Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

 

It's pumpkin spice season and if you’re anything like me, you are finding yourselves with small amounts of leftover pumpkin from the various recipes for quick breads and muffins that you’ve tried. This recipe will make use of that in fine fashion; anywhere between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup works just fine here, it’s not written in stone. Why spend top dollar, have to put on pants, and get in the car to buy one when you can whip up something magnificent at home? Feel free to experiment. If you happen to have Bailey’s Pumpkin Spice Liqueur at home, add some of that if you want. I won’t judge. I’m not your mom. For something even more decadent, add a scoop of ice cream -- pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla all work equally well here. Don’t ask me how I know.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

 1 c. strong cold brew coffee, chilled

⅓ c. canned pumpkin puree

½ c. whole milk

2 T. pure maple syrup

1 t. vanilla extract

½ t. pumpkin pie spice

½ t. cinnamon

4-5 ice cubes

Whipped cream, for topping

Cinnamon, for topping

 Place all ingredients EXCEPT whipped cream and cinnamon garnish into the work bowl of a high-speed blender (I use one of those mini ninja blenders). Blend for 30 seconds until combined. Taste and adjust for sweetness, and top with a dollop of whipped cream and a few sprinkles of cinnamon.

Makes one serving.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  

Turkey Cranberry Sliders

 My friend Alycia eats turkey throughout the year. That is but one of the many things that I admire about here. Me, I can’t eat turkey except at Thanksgiving, and I’m not entirely sure why. I guess it’s probably for the same reason that I will only eat corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. Any other time of the year just makes it seem like sacrilege.

But the other day I was getting a craving for turkey and cranberries. I happened to, that same day (clearly the fates were with me) stumble upon this recipe for turkey cranberry sliders. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I’ll tell you this, I wasn’t expecting them to be as magnificently good as they turned out to be. I used deli turkey, but you can use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving if you’re not sick of it by then. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. Delicious, and perfect for little hands as well as larger ones that can easily grab two… or three.

Turkey Cranberry Sliders

1 pkg. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 count)

8 oz. deli turkey or leftover fully cooked turkey

1 c. prepared cranberry sauce, chutney, or relish

8 oz. provolone cheese

¼ c. butter melted

2 t.  Dijon mustard

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. brown sugar

½ t. poppy seeds

 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray the bottom of a 9”×13” baking dish with PAM.

Separate the Hawaiian Rolls, and place the bottom half of each roll into the prepared baking dish.

Layer with turkey, cranberry sauce, and cheese, and then place the top half of the rolls back on top.

 In a small saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and poppy seeds over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolved; stir often.

 Pour mixture over the top of the buns, and use a brush or spoon to spread evenly over the top.

 Cover the dish with foil. Bake the sliders for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-6 minutes until the sliders are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Cool slightly before serving.

 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Tiramisu Ice Cream

 

Okay, this is absolutely the last recipe that I am going to share from Gaby Dalkin’s new cookbook, What’s Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy, I mean it! You are just going to have to buy the book yourself. You will not be sorry; it is loaded with wonderful recipes. This one is positively dreamy. For those of you who want the flavor, but not the trouble of making tiramisu, this is your answer. It is decadent! Rich and creamy and smooth, and absolutely wonderful. I topped mine with chocolate covered espresso beans from Melissa’s Produce. You might do the same. You might also consider drizzling a little coffee liqueur over the top for true tiramisu authenticity. Try this one, you won’t be sorry.

Tiramisu Ice Cream

For the ice cream base:
1 c. mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 t. espresso powder
2 t. vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
2 c. heavy cream, cold

For the Mix-Ins:
½ c. crushed Ladyfinger cookies
¼ c. mini chocolate chips
4 T. Dutch process cocoa powder

Put a 9 x 5” loaf pan into the freezer.

To make the ice cream base: combine the mascarpone cheese, sweetened condensed milk, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone mixture with the whipped cream until well blended. Pour the mixture into the chilled pan and freeze, covered, until it’s almost set, about two hours.

To add the Mix-Ins: remove the mascarpone mixture from the freezer and swirl in the crushed ladyfingers, mini chocolate chips, and cocoa powder with a spoon. Return to the freezer until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Serve as needed.

