Fall Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

After I made some lovely pumpkin Halloween cookies, I had a significant amount of pumpkin pie filling left over. So.... I decided to make pumpkin pancakes with the rest! Keep in mind, I used canned pumpkin pie filling NOT canned pumpkin puree (unsweetened). If you are using the pumpkin puree, you will need to sweeten it with sugar. K?

Normally I would have used the plain canned pumpkin, but my apartment does not have cloves, allspice, and nutmeg so I decided to buy the preseasoned can to avoid spending a fortune on spices.

I made a smaller batch, considering I was just making them for me, so if you're cooking for more people, you might want to double the recipe. Mine made about 7 medium-sized pancakes.

Pumpkin Pancakes:
3/4 cup milk (I used soy milk and they came out just fine!)

3/4 cup - 1 cup pumpkin (pie filling or pure pumpkin, basically I just used however much I had left)

1/2 egg (how do you measure 1/2 of an egg?? Scramble the egg in a bowl first and just pour half in the batter!)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

additional spices (I added more cinnamon to the flour mixture for more spice!)
additional fillings (I used dried cranberries, pecans, and banana slices in mine!)

*NOTE: If using pumpkin pie filling, don't add any sugar!! If using pumpkin puree, then you'll want to add about 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1) In a bowl, mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil.

2) Combine the flour, brown sugar (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and any additional spices in a SEPARATE bowl.

3) Stir dry ingredients into the wet pumpkin mixture

4) Put in the fridge for a couple minutes (I put it in for about 5 while I was chopping my nuts/banana)

5) Heat your frying pan (or skillet if you're fancy!) to about medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan depending on how large you want your pancakes.

 Pumpkin Pancake Batter!!

Extra fillings :)

 Cooking Pancakes! Yummy :)

The perfect pancake

I have to say I was really proud of myself from making these from scratch. They turned out perfectly and had a very strong pumpkin spice flavor.  The cranberries, pecans, and bananas were great additions and were lovely suprises. Topped with butter, you don't even need maple syrup for flavor! For a nice fall breakfast try these lovely little discs of joy. You could even add chocolate chips and whipped cream and you've got a dessert too!!

Have any other fall recipes to share??

Stephanie, WWT

Tiramisu Recipe

I thought I'd finally post this recipe for Tiramisu that I absolutely love! I've made it twice now and it has turned our fantastic both times. It is very easy to make, in fact a lot easier than you might think.

Here's the recipe:

Tiramisu
From Inland Empire magazine, January 2010
makes 8 to 10 servings

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 C mascarpone cheese

1 1/2 C whipping cream

2 C strong coffee, cooled

1/2 cup Kahlua (I almost never have Kahlua on hand so I substituted rum flavoring and mixed it with some brewed coffee. I find that it makes the resulting dessert tasty and slightly rum-flavored)

30 - 36 ladyfingers (Usually 2 and 1/2 packages. They can be found in the bakery section of most supermarkets. In Safeway, they're usually in the baskets near the packaged muffins and cookies)

1 bar of chocolate, or chocolate shavings

STEPS:
1. In a double boiler, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat until mixture is light yellow and has reached 140 degrees F. (I use a bowl over a pot of water. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature)

2. Remove mixture from heat and pour into a large bowl.  Whisk in the mascarpone until smooth and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into egg mixture; set aside.

4. Combine the coffee and Kahlua into a small bowl and dip the ladyfingers. Don't oversoak to the point of sogginess. (I usually only ladle enough in a small bowl to dip the surface of the ladyfingers in. Sometimes it can be difficult to grip them if they become too soggy!)

5. In a 12 to 14 inch round or oval dish (I use a rectangular pan), spread a thin layer of cream mixture.  Arrange ladyfingers on a layer of cream, breaking pieces to make a uniform fit. Add another layer of cream, then another layer of ladyfingers. Top with the remaining cream and smooth evenly.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 8 hours. Before serving dust generously with cocoa powder and top with shaved chocolate curls. (I use a vegetable peeler, on one of those long, thin bars of chocolate. It works great!)

I used the leftover chocolate bar squares to garnish the tiramisu! It's a great way to use it up.

Enjoy it while it lasts! :)

Stephanie, WWT

Sweet Potato Muffins

My wonderful friend who is probably one of the few people who reads this blog (you know who you are ;) recently sent me some recipes that I have been dying to make. I haven't had time or all the ingredients to get to them all, but I tried this one yesterday and I thought I'd share.

