Oreo Pumpkin Gaufrettes

Two of the best worlds collide with this treat: waffles and cookies. Combine that with oreos and white chocolate and you got yourself a unique dessert quite hard to refuse. 

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Waffle Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 25 crushed oreo cookies (2 1/2 sleeves)

White Chocolate Glaze

• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup crashed pecans/walnuts

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients.
3. Mix small batches of batter with the crushed oreo cookies so the oreos don’t get mushy and change the color of the batter.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on the waffle iron. Bake for about 4 minutes.
5. To Make Glaze: heat the white chocolate and mix with the milk. Gently dip on side of the cookies into the glaze.
6. Press the glazed sides of the cookies into the crushed nuts.

Tags: Cookies, gaufrettes, oreo, oreos, pecans, pumpkin, waffles, walnuts, white chocolate

Roasted Eggplant & Chickpea Feta Salad

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

3 pounds eggplant (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoon olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 medium red onion, diced

2/3 cup feta, crumbled

1/4 cup finely shredded basil

1 head of red romaine

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Divide cubed eggplant between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet with 1/2 a tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and then spread in a single layer.

2. Roast, turning once, until golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely on sheets.

3. In a bowl combine lemon juice, 2 remaining tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine.

4. In a large bowl, add cooled eggplant, chickpeas, onion, feta, and basil. Add lemon dressing and toss to combine. Serve over a bead of red romaine.

Tags: eggplant feta chickpea basil lemon

Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

A revamped version of your typical beef and rice stuffed pepper. 

Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers (cut off tops and remove insides)
• 1 pound turkey meat
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• ½ large onion
• 2 cups jarred tomato sauce
• 1.5 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp tabasco
• 2.5 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup quinoa (cooked)
• 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup feta cheese + 1/2 cup

Directions

Makes 6 servings

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for two minutes. Shake frequently to ensure even browning. Set aside.
2. Cook quinoa with 2 cups water. Boil, then simmer until water is gone
3. Crumble turkey meat with a wooden spoon over medium heat.
4. While turkey meat is cooking, combine with mushrooms, chopped onion, garlic salt and tomato sauce. Saute over medium heat and add tabasco, worcestershire sauce, tyme, chili powder, salt and pepper.
5. Turn off the heat and add the spinach, quinoa, pine nuts and 1/3 cup feta cheese to the mixture.
6. Portion the mixture into each of the peppers. Make sure to compact the mixture down in the peppers. Place peppers on a baking sheet. Top with 1/2 cup feta. Bake for 30 minutes.

Tags: cup quinoa, dinner, food, toasted pine nuts

These adorable loaves will delight you with their charm and taste.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large ripe pears, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly prep an eight cup miniloaf pan with baking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, vanilla, zest, brown sugar, butter, oil, and applesauce until well combined. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined; do not overmix. Distribute the batter to the miniloaf pan. Stick 3 thin slices of pear into the batter of each loaf cup. Sprinkle sliced almonds and granulated sugar onto the loaves, if desired.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the loaf tops are lightly browned and bounce back to the touch.

Tags: almonds, bread, breakfast, loaves, Pear, ripe pears, teaspoon nutmeg, vanilla

Chocolate Zu-Cranny Bread With Pecans

This zucchini bread has a wonderfully moist texture. The delicate flavor of zucchini allows for the tangy and sweet nature of the other ingredients to shine through. The recipe makes two delicious loafs. Enjoy one for yourself and give the other to a friend!

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup baking coco powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups grated zucchini (about 6 zucchinis)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• * extra chocolate chips and pecans to sprinkled on top of batter

Tips:

You do not have to peel zucchinis before grating them. Make sure to squeeze out excess moisture from grated zucchinis. You don’t want to add additional liquid to the batter.

Sprinkle pecans over the top of the batter before baking. This will toast the nuts and give the bread a crunchier and more flavorful crust.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the first seven ingredients.
3. In a mixer combine eggs, oil, melted butter and extracts; mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.
4. Fold in the zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips and cranberries.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle extra pecans and chocolate chips over the top if desired. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Rotate pans after 25 minutes to insure even baking.

Tags: bread, chocolate, cranberries, zucchini

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

Get your caramel apple fix without the stick.

Ingredients

Makes one 9 inch pie

Interior

• 1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust
• 4 cups apples – peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 10 pieces of Werther’s Original chewy caramels

Crumbles

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Of the interior ingredients, mix brown sugar, white sugar, nutmeg and flour with the walnuts and apple slices. Layer the apple slice mixture in the pie shell.
3. Melt caramels in the microwave with a few tablespoons of water. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apple slices.
4. Of the crumble ingredients mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Smush together the mixture to make desired crumbles sizes. Spoon mixture over apples.
5. Wrap the pie with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until apples are soft and top is lightly browned.

Pie with caramel sauce drizzled over it.

Ready for the oven. 

Caramel Ginger Cookies

Spice up the traditional ginger cookie.

Ingredients

Makes around 18 cookies

• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 5.5 oz bag of Werther’s Original chewy caramels – slightly smashed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice and set aside.
3. Beat the butter with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Combine dough, nuts and chocolate chips.
5. Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop out dough in 1/4 cup clumps and wrap dough around caramels. Roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on prepared sheets.
6. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy.  Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. These cookies stay nicely chewy for up to a week if kept in an airtight container.

The assembly process. Notice the smashed caramels. This helps the caramel melt better and spread with the cookie as it bakes.

The look you’re going for before the oven.

Fresh gingers. Don’t eat them yet. That molten caramel in the center will burn the hell out of your mouth!

Tags: Caramel Ginger Cookies