The Grateful Girl Cooks!

23
Oct
2015

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

26 Shares

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles are Fall-inspired decadent cookies, with a sweet, creamy cheesecake filling inside that will surprise you!
Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins… they are EVERYWHERE this time of year! From the front porch (as a decoration), to the kitchen (used in desserts, etc,), pumpkins are a staple of the Fall season. That being said, I really hope you will like this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles I’m posting today. They are so good!

If you like snickerdoodles, chances are you will love these soft “pumpkin-y” cookies, especially with the surprise cheesecake filling in the middle. You can’t see the filling from the outside, but one bite into these cookies, and bam! There it is… and it’s good!

I am posting lots of pictures of the “process” of making the cookies, but you need to know that it really doesn’t take too long at all to whip up a batch of these delicious treats! Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough

First thing to do is mix up the cheesecake filling. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, using an electric mixer.

Once the filling is mixed well, cover and chill it for about 30-45 minutes to firm it up again.

While the cream cheese mixture is chilling, prepare the cookie dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, and then set it aside.

Beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars together in a mixer for about 3 minutes, then add the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla, and beat it all together.

Add The Dry Ingredients To The Wet Ingredients

When the pumpkin “batter” (the wet ingredients) are well blended, add the flour mixture a little at a time, while mixing on low speed.

Once the cookie dough ingredients are totally blended, cover the dough and chill it for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Both the cheesecake filling AND the cookie dough can chill at the same time!

Make The Cinnamon Sugar Coating For The Snickerdoodles

While the dough (and cream cheese filling) are chilling, make the cinnamon-sugar coating. Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice in a small bowl, and then set aside.

Once the dough and cream cheese filling are completely chilled, it’s time to “construct” these cookies:

Forming The Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Take a Tablespoon of the chilled cookie dough and flatten it out in your hand into a round cookie shape. Put a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling right in the middle of the dough.

Flatten out another piece of dough (same size), and lay it on top of the cheesecake filling.

Pinch the sides together carefully by pulling the top piece of dough down around the filling, and carefully seal all the outside edges together. It can be a bit messy, but keep going, and try not to squish the filling out of the cookie.

The picture I took of what it looks like once sealed is completely blurry. Sorry-I was covered in cookie dough. You want the snickerdoodle to be fully sealed all around the edges. After you do the first one, it will be easier.

Coat The Cookie Dough Balls In Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

Once the edges are completely sealed, roll the dough “blob” between your hands to form a ball, then drop it into the bowl of cinnamon-sugar-spice mixture and roll it around to coat it completely.

Place the sugar-cinnamon coated dough balls about 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet that is sprayed with non-stick spray. You can also use parchment paper or Silpat mat on the baking sheet instead of spraying the sheet. Continue until dough is all gone.

Bake The Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Before you bake the pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles, take a heavy bottomed glass and flatten the dough balls down slightly.

Bake the cookies in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or so. It may take a bit longer depending on how large the cookies you made are. When done, the tops should be slightly cracked and cookies should be a light golden brown. Remove cookies from oven; let them cool on the baking sheet before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

Once they are cooled off completely, they are ready to be gobbled up! Pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles are at their best when eaten at room temperature (NOT WARM), because of the cheesecake filling.

Fall is such a wonderful season. I am always in awe of the beauty around us in the Pacific Northwest. Even our street magnificently displays God’s handiwork!

Sure hope you enjoy these pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles! They are a little taste of Fall! Have a great day, and may God bless you with reminders of His presence today!

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/pumpkin-cheesecake-snickerdoodles/

0 from 0 votes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles are Fall-inspired decadent cookies, with a sweet, creamy cheesecake filling inside that will surprise you!

Category: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories Per Serving: 239 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough:

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup butter , at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For cheesecake filling:

8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
A dash of allspice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the cream cheese filling:

Mix cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla together in a small bowl. Cover bowl; refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Make the cookie dough:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, completely beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars together until fully blended and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
Add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
Turn mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture a little at a time until fully blended. Once blended, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for about 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray OR line them with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
Make Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
In a small bowl, blend together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and allspice. Set aside.

Make cookies:

Scoop a Tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten it in your hand (like a pancake). Spoon a teaspoon full of cheesecake filling onto the center of the flattened dough. Make another pancake shaped piece of dough, and put it on top of the cheesecake filling. Seal the edges of the two together, by pinching the edges together and sealing in the cheesecake filling. Once edges are sealed together, roll the dough between both hands into a ball.
Place each dough ball, one at a time into the cinnamon-sugar spice mixture. Roll, to fully cover the dough ball with the cinnamon-sugar. Place dough ball onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Once all dough balls are formed and on baking sheets, flatten each cookie by pressing gently down on the top of each cookie with a heavy bottomed glass.
Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on them- cooking time will depend on just how large you make these cookies!). Mine took 15 minutes, plus a little more. When done, the cookies will be slightly cracked on top, and will be light golden brown in color. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies are best when completely at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

Prep time includes refrigeration time.

