Pumpkin Spice Granola

I had a few friends patiently asking me to post this recipe. :) So here you are! I found this on one Annie's Eats, a blog I have been frequenting lately. Anyway, I have been wanting to try this one for a long time, and today's cold, wet, blustery weather just called for it. This is a keeper! Simple to put together. No added fat or oil, other than the nuts, which are good for you anyway. And it smelled A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. while baking. Of course it tastes fabulous too, so there you have it.

Pumpkin Spice Granola
3 ½ cups rolled oats
2 ½ cups puffed rice cereal (NOT Rice Krispies - I found these in a bag in the health food aisle)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice **see below for substitution
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts (I used pecans and pumpkin seeds - cashews would be great. And next time I'll use more pumpkin seeds - I had some from the bulk bins, without shells)
up to 1 cup dried fruit (I used Craisins, but it's good without them too)

Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until very smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated. Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula. Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest cook until done, 10-15 more minutes. Granola may still seem a bit soft but will get crunchy as it cools. (I overbaked mine a bit and it's a little hard on the teeth.) Cool on pan. Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.

**Don't bother spending extra money on pumpkin pie spice - just use the following for this recipe:

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

This makes 2 tsp of "pumpkin pie spice" - adjust accordingly for different amounts in other recipes.

Brown Sugar-Zucchini Bread

I'm surprised I am just now posting this recipe as it's a favorite in our house. Yes, my kids and hubby love their zucchini so I don't have to be sneaky with this one. If you have aversions to the green veggie in your house, I would suggest you remove the peel of your zucchini before shredding it and then you can just call it Brown Sugar Bread. We had a ton of zucchini from our ONE PLANT in the garden this year, and you know when you forget to pick them and they get really huge? That's a great time to shred them up and freeze it to use for baking in the winter. I like to use cooking spray on the inside of jumbo muffin tins, then put 1-cup scoops of shredded zucchini in there and freeze. Then just pop them out and put them in a freezer bag. If you don't have jumbo muffin tins, you can use the regular size which will hold 1/2-cup each. This bread is slightly sweet, hearty and very moist. And it smells fabulous while baking!

Brown Sugar-Zucchini Bread Recipe
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil **(see note below)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When combined, mix in the oats. Make a well in the center of the ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the well. Combine lightly, and then stir in the zucchini. Do not over mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, mounding it up in the center. Sprinkle with brown sugar and additional oats, if you wish. Bake for 60 or 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a rack covered with a clean dish towel to prevent indentations. Let the bread cool at least 10 minutes longer before slicing. The bread can be served warm or at room temperature. It keeps well and makes good toast, too. Variation: Brown-Sugar Carrot Bread Replace the zucchini with 2 cups grated carrot. Because the carrots are a little starchier, reduce the oats to 3/4 cup.

**I usually substitute all or most of the oil with applesauce and it comes out wonderful.

Pumpkin Scones

These were absolutely delicious. My kids (and I) had them for an after-school snack, then again for dessert that night, then breakfast the next morning. The spicy glaze and the butterscotch chips really combine well with the pumpkin flavor. I cut mine in squares as the circle was really big after they baked and I wanted them to go farther. I love love love pumpkin anything and these did not disappoint.

Pumpkin Scones courtesy of Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3-½ cup butterscotch chips
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
2 tbsp. milk

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk just to combine. Add the cold butter chunks to the bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are no bigger than peas. Mix in the butterscotch chips. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together gently just until the dough comes together. If necessary, knead a bit with your hands, but be careful not to overwork the dough or you will end up with a tough scone.
Transfer the sticky mass of dough to the prepared baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 8 or 9-inch round. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Slice the dough round into 7 or 8 wedges.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. (If necessary, add a bit more milk to achieve a consistency good for drizzling the glaze.) Use a whisk to drizzle the glaze over the finished scones (I use a plastic baggie with a tip cut off). Allow the glaze to set before serving. (If you can wait that long - I couldn't.)

Mummy Dogs

Though I don't typically get into Halloween much, it's fun to do something silly with food and watch some Halloween videos. We had Mummy Dogs and Roasted Ghosties, and finished that off with Pumpkin Scones for dessert (see next post for recipe). Easy and tasty, though I should have skipped the 2nd Mummy Dog. :/

These are simple - slice crescent roll dough in thin slices (probably easier to use the flat dough that they have now, rather than the kind cut in triangles), then wrap it around the hot dogs, leaving space for the face. Put them on a baking sheet, spray dough lightly with cooking spray, and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 12 to 17 minutes until dough is browned and hot dogs are, well...hot. I used mustard for the eyes. Creepy, huh?

I couldn't stop giggling over these guys all lined up on the baking sheet. These are called Roasted Ghosties and I got the recipe from Family Fun http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-dinners/roasted-ghosts-678445/ I used white cheddar cheese, and then used black olives for the eyes. I can't stop laughing at this photo!