Serves 6 to 8

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of What’s Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy from Abrams Books as a participant in their Abrams Dinner Party Program for 2022-2023.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Swirl Brownies

 

In 2016, October 1st, to be exact, I made a recipe for Martha Stewart’s Pumpkin Swirl Brownies, and that is the last time I made that recipe. Don’t get me wrong, everybody loved them, but they were labor-intensive, and who has time for that? Thinking about those brownies the other day, I dug out the recipe to review. These, I realized, are unnecessarily complicated, and they just don’t have to be. So, I have come up with my own recipe, based on hers, that are much easier to make. These are perfect for the season; the combination of chocolate and pumpkin is one that I really love. You will too.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Swirl Brownies

8 T. (one stick) unsalted butter
6 oz. Nestlé’s 53% cacao dark chocolate chips
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. cayenne pepper
½ t. kosher salt
1¾ c. sugar
4 large eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
1¼ c. pumpkin purée
¼ c. vegetable oil
1½ t. pumpkin pie spice
 Chocolate sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 9” baking pan with Baker’s Joy. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on either side to facilitate easy lifting from the pan; spray lining with Baker’s Joy.

Place butter and chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until melted. If it’s not all the way melted, microwave for another 30 seconds, but do not exceed a minute in total.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt; set aside. In the work bowl of a stand mixer place sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour mixture.

Remove about 2 cups of the batter to a medium bowl. Into that mixture, stir in pumpkin, oil, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the batter that remains in your original work bowl, and beat until combined. Transfer half of the chocolate batter to the prepared pan. Top with half of the pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. With a small spatula or knife, swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.

Bake until set, 42 to 45 minutes. Cool on pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift brownie slab from pan. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and cut into 16 squares.

These don't last long, but do tend to be better n the second day. Go figure. Do freeze after that.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Olive Cheese Bread

You may have noticed that I have recently been sharing numerous recipes for bread spreads. Previously, for example, I shared Cheesy Garlic Bread, Cauliflower Toast, and Artichoke Bread. These scrumptious topped breads make such great accompaniments to soups and salads. Sliced into sections, they also make wonderful appetizers. Here’s one for you olive lovers.

 

Olive Cheese Bread

Adapted from bellyful.net

1 loaf Ciabatta bread*

½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

½ c. butter, room temperature

1½ t. Sriracha

1 6-oz. pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and halved

½ c. Kalamata olives, drained and halved

8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 Slice the loaf of bread in half, lengthwise. Scoop out some of the surface, making a shallow well. Place on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, butter, and Sriracha until combined and smooth. Fold in both types of olives, cheese, and scallions.

Divide and spread the filling evenly between the two bread halves

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Cut into 2-inch portions across and serve as an appetizer.

 *I make the filling up ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, I will spread it on individual slices of rustic bread using it as an accompaniment to soup or salad.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Christmas with Southern Living 2022, Reviewed

Ask anybody and they will tell you that I refuse to discuss Christmas until November. This business of putting Christmas items on display in August is wrong in so many ways.  That said, I have nothing against planning for Christmas in the month prior to November and, thanks to Southern Living’s new release in their Annual Christmas volume, Christmas with Southern Living 2022, I am doing that very thing.

Southern Living is known for quality, and it shines through in this festive volume. As usual, there are loads of ideas to inspire holiday cooking and decorating. If you’ve seen previous years volumes, then you are pretty much familiar with the format. Basically, that doesn’t change. But, I find there is comfort in familiarity. Southern Living is someone whom I know I can trust. I never hesitate to put my holiday parties in their hands, and my guests have yet to be disappointed. The first of the book is filled with inspiring ideas for holiday decorating. No matter what you celebrate, there are decorating ideas for you; no matter what your style, you will find something of interest here from colonial and early American to modern, outdoor dining, and bohemian. This section also includes tips on how to wrap gifts like a pro.The second half of the book is on dining that, equally, has something for everyone. I love that they included a section on “board dining.” They have gone way beyond simple charcuterie boards to include an Appalachian Breakfast Board, Creole Brunch Board, “Floribbean” Sunset Board, and Delta Dessert Board. All of the recipes to create these beautiful and delicious looking boards are included.If you like to celebrate the holidays with game night, they’ve got you covered. If Christmas dinner or brunch is more your style, they’ve got you covered too, with recipes that are simple, or more complex, depending upon your skill level and amount of time that you are willing to delegate.Now for the recipes. My favorite part of Christmas is the cookies. I don’t bake them, mind you, I leave that for my aunt, but in this book, I have found quite a few recipes to send to her including my very favorite Iced Sugar Cookies, Pecan Cookies, and Peppermint Pinwheels. Honestly, I could swoon…or slip into a sugar coma. A fun chapter in this book is called “Snacktastic.” It features a variety of fun homemade goodies like Rosemary Bacon Nut Mix, Smoked Gouda Shortbread, Zesty Parmesan Popcorn, Crispy Potato Chips with Caviar, and more.

