Inside Apple Pie!

     So, fall has arrived. I repeat, FALL HAS ARRIVED. I don't know very many people that dislike this time of year. Right now, all you see on Facebook, Twitter, and even the news, is Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte and I'm seeing #PSL everywhere! While I've already begun creating dishes using pumpkin, I haven't started on the indulgent desserts and other comfort foods that everyone knows and loves that are so popular this time of year. This is a simple recipe that can easily stand in the place of apple pie. If you have any friends that are gluten-free, replace the flour with about 1 cup of crushed hazelnuts and this will add some extra crunch, too!
     Apples are plentiful right now and are oh so sweet. After visiting the apple festival this past weekend with Michael, we saw apple pies, apple fritters, apple EVERYTHING...but we didn't see an apple crisp. (To be fair, it isn't the most fair-friendly food...a tad messy) but it is delicious. This recipe is perfect for any apples they may be turning or have a few bruises. You don't really need perfect apples for this recipe. It's also the perfect mixture of tender sweet apples and crispy, crunchy cinnamon goodness. If you want to add even more texture to the apple crisp, use a variety of apples for one recipe and don't cut them as evenly. Try adding some larger chunks mixed with the thinner slices. 
 
Inside Apple Pie
Yields: 6 servings

4 medium apples, thinly sliced

¾ c. packed light brown sugar

½ c. flour (all-purpose or self-rising)

½ c. oats

1½ tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ c. butter, softened

 

Heat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the apples in the bottom of the prepared pan (no need to be neat)! In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined. Once combined, cut in the butter using either a fork or your fingers until the consistency is that of coarse corn meal.

 

 

Sprinkle evenly over the apples and bake for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 312.1 
• Total Fat: 9.1 g    
• Cholesterol: 20.7 mg
• Sodium: 14.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 67.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g
• Protein: 2.8 g

 

 

Pumpkin Oat Cookies!

     Who else is ready for fall?! I KNOW I am. I've already got decorations going up, a fall-inspired candle (Sugared Pecan) flickering in the background and pumpkins GALORE! Okay, I haven't actually bought a pumpkin yet, but I DO have canned pumpkin ready and willing to go into anything! I know, I know, I seem a bit crazy over fall, but I wait an entire year for it! There's something about the fall and winter months that makes me so incredibly happy. I guess that's when all of the best memories are made. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, tons of time is spent with loved ones, not to mention decorations are flowing non-stop! Michael and I are already trying to determine what our Halloween costumes are going to be this year. We are thinking of doing a "couple" themed costume (Beauty & The Beast, Darth Vader and Queen Amidala, etc.); any suggestions?
 
     On to the recipe, these cookies are SO delicious! They do not contain any butter or oil, so you could almost make them a fat-free cookie, but then it isn't very decadent. Anyways, I used a mixture of white and semisweet chocolate chips and a mixture of dried cranberries and dried raisins for my cookies. They are absolutely delicious. The pumpkin keeps them moist and chewy, without making them too dense. The chocolate chips and dried fruit add a hint of sweetness in every bite. All in all, I'd say these cookies are a winner.

*You will definitely need to remember to flatten these cookies to a shape and size you prefer. Because there is no butter or oil in this recipe, the cookies will not spread when baking, so flattening is a must! Also, the leavening agents don't have anything to react to, so there won't be much rising. It does, however, make the cookies puff up ever so slightly and I'd miss it if it weren't there!

 

 

PUMPKIN OAT COOKIES

Yields: 13 cookies

1 egg

½ c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. chocolate chips

¼ c. dried fruit

¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 ¼ c. oats

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ c. dark brown sugar, packed

¼ c. granulated sugar

 

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin until blended.

 

In a larger bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until mixed thoroughly.

 

Add the dry mixture all at once to the wet and fold to combine. Avoid over mixing by mixing only until all dry ingredients are moistened.

 

Using a spoon, place the cookie dough on the baking sheet.

 

You will need to flatten them or shape them how you want them and bake for 13 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container.

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 13
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 117.6 
• Total Fat: 3.5 g    
• Cholesterol: 14.2 mg
• Sodium: 63.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
• Protein: 1.7 g

Pum-Cakes!

     It's official. I've made my first pumpkin recipe for the 2012 season and I couldn't be any more pleased than I am right now! I saw an idea on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it. These pumpkin spice cupcakes are so delicious. They have a hint of sweetness and are very moist. I asked Michael what he thought of my creation and he said "good, scrumdiddly-umptious and all that junk". I think that's a good thing. (:
     I'm a fan of making things healthier, especially around this time of year. Not only is it just hard to avoid all the decadent foods, but it's ESPECIALLY hard when Michael's mom makes all her southern holiday cooking. It's SO hard to resist it all. I think this year I will have to chant "EVERYTHING IN MODERATION" over a hundred times in my head...maybe more. I'll be having dreams of her green bean casserole, but I think I should try to make a healthier version! I suppose it will be on my list of recipes to try.
     Anyway, back to the cupcakes. Around this time of year, pumpkin is used quite often and that's GREAT because pumpkin flesh is very low in calories and is fat-free. Canned pumpkin is AWESOME! ½ cup of canned pumpkin is 50 calories and 0 grams fat! It's the recipe that makes pumpkin bad for you (pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, you get the idea).

To make these cupcakes you will need two ingredients. Easy, right?

Pum-Cakes
Yields: 24 cupcakes

1 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin
1 box of spice cake mix (or any mix for that matter)

Combine the two ingredients together in a large bowl. It may seem as if the batter will not come together, but keep stirring, it will! To make these cupcakes even cuter, I made them miniature minis. Confused? I grabbed the idea from Pinterest and used ketchup cups that I got at McDonald's for liners. Line your muffin tin (or in my case, put mini muffin cups on baking sheet) spray liners generously, and evenly distributing the batter (about half full). To make the muffins come out prettier I sprayed my index finger with cooking spray and smoothed the top of the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These are EXCELLENT as they are, but I wanted to add a little more spice, so I made a spiced buttercream to go along with it. A little goes a very long way! Here's the recipe!

Spiced Buttercream
Yields: ½ cup

1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
1 tbsp. milk (you may need less)
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and combine. One teaspoon at a time, add the milk until your desired consistency has been reached. (I used 3 teaspoons.)

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 24
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 134.7

• Total Fat: 3.5 g
• Cholesterol: 5.2 mg
• Sodium: 141.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 24.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
• Protein: 1.3 g