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 239 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 32mg11%

Sodium 165mg7%

Potassium 96mg3%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1490IU30%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1.1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

21
Oct
2015

Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce

categories: Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern, Pork

33 Shares

Pin33

Yum

Today I thought I’d post the recipe for some delicious Shredded Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce I made recently. I made these enchiladas as a way to use up some leftovers in our refrigerator (pork chops and rice), but LOVE the “yumminess” that came out of that brainstorming session!
I used a green enchilada sauce that I made and canned this summer, and totally recommend making it (Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce). It’s a very quick & easy fresh-tasting sauce to flavor the enchiladas (you don’t have to can it!), but if you are pressed for time, just use a good quality grocery store bought green enchilada sauce instead.

I made this recipe up just using my feeble old brain and some food items I had in our refrigerator, so I used leftover shredded pork, and some leftover wild rice… but you can make it work with whatever you have lurking in your fridge. Chicken, pork, wild rice or white rice… you really can’t hurt these enchiladas. Here’s what you do to make 4 large enchiladas (large enough we only needed one each to be full!):

Start with pre-cooked shredded pork or chicken. (I threw some leftover pork chops into the crock pot early in the day with some broth and re-cooked them until they shredded easily).

I also used some leftover cooked wild rice I found in the fridge (but you can substitute any cooked rice!)

I placed the pork and rice into a large skillet, stirred to combine, then added 1/2 cup of my homemade cilantro-lime enchilada sauce, mixed it together, then heated it through.

In another skillet, I quickly sauteed onions, red, green, and orange bell peppers, along with some garlic. Once they were cooked, I added them to the pork/rice mixture.

I added a small amount of sour cream, water, salt, cumin, chili powder, and fresh cilantro to the pork/rice mixture and stirred it all to combine (off the heat).

I poured a bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of my baking dish, to slightly cover.

I spooned some of the pork/rice/veggie mixture down the middle of 4 medium sized (8 inch) flour tortillas. I added grated pepper jack cheese, then folded one end of the tortilla over the filling, rolled it and tucked in the other end of the tortilla. I laid the filled & rolled enchiladas seam-side down on top of the sauce.

I poured the rest of the enchilada sauce over the surface of the tortillas (cover as much as you can with the sauce), then added additional pepper jack cheese to cover.

I covered the pan with aluminum foil, then baked the enchiladas at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. I removed the foil about 5 minutes before they were done baking, and continued cooking. Once done and the cheese and sauce was bubbly, I removed pan from the oven, let it sit for a minute to firm up the cheese slightly.

The enchiladas were placed onto individual dinner plates with a garnish of sour cream and chopped cilantro. Each enchilada was pretty large, so my husband and I only ate ONE, and then enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day (and FYI- they were just as wonderful as the night before!).

I really enjoyed coming up with this recipe from leftovers from our fridge. It’s a great way to use up what you have, without wasting it!

I normally use corn tortillas and red enchilada sauce when I make our enchiladas, but these were so amazingly delicious, I will be making them again and again. Sure hope you will give them a try… and hope you enjoy them like we did! Have a fantastic day!

Interested In More Recipes?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: My brain, with a refrigerator full of leftovers!

0 from 0 votes

Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Shredded pork enchiladas, covered in a delicious cilantro lime enchilada sauce.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: pork enchiladas

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 628 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce (may substitute store bought green sauce):

6 cups tomatillos , husks removed and quartered
1/2 cup brown onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly, or use equivalent amount of minced garlic)
2 medium jalapenos , finely chopped
3 Tablespoons cilantro , chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water
olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

For Enchilada Filling:

2 cups shredded pork , shredded (may substitute chicken)
1 cup cooked rice (I used wild rice, but any kind is okay)
1/2 cup brown onion , chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (I used mix of red, orange, and green)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 8" medium sized (8 inches) flour tortillas
2 cups pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (for garnish)
chopped cilantro (for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the lime-cilantro enchilada sauce:
Remove husks from tomatillos; rinse, then cut into quarters. Place into large stockpot, along with garlic /jalapenos; drizzle with olive oil. Cook veggies on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes.
Add water, cilantro, cumin, and salt to pan. Cover pan; simmer on low for 10 minutes, until tomatillos have softened. Once softened, use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to process sauce until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice;stir to combine. Set sauce aside.

To make enchiladas:

Combine shredded pork, and cooked rice in a large skillet. Add 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir to combine.
In separate skillet, saute onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the cooked vegetables to the pork/rice mixture, and heat through (1-2 minutes). Remove skillet from heat.
Add 2 Tablespoons sour cream, water, cumin, chili powder, and salt to the pork/rice mixture. Stir well to combine.
Spoon some of the remaining enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish.
Spoon equal amounts of filling onto the flour tortillas. Add a generous sprinkling of pepper jack cheese to the top of the pork/rice mixture, making sure to save some to top the enchiladas with. Roll the enchiladas up, burrito style, then place, seam-side down on top of the sauce in baking dish.
Cover the enchiladas with additional sauce to ensure tortillas are fully covered.
Sprinkle remaining pepper jack cheese all over the top of the enchiladas.
Bake at 350 degrees (dish covered with aluminum foil) for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, or until sauce and cheese is bubbly.
Remove dish from oven. Let sit for a minute to let the cheese firm up. Serve enchiladas onto individual serving plates. If desired, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, and additional chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If using my recipe for lime cilantro sauce, you will have extra sauce left over. It is easily freezable (freezer bags), if you wish to do so.

Nutrition Facts

Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 enchilada)

Calories 628 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 113mg38%

Sodium 2072mg90%

Potassium 798mg23%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 1190IU24%

Vitamin C 57.4mg70%

Calcium 564mg56%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

13
Oct
2015

Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce

categories: Canning And Preserving, Sauces and Dressings

1.7K Shares

Pin1.7K

Yum1

This delicious homemade cilantro lime enchilada sauce can be used for enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, etc. Canning instructions are included.

After a 5 day visit to Southern California to see my family, I’m glad to be back home in the great Pacific Northwest. Today I want to share the recipe for a fantastic tasting Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce that I made (and canned) back in July.

I’ve included instructions for canning this (optional), but you don’t have to do that to enjoy this delicious sauce on some enchiladas, or even to use as a taco sauce. It’s really good, very easy to prepare, and makes 3 pints of delicious enchilada sauce!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

This Recipe Uses Tomatillos – So What Is A Tomatillo?

I had never cooked with tomatillos before making this green sauce, but found them very easy to work with. A tomatillo is also known as a Mexican Husk Tomato, due to the paper-like husk that surrounds it. This fruit/vegetable originated in Mexico, and is a key ingredient in Mexican and Central American green sauces.

Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce Is A Green Sauce!

When I make homemade enchiladas or order them at our favorite Mexican restaurant, I always go with a traditional red sauce, BUT I decided to branch out a bit and make this recipe for a green enchilada sauce. The original recipe was from Pam at “Over The Big Moon.com”.

Do I Have To CAN This Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce?

No! Absolutely NOT! The recipe does NOT have to be canned, but I canned it (water-bath canning and recipe makes 3 pints), so I could have some in our pantry for “later”. Further down in this post, you can see how to store it, if not canning it!

I used the first batch of this sauce to make some Pork Enchiladas With Cilantro Lime Sauce, and whoa… they were amazingly DELICIOUS!

The sauce was very easy to prepare, and I absolutely will make it again, so I can have more in our pantry! Here’s how I made it:

How To Make Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce

Rinse, peel and de-stem the tomatillos, then cut each tomatillo in quarters (6 cups total).

Place the tomatillos into a large stockpot,, and add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped jalapeno peppers.

Drizzle everything in the pot with olive oil. Cook the tomatillos on medium-high heat for a few minutes. While the tomatillos and other veggies are cooking, chop up the fresh cilantro.

Cooking The Tomatillo Mixture

After the tomatillo mixture has cooked for a few minutes, add the water, chopped cilantro, cumin, and salt to the pan. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat to low temperature. Cook on low for about 10-12 minutes.

Once the tomatillos are pretty soft, use an immersion blender to completely puree everything into a smooth sauce. NOTE: If you do not have an immersion blender (mine was a gift!), put everything into a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth (might have to do it in batches).

Once the cilantro lime enchilada sauce is smooth, add the lime juice to the mixture and mix well, to fully combine.

What If I Am NOT Going To CAN The Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce? At this point if you are NOT going to can it, you can use some right away, to make enchiladas! Make sure to keep the leftover sauce covered and refrigerated.

Can I FREEZE The Sauce?

Yes, you can freeze the sauce. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. You will need to store the sauce in air-tight containers or freezer bags in the freezer.

How Do I CAN The Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce?

**If you are going to can the enchilada sauce, you will need to add the hot enchilada sauce into your clean, hot canning jars (that have been prepped according to USDA safe canning guidelines). YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO ADD ADDITIONAL LIME JUICE TO EACH JAR BEFORE PROCESSING (SEE RECIPE BELOW).

Fill the jars leaving 1/2 ” headspace, remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, if necessary. Wipe rims, then apply 2 piece canning lids that have been prepped according to safe canning guidelines. Process in boiling water in water bath canner for 40 minutes, following published canning guidelines**.

Hope you will give this recipe a try! The cilantro-lime enchilada sauce is delicious and fresh tasting! Update (2019): This recipe for cilantro lime enchilada sauce continues to be used, over and over. I’ve made this enchilada sauce at least 5 times now, and it is fantastic!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you will come back soon for more delicious recipes.

Looking For More CANNING Recipes?

You can find all my canning recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. These include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a wonderful day!

Recipe Source: http://overthebigmoon.com/canning-cilantro-lime-enchilada-sauce/

0 from 0 votes

Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Canning Time

40 mins

Total Time

30 mins

This delicious green enchilada sauce features the Southwest flavors of tomatillos, cilantro, and lime, and can be used for enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, etc.

Category: Condiment

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: cilantro lime enchilada sauce

Servings: 3 pints

Calories Per Serving: 163 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6 cups tomatillos , husks removed and quartered
1/2 cup brown onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly, or use equivalent of minced garlic)
2 medium jalapeno peppers , finely chopped
3 Tablespoons cilantro , chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 additional fresh limes (to use only if you are canning this recipe)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove husks from tomatillos; rinse tomatillos, then cut into quarters. Place into large saute pan or stockpot, along with the garlic and chopped jalapenos, then drizzle all with a bit of olive oil.
Cook the veggies on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the water, cilantro, cumin and salt to the pan. Put a lid on the pan; continue to simmer the veggies on low for about 10 minutes or so, until the tomatillos have softened.
Once tomatillos have softened, use an immersion blender to blend ingredients until you have a smooth sauce. May also put the hot ingredients into a blender or a food processor (in batches), and process until smooth.
Once sauce is smooth, stir in 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice to combine. If you are NOT canning the sauce, it is now ready to use.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO CAN THE SAUCE: Pour the hot enchilada sauce into clean, hot canning jars. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 a lime into each jar - DO NOT FORGET TO ADD THE EXTRA LIME JUICE TO JAR, SINCE THIS ADDS THE EXTRA ACIDITY NECESSARY FOR LONG TERM STORAGE. Leave 1/2" headspace in each jar. Remove air bubbles, wipe rim of jar with clean cloth, then attach prepared heated jar lid (again, per guidelines) and jar ring. Please follow USDA canning guidelines if you are not familiar with the canning process. Process in a water bath canner for 40 minutes. When done, remove jars to a kitchen towel (do not sit right on counter), and let jars completely cool. Once you have ensured they have sealed correctly, they may be stored in pantry.

Recipe Notes

**The cooking time listed is for making the sauce. If you will be canning the sauce, and additional 40 minutes of processing time will be necessary.

Nutrition Facts

Cilantro-Lime Enchilada Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 Pint Jar)

Calories 163 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1169mg51%

Potassium 850mg24%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 450IU9%

Vitamin C 63.9mg77%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

07
Oct
2015

Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

categories: Bacon, Candy, Chocolate, Desserts, Truffles & Bon Bons

232 Shares

Pin232

Yum

Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles are a decadent treat! They’re creamy & maple flavored, w/ nuts & crisp bacon, coated in melted chocolate and butterscotch.

This morning I am posting a recipe for Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles that I made for a bacon-themed dinner we enjoyed with dear friends a couple months ago. They’re so good, and decadent!

In Memory Of Our Friend, Richard

This was an extremely hard post to write, because I began to write this post over a week ago, but then tragedy struck. The host for that dinner (my husband’s best friend) passed away very suddenly this past weekend, and we have been in shock ever since, grieving his loss.

He and his wife were two of our very best friends so we grieve for her, as well. Our comfort comes because our dear friend Richard believed in and knew Jesus, so we know this is a “temporary” loss, because we trust in God’s Word that we will see him again in heaven. How we long for that great reunion!

Richard… this one’s in your honor today, as I know you tried these maple bacon pecan truffles the last time we shared a meal together. We loved you… with all our hearts, and miss you terribly already.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Here’s how to make these really delicious truffles, (which I adapted from my recipe for Maple Cream Bon Bons) for our Bacon Themed dinner. I figured bacon makes everything better, so that was my inspiration. Here’s what I did: First, cook 6-7 slices of bacon until VERY crisp.

When bacon is crisp, drain, cool, then crumble or chop it up into very small pieces. Set aside a small amount to be used for garnishing the finished truffles later.

Place the butter, powdered sugar and maple flavoring in a large bowl or base of an electric stand mixer.

Using an electric mixer, cream these ingredients until fully combined and creamy.

Add Pecans And Bacon Crumbles To The Truffle Mixture

Add the chopped pecans and most of the bacon crumbles to the truffle mixture. NOTE: Set some of the bacon crumbles aside for garnishing the truffles later. Mix well until combined. Refrigerate the dough for maple bacon pecan truffles for a while to let it chill and firm up.

Shape The Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Once mixture is chilled, shape the mixture into 1″ balls, by rolling them between your hands. Place dough balls onto a wax paper covered cooking sheet. Once all of the maple bacon pecan truffles have been formed, place them into freezer for 1/2 an hour to firm up again.

Coat The Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles With Chocolate

Remove truffles from freezer and carefully dip each one into the melted chocolate butterscotch coating. Let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. NOTE: My picture turned out blurry (sorry), but I use a toothpick inserted into truffle to dip into the chocolate, and a spoon to help cover each one.

Dip each truffle completely in chocolate, then place it onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Use another toothpick to help pull the first toothpick out of the truffle. See the little holes on top of the chocolate covered truffles? You will fill those later. Repeat until all the truffles are coated in chocolate.

Finish The Truffles

Spoon a little melted chocolate over each of the holes created by the toothpick to cover them up. Then sprinkle a few of the reserved bacon crumbles over the top of each of the maple bacon pecan truffles as a garnish.

Refrigerate Finished Truffles To Firm Them Up

Let the finished truffles sit for a while (at least half an hour), to allow the chocolate to firm up, then place them into little candy sized paper wrappers, as shown. Keep truffles in a covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Here’s an inside view of one of the maple bacon pecan truffles. They taste their very best when served chilled!

Hope you enjoy these maple bacon pecan truffles. The maple, pecans, bacon, chocolate and butterscotch flavors make this an INCREDIBLY delicious treat, and they really aren’t too hard to make, either! God Bless You. Have a great day. Hold your family and friends close. Let them KNOW you love and care for them. Life IS short.

Looking For More TRUFFLE or BON BON Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. You might also enjoy these yummy treats!

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

0 from 0 votes

Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles are a decadent treat! They're creamy & maple flavored, w/ nuts & crisp bacon, coated in melted chocolate and butterscotch.

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: truffles

Servings: 48

Calories Per Serving: 158 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Truffles:

1 cup butter (2 cubes)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons Maple flavoring
1 1/2 cups pecans , chopped (may substitute walnuts)
6-7 slices bacon , cooked crisp, and crumbled (reserve some to garnish finished truffles)

For Truffle Coating:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook bacon slices until very crisp. Drain, then crumble or chop into small pieces once cooled. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter, powdered sugar, and maple flavoring until smooth.
Stir in chopped pecans and most of the bacon crumbles (remember to save some for garnishing the finished truffles!)
Place bowl in refrigerator for half an hour to let it firm up a bit.
When chilled, shape the dough into 1 inch balls, by rolling the dough between your hands (yes, it might be a bit messy...) Place the dough balls onto a wax paper or foil lined baking sheet and place into freezer for about half an hour or so. (You want the dough to be very chilled before dipping in chocolate).
While dough is in freezer, make the chocolate/butterscotch coating. In a microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips (30 seconds on HIGH. Stir. 30 seconds on HIGH. Stir again. Watch carefully so that you don't burn the chocolate. At this point the chips should be melted and smooth after stirring the second time; if not, microwave an additional 15 seconds, then stir again.
Dip dough balls into coating mixture one at a time (I insert a toothpick into the dough ball, dip, cover with coating then remove, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. You may find it helpful to use a spoon to help coating the truffle. Place each coated truffle onto wax paper or foil-lined baking sheets. Remove the toothpick after each one, and re-use on the next truffle.
When all have been coated, hide the toothpick hole with a small bit of chocolate coating, then sprinkle (while it is still wet) with a few bacon crumbles for garnish.
Let truffles sit until chocolate firms up. Place each truffle in a candy paper wrapper, if desired. Store in a covered container in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened and is ready to serve. These truffles are at their best when completely chilled.

Nutrition Facts

Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Amount Per Serving (1 truffle)

Calories 158 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 66mg3%

Potassium 61mg2%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 125IU3%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

30
Sep
2015

Honey Garlic Chicken (For Crock Pot)

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker Recipes

125 Shares

Pin125

Yum

Honey Garlic Chicken (for crockpot) is an easy, delicious slow cooker recipe for chicken thighs, coated in in a thick honey and garlic sauce.

A few days ago I was scanning Pinterest and came upon a recipe for Honey Garlic Chicken (for crock pot). The recipe caught my eye because it looked so good AND it was SO EASY!

Seriously…how ridiculously easy is it to mix up the sauce, pour it over some chicken in a crock pot, set the timer and walk away? Since I’m always on the lookout for an easy, tasty dish, I decided to give the recipe a try… and guess what? THIS HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN IS CRAZY EASY AND DELICIOUS… and it took all of 10 minutes to prep.

I prepared the sauce (boy is it good!), poured it over the chicken around lunch time and turned on the crock pot. By 6:00 pm, my husband and I had a fantastic dinner waiting for us. The smell of the chicken as it cooked was amazing. We really couldn’t wait for this meal to be done, so we could try it.

This chicken recipe is PERFECT for anyone who has a busy day and doesn’t want to take a lot of time preparing dinner. Throw the recipe together in 10 minutes or less, throw it in a crock pot, turn it on, then walk away, and do whatever you want until it is done! Bam! Fantastic, delicious dinner… just like that! Here’s what you do:

Make The Honey Garlic Sauce

Mix up the sauce in a medium sized bowl. The ingredients you will need are garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano, and parsley. You won’t believe just how quickly the sauce can be made.

Time To Make Honey Garlic Chicken (for crockpot)

Place 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the bottom of a slow cooker. Try NOT to break a sweat doing this, (ha ha)! See how easy this recipe is coming together?

Pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken, turning to make sure all the pieces are covered with the sauce.

Cook the chicken for 6-7 hours on HIGH temperature OR on LOW for 4-5 hours. I typically cook mine on high, but it is really convenient to set the temperature on low and head out for the day.

Here’s what the honey garlic chicken (for crockpot) looked like when I took a peek at the 3 hour mark. They sure looked and smelled pretty good by then!

Time To Serve The Chicken!

When the chicken has finished cooking, transfer the pieces to a serving plate. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and then sprinkle the chicken with toasted sesame seeds and parsley, and serve.

The honey garlic chicken (for crockpot) is really tender, and the sauce is so delicious, you won’t believe it! We enjoy it served it with steamed white rice and broccoli on the side. YUM!

Sure hope you will give this easy recipe for honey garlic chicken (for crockpot) a try. My husband and I loved this meal, and it was a real time saver, so I will definitely be making this again!

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back again soon for more delicious recipes. Take care, and have a great day!

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious chicken recipes to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: http://diethood.com/crock-pot-honey-garlic-chicken/

0 from 0 votes

Honey Garlic Chicken (For Crock Pot)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

Total Time

6 hrs 10 mins

Honey Garlic Chicken (for crockpot) is an easy, delicious slow cooker recipe for chicken thighs, coated in in a thick honey and garlic sauce.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: honey garlic chicken

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 233 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 garlic cloves , minced
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium or regular)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the sauce by combining garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano and parsley in a small mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Place the thawed chicken thighs on the bottom of a crock pot. Pour the sauce over the chicken, turning to ensure all sides of chicken are coated with sauce. Put the lid on crock pot; cook on LOW for 6-7 hours OR cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
When chicken is done cooking, transfer the chicken to a serving platter or to individual serving plates. Spoon some of the extra sauce over the chicken.
Garnish each piece of chicken with sesame seeds and a little parsley. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Honey Garlic Chicken (For Crock Pot)

Amount Per Serving (1 thigh)

Calories 233 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 107mg36%

Sodium 1051mg46%

Potassium 449mg13%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 146IU3%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

28
Sep
2015

Blueberry Ice Cream Tart

categories: Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Treats, Pies/Tarts

9 Shares

Pin9

Yum

A blueberry ice cream tart is a delicious, frozen dessert treat! Ice cream in a graham cracker crust, served with fresh blueberry sauce on the side!

I love taking a tried and true recipe and tweaking and morphing it into a different recipe. Do you do that? That was the case when I took my recipe for Blueberry Ice Cream and changed it into a delicious, small Blueberry Ice Cream Tart for each guest at a dinner & dessert party.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for dessert, then decided to make my blueberry ice cream, and add a graham cracker crust from another of my recipes. Then I decided to server it with a simple blueberry sauce on the side. Voila! That is how I came up with this recipe for these wonderful frozen dessert tarts! And boy… were they ever good, if I do say so myself!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Do I Need An Ice Cream Machine?

I have an electric indoor Krups ice cream maker, which makes homemade ice cream in about 20 minutes. If you don’t have one or don’t want to take the time, just buy a good quality blueberry ice cream or gelato at the grocery store, and shave some time off of this recipe!

This recipe is actually very easy to prepare… it just needs to be done in steps. Make the ice cream, make the crumb topping, make the blueberry sauce, assemble the tarts, freeze, then serve!

Make Or Buy Blueberry Ice Cream

First make (or buy) the blueberry ice cream. If making homemade ice cream, put it back into your kitchen freezer after the initial freezing to really firm it up. My homemade blueberry ice cream also has cream cheese in it, so it has more of a blueberry cheesecake flavor!

My homemade blueberry ice cream looks like this photo below, when done. Here it is scooped up nice and pretty:

Make The Crust Mix

The next thing I do is prepare a simple graham cracker crust mixture. This is made by mixing graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar! EASY!

Making The Blueberry Sauce Is Simple!

Prepare the blueberry sauce, by cooking blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and water until the sauce thickens and the blueberries “pop” open (6-7 minutes). Once the sauce thickens, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely. Set aside.

Make The Crust For The Tarts

Firmly pack the graham cracker crumb mixture (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish) onto the bottom of 4 small tart pans (with removable bottoms). The crusts are baked for 6-7 minutes. Once they’re done, let them cool completely.

Cover the crust and fill each cooled tart pan with slightly softened blueberry ice cream. Put each blueberry ice cream tart (in the pans) back into the freezer for 2 hours to firm up.

Ready To Serve The Blueberry Ice Cream Tart

Spread some of the thickened blueberry sauce onto each dessert plate. Sprinkle the sauce with some reserved graham cracker crumb mix. Carefully remove each blueberry ice cream tart from the removable bottom tart pans, and set them on top of the blueberry sauce.

Garnish the top of each blueberry ice cream tart with a spoonful of sauce, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumb mixture. Let each dessert sit on the plates for a couple minutes at room temp. to let the ice cream soften slightly, before serving! Serve and enjoy, because this dessert is delicious!!!!

What If I Don’t Have Small Tart Pans?

If you don’t have removable bottom tart pans, think outside the box! This recipe could be easily adapted to make into a pie. Make a graham cracker crust (using this recipe you might have to double amounts) or buy a graham cracker crust, then follow the rest of the directions.

You will have a delicious frozen pie, rather than a tart, but a slice of THAT pie would be fantastic, garnished with the blueberry sauce and graham cracker crumbs. It’s ALL good. Hope you will give this blueberry ice cream tart recipe a try… it’s worth it!

Looking For More Recipes Featuring BLUEBERRIES?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of recipes that feature blueberries, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Blueberry Ice Cream Tart

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

7 mins

Inactive Freezer Time

2 hrs

Total Time

3 hrs 7 mins

A blueberry ice cream tart is a delicious, frozen dessert treat! Ice cream in a graham cracker crust, served with fresh blueberry sauce on the side!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry ice cream tart

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 789 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Blueberry Ice Cream:

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz. cream cheese , room temp, and cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 drops blue food coloring (optional, but it helps enhances the color)

For Graham Cracker Crust and Garnish:

1 cube butter , melted
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar

For Blueberry Sauce:

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the ice cream:

Place blueberries and sugar into blender or food processor. Blend/pulse until liquified. Add cream cheese chunks and vanilla. Mix until fairly smooth. Add milk; blend well. Pour mixture into large bowl. Add whipping cream and whisk to combine. Pour mixture into canister of ice cream maker, and freeze per manufacturer instructions. When done, remove to a covered container and place in freezer.

Prepare Blueberry Sauce:

Place the water, sugar and cornstarch into a medium sized sauce pan. Stir until smooth. Add the blueberries. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for about 6-7 minutes, until blueberries have popped, and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, and cool completely.

Prepare Graham Cracker Crust:

Mix graham cracker crust ingredients until well blended. Reserve about 1/2 cup for garnish. Set aside. Divide the rest between 4 small tart pans with removable bottoms. Press crumb mixture firmly down to form bottom crust in pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Do not remove crust from pan. Once crust has cooled completely, spoon blueberry ice cream into each shell to fill to top of the tart pan. Place in freezer for 2 hours to completely firm up.

To Assemble/Serve:

Spread some blueberry sauce onto individual serving plates. Sprinkle with a little of the graham crumb mixture. Carefully remove ice cream tart from the pan by gently pushing up on the bottom to remove from pan, then slide the tart off the bottom tray onto the blueberry sauce on serving plate. Spoon a little sauce on top of the tart, then sprinkle with additional graham cracker crumbs. Let finished plates sit for several minutes to soften ice cream slightly, then serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Most of the prep time is INACTIVE time... just waiting for ice cream to harden in freezer. I made up the ice cream, sauce and crust early in the day, then it was a snap to assemble later in the evening. ALL can be made ahead of time, if needed.

Nutrition Facts

Blueberry Ice Cream Tart

Amount Per Serving (1 tart)

Calories 789 Calories from Fat 369

% Daily Value*

Fat 41g63%

Saturated Fat 22g138%

Cholesterol 128mg43%

Sodium 430mg19%

Potassium 341mg10%

Carbohydrates 100g33%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 73g81%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 1570IU31%

Vitamin C 14.6mg18%

Calcium 170mg17%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

25
Sep
2015

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

categories: Tip Of The Day, Vegetable Dishes

14 Shares

Pin14

Yum

Learn how to make pumpkin puree from “pie” or “sugar” variety pumpkins! Make about 6 cups of puree (from 2 pumpkins) to freeze and use throughout the year!
Well… Fall is officially here, and just like clockwork, pumpkins are EVERYWHERE! It’s THAT time of year once again. Do you know how to make pumpkin puree? It’s easy.

