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in beans; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.  Spoon about 1/2 cup bean mixture down center of each tortilla using a slotted spoon.  Sprinkle each serving with 1/3 cup cheese, and roll up.  Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.  Yields 4 servings.

The only challenging part for me is actually rolling up the burrito with everything intact.  But, if you’re a burrito fan like me, that doesn’t really matter.  Enjoy!Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Rachael Ray’s Five-Minute Fudge

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This simple fudge recipe is one of the best I’ve found. Funny, now that I look at my recipe – printed off the internet – I realize that I have been making this fudge for 6 years!  The date says 12/1/2005.  Wow.  That makes me feel old.

Anyways, I happened to be watching The Oprah Winfrey Show one day, back when my only child at the time was still young enough to take afternoon naps, and Rachael Ray was the guest.  She had prepared all sorts of crowd-pleasing foods for holiday parties.  I could not believe how easy Rachael Ray made it look to make this fudge. No worrying about whether the sugar had completely dissolved?  No temperature taking?  Really?!?  So, later that day, I went to the Oprah website and printed off the recipe.  The rest is history!  Trust me, if you take this fudge to your next holiday party, it is bound to be a big hit!

Rachael Ray’s Five-Minute Fudge
12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 ounce can walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Grease a 8×8 pan or glass dish with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan.  Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.  Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes.


Stir in nuts and raisins, if desired.

Scoop the fudge into pan.

Put in fridge to chill until firm.  Cut and enjoy!

I like making this basic, simple recipe.  I do not add any raisins or nuts because my kids just like plain, good old fudge with nothing else in it, thank you.  However, Rachael Ray offers this variation:

Chunky Chocolate Fudge Wreath
Follow recipe above, saving the condensed milk can. Cover the can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of a greased 8-inch round cake pan.  Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape.  Let it be all bumpy on top.  Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there.  Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters.  Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries.  Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs. Once fudge has chilled and is firm, remove the can from the center, loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula, and place on plate.  Cut into thin slices to serve.

She also has recipes for a White Chocolate Wreath with Pistachio and Cranberry, and a Goober and Raisinette Wreath!  All of these sound heavenly to me, but I have never tried them.

White Chocolate Wreath with Pistachio Nuts
Substitute a 1 1/2 ounce bag plus 1 cup of white chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate chips.  Use shelled natural pistachio nuts instead of walnuts, and substitute 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries for the raisins.

Goober and Raisinette Wreath
Swap butterscotch chips for peanut butter chips.  Swap large whole peanuts for walnuts.  Swap 1/2 cup large raisins for small raisins used in original recipe.

I decided to do a little sleuthing and see if this recipe is still on the internet anywhere.  A-ha!  I did, in fact, find the exact same recipe on the Rachael Ray website, even after all these years.  Check it out at http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=824.  She even has a lovely picture of the fudge wreath, but instead of candied cherries she has decorated it with gumdrops.  How cute!

Fabulous Five-Minute Fudge Wreath

Well, some day I will make fudge that fancy.  For now, I’ll take what I can get.

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Since we had a few bananas past their prime today, I decided to make banana bread.  I noticed this recipe in Everyday Food a while ago and wanted to try it, but we didn’t have any oranges at the time.   Strangely enough, oranges are not on my weekly grocery list. Anyways, we were just gifted with a huge box of oranges, so I decided to put them to use. Granted, it only took one orange to get all the zest I needed, but that’s a start, right? (Let’s be honest here.  I didn’t actually measure out the zest. Besides, how do you measure one teaspoon of orange zest?)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8 1/2 inch-by-4 1/2 inch (6 cup) loaf pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, zest, and salt. Mix in oil, eggs, and bananas.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour into pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes (tent loosely with foil if loaf browns too quickly).  Cool loaf 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan and let cool completely on rack.

If you make this bread, you will wonder why you have never used orange zest in banana bread before!  The hint of orange made the bread truly delicious.  It was very moist as well.

I also made some little mini-muffins for my children to have as a snack when they got home from school.  Boy, were they ever gobbled up in a hurry!  If that’s any indication, this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Easy Sugar Cookies

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There hasn’t been much time for creativity today because my sweet girl is sick.  So, I’m posting a recipe for sugar cookies that I made yesterday for our church’s Christmas Eve Cookie Mission.  I promptly put 4 dozen in the freezer and hope to decorate them later. This recipe is one that I clipped out of a Hallmark holiday promotional mailing – or something like that – some time ago.  It is very easy and does not require any chilling of the dough.  I suppose you could chill it if you wanted to cut out holiday shapes.  It makes nice, evenly round sugar cookies that are perfect for decorating.  My children had a ball with the frosting and sprinkled green and red crystals everywhere!

Easy Sugar Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.  Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 – 10 minutes in oven.  Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

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It’s helpful to flour your hands before rolling the dough into balls.  If you’re going for a soft, chewy cookie, I would say 8 minutes baking time is the max.  These were just right!

Just for fun, here’s a picture of my daughter’s cookie:

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Hmmm.  Well, you may not be able to see it for all the sprinkles, but I promise there is a sugar cookie under there!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom