Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cheesecakes!

Happy Halloween!

I'm bringing these delightful treats into school to share with the fabulous 8th grade team I get to work with this semester! I have learned so much from them and I am excited to share these great Halloween treats.  Here's to a fun Halloween...enjoy everyone!

Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cheesecake (adapted from Yummy Mummy Kitchen)

Ingredients:
15 oreos
16 oz light cream cheese
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate Ganche:
1/4 cup half and half
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300, line a cupcake pan with foil liners, and place the cookies in the cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the rest of the ingredients together until well combined.  Pour the batter into the cupcake wells until they are 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes. The middles should be set.  Let cool
3.  Make the spiderwebs: In a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the half and half until well combined and smooth.  Place in a plastic bag and cut off the tip of the bag.  Draw circles with the chocolate on the cooled cheesecakes and, using a toothpick, drag the toothpick through the chocolate circles to make the webs!

Enjoy :)

This post is featured on Foodie Friends Friday!

Daring Bakers October 2012: Homemade Puff Pastry

Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it! 

I didn't want to go the route of pastry cream, and apples are so delicious this fall that I decided to do a puff pastry apple pie!  I set out to make the puff pastry with the assistance of my favorite co-chef: Bri! He's visiting me for Halloween/Homecoming this weekend in Madison and it has been a blast! Plus, it was perfect to make the pastry and then watch the homecoming game while it was chilling! We had a lovely day :).

I was surprised at how much work/time goes into puff pastry...no wonder it is so amazing.  However, it is not at all difficult! So, if you are looking for a fun/delicious project make some puff pastry.  I

I know that this months challenge was to make the Mille Feuille and to layer the puff pastry with various fillings, but I was really craving this apple pie that I saw over at Create with Mom. So, since I knew I was making some puff pastry, I decided to go ahead and whip up this amazing looking "pie."  I adapted the recipe so that I could make the puff pastry provided for this challenge by Suz and so that I could use the apples I picked up at the farm while pumpkin picking! Stay tuned for the full recipe.  Today I am sharing how to make the pastry!

Puff Pastry (adapted from About .com)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp cold water
14 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
3 1/2 tbsp flour

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the larger amount of flour, salt, and cold butter together.  Pinch the butter with your fingers until you have a mixture that resembles wet sand.  Mix in the water and then knead the dough for about 4 minutes using your hands.  Wrap the ball of dough in clingwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2.  Mix the larger amount of butter with the rest of the flour until you have a paste.  Shape the paste into a square about 5 in. long and 5 in. wide.  Wrap in clingwrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.  
3.  Take the chilled dough and roll it out into a square about 7 in. long and 7 in. wide.  Place the butter paste in the middle of the dough and then take the corners of the dough and wrap it around th butter so that you have a litte package.  Turn it over and roll it out with a rolling pin so that you have a rectangle about 16 inch. long and 1/4 inch thick.  You may need flour for the rolling.
4.  Fold the rolled dough into thirds: take the short end of the rectangle and fold it into the middle, then take the other end and fold it over that part.  Roll out the dough again into the rectangle and repeat the folding process.  Wrap is clingwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Repeat this process 2 times and place back in fridge for 30 minutes.  
6. Repeat this process 2 more times and then use the dough or refrigerate until needed.  You can keep this in the fridge for 2 days.  

Enjoy :)

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

I had professional development days this past week.  On Thursday, my cooperating teacher advised me to take the day off as I would probably be able to get more valuable work done than going to hear a speaker with the whole district.  I gladly accepted the day off.  I was able to sleep in (all the way to 7:30), go for a long run outside, and spend some time baking.  I was also able catch up on homework and watch The Princess Frog with Tamara the night before (we stayed up past 10!).  Woah! It was such a wild and crazy day off.  On Friday, I went into school for professional development and I found it really fascinating.  It was like a whole semester of school of education classes rolled into 3 hours.  We talked about teaching literacies across curriculums and the common core state standards in mathematics. I found this really helpful and fascinating, but also overwhelming.  It is pretty crazy to think that I have to not only meet students where they are and help them advance, but I also have to make sure that they are meeting grade level standards.  But, what if a 6th grader is at a 3rd grade level?  That would mean that I would have to get them to advance to a 6th grade level, but meet them at a 3rd grade level first.  Plus, I would have to do this process for each individual kid at each of their levels.  It is a daunting task, but I suppose that is what is so exciting and scary about teaching.  You get to impact children in such a meaningful way, but you have to do this for so many children that it become overwhelming and frustrating when you do not have the supports to do all that you can.  That is where professional development comes in.  The district people who were leading the discussions were providing us with ideas and frameworks for support in our teaching.  Overall, it was a great day and I learned a lot.

All this time off from the kiddos means that I was able to bake a ton! Casey (also the author of the Buffalo Chicken Dip) came to me a while back and suggested molten chocolate lava cake.  So, I went and bought some ramekins and we made them the other night! They turned out pretty darn amazing, but next time, I would use dark chocolate instead of bittersweet and I would bake them for slightly less time.  I got nervous this time around and left them in for too long! The cake was still fantastic and it was great to enjoy a little treat with my "fraternity son." We made three little cakes in 5 oz ramekins (one for him, one for me, and then one for Margo who stopped by to help us bake!).  It was super duper fun!

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake (adapted from Delicious Shots)

Ingredients:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour (we used whole wheat and it was great!)
1 tbsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease the ramekins.
2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring continuously, until it is well combined.  Remove from heat.
3. Beat the egg and egg white with the sugar until it turns a pale yellow.  Beat in the vanilla and then add in the chocolate mixture until combined.  Mix in the flour and espresso powder.
4. Divide the batter among the ramekins and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.  Serve in the ramekins or, using a knife, run it along the sides of the ramekins and tip the cake out onto a plate.

Enjoy :)

P.S.  Ice cream and/or a nice glass of milk go great with these lovely little cakes!

Guest Post-Cooking with Pulses

Today I have some very exciting news! Lily Anderson is a writer who works with a licensed online pharmacy   She is strongly interested in promoting a healthier lifestyle through the promotion of exercise and eating well.  I am a big fan of both of these things and she contacted me as being interested in contributing to this blog! Please enjoy this lovely guest post from Lily about the benefits of cooking with pulses and a great recipe!

Cooking With Pulses – Make It a Regular Thing

It’s no longer unusual to be vegetarian or even vegan for that matter – there are over 7 million people in the United States who don’t eat meat and 1 million of these avoid all produce from animals. However, for the rest of us who still choose to eat meat, we’re being encouraged to eat less to benefit our health. A high intake of red meat and especially processed meats such as ham and bacon, are linked with an increased risk of bowel cancer; additionally processed meats tend to be high in saturated fats, the fats that raise cholesterol level and increase our risk of heart disease. Meat lovers, who are sceptical of the need to reduce their meat consumption, usually play the card that red meat is essential for iron to keep anaemia at bay. While it is true that red meat is a very good source of iron, there are plenty of other foods in the diet that can provide us with iron – eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and pulses. It’s the last one that we're going to focus on. Peas, beans and lentils are often an overlooked part of the diet – not so much by vegetarians, but certainly by most of us who eat meat. It’s a shame, as not only are they a very healthy option, they’re also very versatile, so can be used in all manner of dishes.

Why eat pulses?

Peas, beans and lentils are a great source of vegetable-based protein, needed for growth in children and for your body to continuously replace old cells and carry out repair to tissues like skin and bone. Not only are they very low in fat, but they are high in fibre, so make a filling option – ideal for anyone who finds that they get hungry soon after a meal – and are beneficial for digestive health. They contain a type of fibre known as soluble fibre, which can help to keep your cholesterol level in check. Soluble fibre can also help to balance blood sugar levels – something which can become a daily battle for the millions of people who live with diabetes and who know the consequences if they don’t keep them under control; the prospect of blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and in men, erectile dysfunction, necessitating the need to take the likes of Cialis med. Although not as high in iron as meat, pulses make a useful contribution to your daily intake; to aid iron absorption just make sure you include some fruit or vegetables rich in Vitamin C when you eat pulses - citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, green vegetables, peppers and tomatoes are all good for this - and avoid drinking tea or coffee with the meal.

Which pulses to choose?

Beans on toast isn’t a bad meal, but you’d soon get tired of having it week in week out. With so many pulses to choose from – black-eye beans, borlotti beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, kidney beans to name just a few – there’s no need to limit yourself when you have such a selection widely available in the grocery store. Most pulses can be bought dried and in cans. The dried pulses although cheaper, need to be well soaked for a day and cooked for an hour or more, so the canned variety represent a much more convenient option.

How to include more pulses in meals?

As a general rule for any dish where you have meat in a sauce or gravy, you can replace all or some of the meat with pulses. Good examples would include curries, soups, stews, cottage pie, spaghetti Bolognese, chilli and lasagne, but there are so many more possibilities. Pulses also work well in stir-fries and salads. Another way that they can be used is to make them into a pâté-style spread; all you need do is blend a can of drained pulses of your choice with a little non-fat fromage frais, some garlic, a drop of lemon juice and whatever herbs, spices or seasonings that take your fancy.

If you still aren’t convinced, try this quick and easy recipe for a kidney bean curry to see how good meat-free dishes taste.

Kidney bean curry (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground ginger

1tsp chilli powder

1 large onion, chopped

1 red and 1 green pepper, cut into strips

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1x 400g tin kidney beans, drained

1. Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, curry powder and all the spices, cooking for a further minute, stirring throughout

3. Add the pepper strips and cook for 5 minutes, stirring periodically.

4. Pour the tinned tomatoes into the pan, thoroughly combine and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Lastly add the kidney beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

6. Serve with boiled rice or a chapatti.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday-Crockpot Party!

This week Foodie Friends Friday is hosting a Crockpot Party! I love cooking with my crockpot and it is one of the things I miss most while I am away at college (after my stand mixer and ice cream maker).  I just don't have the space for it in my room! It's very sad.  I love to get re-acquainted when I go home.  Some of my favorite recipes are Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, Vegetarian Lasagna, BBQ Pulled Apple Chicken, and Vegetarian Chili.  I've linked them all up to celebrate this week's party!

Onto the business/fun stuff! Last week TWELVE lucky winners won awesome items from all the great sponsors!

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Caramel Apple Cupcakes

2. Peanut Butter Pumpkins

3. Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Most Clicked:

1. Pumpkin Bundt Cake

2. Peanut Butter Pumpkins

3. Loaded Potato Soup

This week is sponsored by Cotton Commotion and two randomly picked, lucky winners will win Crockpot Carry Bags!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

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Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Now, it is back to yet another crazy week.  However, this week has been going so well so far.  The kids have been great.  We are working on constructing reflections and rotations and they have been working really hard and really well.  I have been working on getting partner activities to run smoothly.  The first few partner activities were a mess.  Kids got rowdy and it was out of control.  However, lately they have been working well.  I made an effort to walk around and hand out "tickets" to kids who were working well and staying on task as a group.  These "tickets" can be used at the school store or in the class raffle every month. Typically, 8th graders are not as into the tickets as the younger kids, but this type of award seemed to instill some motivation in them.  I think I am going to continue this type of positive reinforcement.  Does anyone out there have any other ideas for motivating kids?

Also, this week is a short week! We have professional development days on Thursday and Friday, but my cooperating teacher advised me to take the day off Thursday as I am not an employee of the district and my time can be spent in better ways by not going.  Plus, my class on Wednesday was cancelled! So, after 11:30 tomorrow until 1:00 the next day, I am totally free! I don't even know what to do with myself.  My days have been so packed up until this point and I am afraid this crazy amount of freedom is just going to drive me insane! Actually, I am looking forward to sleeping a little more, working out, baking something fun, and working on some lesson plans and homework.

Here is one of the treats that I have made this week: Maple Pumpkin Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate.  I figured this type of cookie would be the perfect fall treat to bring to a study night.  These cookies smell amazing and are bursting with awesome fall flavors.  I can't wait to share these with my lovely DTS brothers and sisters!

Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Some The Wiser)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops maple syrup
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, and butter until well combined.  Beat in the egg until well combined.  Finally, mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Slowly combine the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
4.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  I made 24 medium-large cookies.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

I got to go Pumpkin Picking Sunday with my parents and bff Tamara! It was a lovely day in Wisconsin and we took full advantage of the beautiful weather.  We went to a great farm, picked some amazing pumpkins, and got some apples/apple cider.  It was so much fun! There was a corn maze, haunted house, and other fun activities.  Plus, I got to hang with my parents for the first time in a long time.

It was so nice to spend brunch and the afternoon with them and it made me realize how much I miss my family.  I love it here in Madison, but sometimes when things get stressful, I end up missing my family a ton.  It was great to catch up and just relax for the afternoon.

The One

Today I am sharing a lovely pumpkin treat in honor of Pumpkin Picking! These cupcakes were fantastic! I shared them with my DTS brothers and sisters at study night and with the 8th grade team of teachers.  Everyone raved about them! I adapted the pumpkin spice cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma and for the frosting I made a study whipped cream frosting adapted from All Recipes.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp espresso powder
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
4 eggs

Cinnamon Whipped Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 8 oz packaged of reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 12-cup muffin times with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, espresso powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, and greek yogurt.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add in the flour, 1/3 at a time, and mix until just combined.
4. Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely.
5. Make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together.  Slowly pour in the cream and beat until whipped and frosting holds a stiff peak.  Frost the cupcakes and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve and then frost the cupcakes.

Enjoy :)

This post is featured on Foodie Friends Friday!

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Pudding

When I saw this recipe, I knew I just had to try it.  It is so simple and it looks delicious.  Also, it is pretty darn healthy and just a little crazy.

I have been so busy lately, but even I had time to whip this up in my food processor and then snack on it while working on homework/watching tv (that's right...I can multitask).  So let me tell you the recipe and then I have to go get ready for school!

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Pudding (adapted from Kirbie's Cravings)

Ingredients:
1 medium avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup skim milk

Directions:
1. Peel and take remove the seed from the avocado.  Place chunks of the avocado into a food processor.  Place the rest of the ingredients in.  Food process until smooth.  Eat immediately, or place in the fridge to chill.

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Sundays are the perfect day to whip up a nice batch of scones.  That is why I am sharing this recipe today! I found the original recipe at Bespangled and she described the scones as "inspired by Starbucks." Now, I LOVE coffee, I LOVE scones, and I LOVE Pumpkin Spice Latte Season.  So, this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Scones sounded just perfect to pair with a pumpkin spice latte!  I am working on the Pumpkin Spice Latte idea, but here are the scones.  I adapted the recipe to use some lighter ingredients and it tasted fabulous! I brought them to study night and my DTS taste testers all agreed that these were just amazing.  I must admit, I may or may not have licked the spoon I used to make the glaze when I was done and it was crazy good.  Beware of that glaze and enjoy these scones!

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
3 tbsp half and half
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp skim milk
Pumpkin Spice Glaze:
1 cup + 3 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp skim milk
1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
dash of cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir in the melted butter until you have a mixture that resembles wet sand.  Use your hands to pinch the butter through the flour mixture.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, egg, and half and half until well combined.  Pour in the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Place the dough on some parchment paper and form it into a rectangle about a foot long, 4-5 inches wide, and 1 inch thick.  Using a knife, cut this into thirds and then cut each third into 8 pieces by cutting diagonally, horizontally and vertically.  You will end up with 24 mini triangles.

5.  Place on parchment lined sheet and bake for 12 minutes.  Let cool.
6. Make both glazes: make the basic glaze by stirring the milk into the powdered sugar until well combined.  Make the pumpkin glaze by stirring all the ingredients together until well combined.  If you want a thicker glaze, add more sugar and if you want a thinner glaze, add more milk.
7.  Spread the basic glaze over each cooled scone and then drizzle the pumpkin glaze over the top.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Freaky Friday Party

Halloween is just around the corner and so this Friday, Foodie Friends Friday, is doing a "Freaky" themed party.  Link up your fantastic-ly, freaky recipes and have fun checking out some great Halloween recipes!

I'm linking up these awesome graveyard cups!

Onto the business/fun stuff! Last week three lucky winners won great prizes from Clean Mama Printables!

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Cheapo Pumpkin Spice Latte

2. Easy Bacon Wrapped Garlic Chicken

3. Pumpkin Pancake Palooza

Most Clicked:

1. Chocolate Snack Cake with Biscoff Buttercream

2. Apple Filled Pull Apart Bread

3. Hashbrown Crusted Quiche

This week there are FIVE sponsors and TWELVE prizes! WOAH! Here are this week's sponsors:

The Tape Shop

Lenore's Attic Art

Songbird Greetings

You Name It Designs Shop

Vectoria Designs

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

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