One of my favorite things about this book is the holiday planner at the back. It is extensive, well thought out, and begins with a planning calendar for November. There is a decorating planner, grocery store list, party planners, gift lists, a place for memories, simple things that you can buy at the grocery store to yield beautiful and fragrant holiday decorations, and a space to plan for next year. I am also a fan of the indexes. You would be surprised at the number of new cookbooks that don’t have one, much less two. This book has a general index, and a recipe index. They’ve won me over with this aspect.

  I get this book every year, and I think this one is my favorite. Pick one up for yourself and see if you don’t agree.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Southern Living Christmas 2022 from Abrams Books as a participant in their Abrams Dinner Party Program for 2022-2023.

German Chocolate Cake

 

With the exception of one year when my husband decided to bake me a cake that he had seen on the cover of Gourmet magazine, henceforth known as “The Cake Incident of ‘97“, I have always had a German chocolate cake for my birthday. My mother started making these for me when I was 11 years old and kept it up until shortly before she passed away. Yesterday I was feeling nostalgic, so decided that I was going to make one for myself.  I figured that after making that Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake that German chocolate cake would be easy. And essentially, it was. The difficulty is that the more I bake, the more I realize that my KitchenAid is too small. When I put the butter and the sugar into the work bowl and turned it on, it shot everything all over the counter. Sugar was everywhere, including between my toes. So, I rescued the butter (god that stuff is expensive), and had to get out my cleaning equipment to clean off the counters, the front of the dishwasher, the floor, and myself. OK. I started again, and things were going fairly smoothly. Yes, I had to inhale puffs of flour as I added that, and wear splatters of both the buttermilk and chocolate mixture, but I got through it. Then when I went to put it into the cake pans (I used 3 8” cake pans instead of 2 9” because I like the taller cake) I couldn’t get the bowl loosened from the stand mixer. Apparently enough stuff had fallen down that it solidified it to the base. I had to use a measuring cup and dip the batter out to put into each of the cake pans. Then, in order to get the work bowl loose, I had to hit it with a meat mallet!

I didn’t finish the cake and clean up until around 3:30 PM, so that thing took me all day. And then, the icing on the cake (if you’ll pardon the pun) was that I had a slice and it nearly made me sick. As much as I love German chocolate cake, it’s now too sweet for me. I haven’t really had sugar in three months, and it nearly made me ill. So I shoved the rest into the refrigerator so the icing would firm up, and tonight I’m going to slice it, wrap the slices in plastic, and stick it in the freezer. I can’t believe that I spent my entire day, half a dozen eggs (eight actually) a pound of butter, and all that time on an attempt to revisit my past, only to end up making myself sick. If this doesn’t tell you that you can’t go home again, nothing will!

For those of you who love your sweets, this is a classic.

German Chocolate Cake

Slightly adapted from Baker’s Chocolate

 1 4-oz. pkg. Baker's German sweet chocolate

½ c. boiling water

1 c. butter

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 c. buttermilk

 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray the heck out of Line three 8” cake pans with Baker’s Joy.

 Melt chocolate in water, cool. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg yolks. Stir in vanilla and chocolate. Mix flour, soda, and salt. Beat in flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into pans; bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs bake when lightly pressed in center. Cool 15 minutes; remove and cool on rack. Frost cake.

 Coconut-Pecan Frosting

 1½ c. evaporated milk

1½ c. sugar

4 slightly beaten egg yolks

¾ c. butter

1½ t. vanilla

2 c. shredded coconut

1 ½ c. chopped pecans

 Combine evaporated milk, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter or margarine and vanilla in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread.

 Makes 4-1/4 cups.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.