SWEET AS SUGAR COOKIES

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pumpkin Pancakes

Okay, so remember last year when I got on my pumpkin kick? Well, it appears I'm not quite over it. There were just too many recipes left unmade and I couldn't resist making them, especially since my family was still there to eat them (having people to help you eat the goods is always the determining factor).

So, on a lovely Sunday afternoon, I decided to make pumpkin pancakes as a late lunch. Why lunch you ask? Well, our church meeting now starts at 10:30 in the morning and, since most of us aren't early risers (present company excluded), we usually end up going to church without eating breakfast. Consequently, breakfast for lunch seemed like a great idea.

Making these pancakes was also another good idea. It was a nice change from the usual buttermilk pancakes we were used to. The pumpkin and spice flavors really popped and eating them with maple syrup only intensified the taste, as well as added a little needed sweetness. The next time I make them, I might increase the amount of brown sugar just to see if they can be just as delicious when eaten plain. But, other than that, I wouldn't change a thing because they were a hit!

Pumpkin Pancakes (Allrecipes.com)

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice (I used 1/2 tsp. nutmeg + 1/2 tsp. cloves)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, 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 into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Note: I made a half batch of this recipe and got 9 pancakes.

This recipe is linked to:
Just Another Meatless Monday
Meatless Monday
Delicious Dishes
Hearth n' Soul Hop
33 Shades of Green Tasty Tuesdays
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
What's Cooking Wednesday
Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday
Full Plate Thursday

Monday, January 24, 2011

Happy Birthday to My Sister

Yay!!! My sister had her birthday this month and so I made her a cake to celebrate. The cake is red velvet with cream cheese frosting made from scratch. I'm still figuring out the whole cake decorating thing so it's by no means professional looking, but with each cake I do, I seem to get a little better. These were my earlier attempts.

I would have used colored icing to decorate the cake, but she thinks icing is too sweet, so I just decorated the cake using the frosting itself. I also used a candy mold and melted chocolate to make mini butterflies and teddy bears which I stuck on the sides and the top of the cake. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred to cover the entire cake with little frosting stars instead of just the top, but, well, she liked it anyway.

So, Happy Birthday dear Sister #1. You know I love you.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. cream cheese
10 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar

Blend the cream cheese with the butter. Add the powdered sugar and beat until all the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is creamy and fluffy.

Note: You can add more powdered sugar if you want. We usually just add a cup because we like our frosting to have a tangier taste.

Makes enough to frost a two-layer 8-inch cake with leftover for decoration

Friday, January 21, 2011

Sweets for a Saturday #1

Welcome to the first ever Sweets for a Saturday. Why the title, you ask? Well, see, Saturday is usually when we would invite my grandparents over for dinner. Naturally, dessert is always served and I want to have a collection of desserts at my fingertips for just such an occasion. Besides that, it's also the weekend and what better way to celebrate the end of the week than with a sweet treat. For this first week, I'm sharing my double chocolate biscotti.

I absolutely love making biscotti, but this chocolate biscotti is one of my favorites. I make it nearly every Christmas to give away as gifts. This past year, however, I made it as a stocking stuffer. See, we had a friend staying with us over the holidays and his family has a tradition of putting goodies into the stockings. Last year, one of the goodies in his stocking was a box of chocolate biscotti. So, I decided that I would follow that tradition using my homemade biscotti.

I usually decorate them with white chocolate after dipping them in dark chocolate, but decided to use some colorful sprinkles for a more festive touch. The recipients definitely enjoyed them, and what's not to love? They're incredibly chocolatey, crunchy without being too hard, and they come out perfectly every time. Okay, I confess, my biscotti did crack on the top. I'm not quite sure why it did that and if any of you know how to prevent this mishap, I'd really like to hear your suggestions. But, cracked or no, they're still great to eat, and, well, with all that chocolate spread over the cracked portion, no one will ever know. Shhh, it'll be our little secret.

Double Chocolate Biscotti (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
6 Tbsp. salted butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. sugar (or you can use 1 cup if you want it sweeter)
2 eggs
melted chocolate chips (for dipping)

Combine dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix in flour. Form 2 logs (12 x 2 inches). Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F. Slice immediately into half-inch slices. Bake 20 minutes per side at 325F.

Let cool. Melt some chocolate chips, add a little oil so that it's not too thick, and dip the biscotti in the chocolate. Drizzle with white chocolate or decorate with sprinkles if desired.

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