The original recipe (found here) is a little different from mine. I substituted buckwheat flour and a little bit of plain white flour for whole wheat because I didn't have any. If you've ever tasted buckwheat flour, you probably either love it or hate it. I personally don't mind the flavor and think it's kind of hearty, but I know for a fact that my father hates it!

So if you prefer your muffins a little more cakier-tasting and less nutty/grainy I would stick with the whole wheat, or just a plain white flour. If you're not a huge sweet potato fan, bananas would be a great substitute also!

Sweet Potato Muffins
makes 12 regular size muffins
2/3 C mashed sweet potato or yam (1 long potato makes enough for 2/3 of a cup and you'll probably have a little bit left over)

2 C whole wheat flour (I used 1 cup buckwheat flour and 1 cup white flour)

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon (I would suggest adding a bit more if you tend to like your muffins spicier)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/3 C brown sugar

1/2 C milk (I used fat free for a slightly healthier option!)

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you haven't already done so, start by boiling your peeled and cut sweet potato as this takes about 10-15 minutes. After that's done, mash the potato up - the fun part :)

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Add sugar, milk and egg. Stir in sweet potato. Combine until smooth.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

My batter was slightly browner/darker because I used the buckwheat flour

Leftover sweet potato

How Sweet It Is gives a recipe for a ginger glaze and you can find it on their website (here) but I actually just prefer mine warm with some butter and maple syrup. Maybe it was because my powdered sugar tasted old and artificial.

Be warned, the muffin itself isn't super sweet so if you are looking for more of a dessert rather than a breakfast muffin I would suggest adding a little more sugar or a sugar substitute like agave syrup. Or just top it with maple syrup and you're good to go!

Finished muffins!

Have any other good recipes? Share them!

Stephanie, WWT

Banana's Foster

Alright so let's face it, I've never had banana's foster once in my life so tonight, I made an exception. Upside? I now have a new dessert to attempt to cook when I get home! Downside... the full stomach and the ughhh feeling.  Don't get me wrong it was totally worth it! Those sizzling, flaming, sugary bananas drizzled over vanilla ice cream made for both a warm and melty, lovely bunch of goodness!!

So what exactly is banana's foster? Well, it was originally created by Paul Blange at Brennan's a creole restaurant located in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Preparation of the dish usually involves a performance of a flambe (essentially setting it on fire). I was lucky enough to have the dish recreated in my college dining hall, I know right? Let me tell you, the chef did an awesome job preparing it right in front of me and he was even getting a two to three foot tall flame going! Anyway, if you'd like to try making this dessert at home here's the recipe. Oh, and it's your call on whether you choose to eat it as a delightful breakfast or a delectable dessert ;)

BANANAS FOSTER (recipe found here)


¼ cup (½ stick) butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup banana liqueur

4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved

¼ cup dark rum

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Doesn't that sound delicious? Now I'm sure you can get creative here and design your own take on this dessert, so have fun. I have a feeling that even banana-haters will love this dish. I can't wait to re-create it myself when I'm home.

Remember: there's always room for dessert!

Stephanie, WWT

Banana Chips?

So, I was eating banana chips this morning and was wondering why I never attempted to make them myself! So for anyone else who wants to try, I found some recipes online. I won't be able to make them until I get back home to my kitchen, but if anyone attempts either of these, let me know what you think!

First recipe:
• 5 Raw Bananas (peeled)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• Oil for deep-frying
• Salt to taste


• Put the peeled bananas in salted iced water.
• Chop the bananas in water and add turmeric.
• Keep in water for 10 minutes and then drain out water completely.
• Transfer to a kitchen cloth to remove the moisture.
• Heat oil till it starts fuming.
• Deep-fry the slices till almost crisp. Add few slices at a time.
• Prepare paste of 1/2 tsp water and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Add this paste to oil. This will make the slices crispier.
• Repeat the procedure for remaining slices.
• Drain the chips on an absorbent paper.
• Cool and store them in an airtight container.

Found on: http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/banana-chips.php




Second Recipe:

2 large firm DOLE® Bananas
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cut bananas diagonally into 1/8-inch thin slices. Dip banana slices into fresh lemon juice. Place slices on baking sheets sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Bake at 200 degrees F, 2 hours.

Turn slices over; continue baking 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until slices are crisp.

Remove slices to wire rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container

Source: Dole Food Company

Found on: http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/36446

Make sure to let me know how your attempts come out!! Or if you know a better recipe, please share!

Stephanie, WWT