I use pumpkin puree for making Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake, Double-Glazed Pumpkin Scones, Glazed Pumpkin Buttermilk Doughnuts, and Pumpkin Bread, as well as many other Fall recipes!

I’ve been making my own pumpkin puree for years and years. I used to use our Halloween pumpkins, but found the water content of those BIG pumpkins was too high.

What Kind Of Pumpkins Are Best For Making Puree?

Years ago I switched and started buying “Sugar” or “Pie” pumpkins. They are smaller than traditional pumpkins, but are perfect for making puree (more flavor and LESS water). Most grocery stores carry this variety of pumpkin.

I like to make puree out of a couple pumpkins each year, then freeze it. By doing so, we can have pumpkin puree to use any time we want, during the year.

The convenience of having pumpkin puree in the freezer for baking pumpkin bread, muffins, etc., is to NOT have to run to the grocery store and buy it. All you will need to do is thaw it!

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

First buy a couple Sugar pumpkins (also called a Pie pumpkin). Cut it in half horizontally with a very sharp knife. Use a spoon and remove the seeds and stem. I like to save the seeds and roast them later for a good snack!

Remove all the seeds and the stem from the pumpkin(s). Put the pumpkins, cut side down on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray.

You don’t want to have a sticking pumpkin now, do you? Nope. You sure don’t!

Bake the pumpkins at 375 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkins.

When they are “done”, the skin will be much darker, and you will easily be able to pierce the skin with a sharp knife. Remove pan from oven.

Turn the pumpkin halves over. Use a large spoon to remove the cooked pumpkin. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Once all the pumpkin meat has been removed, puree the pumpkin. You can use a blender, food processor, stand mixer, or an immersion blender to make the pumpkin puree.

Puree until smooth. Once it is smooth, put the pumpkin puree in a strainer over a bowl for a few minutes (or you can use cheesecloth), to help remove any remaining liquids.

Now you have pumpkin puree! You can use it as is, in recipes, or you can freeze it in bags to use at other times.

Freezing Pumpkin Puree For Long Term Storage

To freeze the pumpkin puree for later use, measure out 1 cup of the puree and spoon it into a quart sized freezer bag. Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible, flatten the bag out, seal, and label bags.

My two little pie pumpkins yielded 6 cups to freeze. Yeehaw! By flattening the bags out, you will be able to get a lot of pumpkin into the freezer in a very small space!

The process for doing this is not hard at all, and won’t take too much of your time! Making pumpkin puree is a GREAT way to have extra pumpkin around for baking pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, etc.

You can use the pumpkin puree throughout the year, without having to go out and buy a can of pumpkin at the grocery store. I sure hope you will try this tip this Fall!

Have a great day!

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

0 from 0 votes

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Learn how to make pumpkin puree from "pie" or "sugar" variety pumpkins! Make about 6 cups of puree (from 2 pumpkins) to freeze and use throughout the year!

Category: Canning and Preserving, Vegetable

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin puree

Servings: 6 cups (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 117 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 "Pie" or "Sugar" pumpkins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut sugar pumpkins in half horizontally with a very sharp knife. Use a spoon and remove the seeds and stem. Discard seeds, etc. (unless you will be roasting them).
Put the pumpkins, cut side down on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet that's been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Bake the pumpkins at 375 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkins. When they are "done", the skin will be much darker, and you will easily be able to pierce the skin with a sharp knife. Remove pan from oven.
Turn the pumpkin halves over. Use a large spoon to remove the cooked pumpkin. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Once all pumpkin "meat" has been removed, puree the pumpkin. Use a blender, food processor, stand mixer, or an immersion blender to puree the pumpkin until smooth. Once smooth, put the pumpkin puree in a strainer over a bowl for a few minutes (or you can use cheesecloth), to help remove any remaining liquids. Puree is now ready to use.

To Freeze Pumpkin Puree For Later Use

To freeze the pumpkin for later use, measure out 1 cup of the puree and spoon it into a quart sized freezer bag. Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible, flatten the bag out, seal, and label bags. Place in freezer. Use within 9 months.

Nutrition Facts

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 117

% Daily Value*

Sodium 4mg0%

Potassium 1541mg44%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 38590IU772%

Vitamin C 40.8mg49%

Calcium 95mg10%

Iron 3.6mg20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

23
Sep
2015

Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

categories: From Our Veggie Garden, Salads, Vegetable Dishes

305 Shares

Pin304

Yum1

You will LOVE this GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS carpaccio salad, with thinly sliced cucumbers, zucchini, feta cheese, and pecans, topped with a light, herb-seasoned dressing!
Recently I used a birthday gift card I received to purchase a cookbook I had my eye on for a while: “Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl Of Love”. It is a great cookbook… and this cucumber and zucchini carpaccio salad is the FIRST recipe I made from the book.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but found the dressing (which features fresh dill, flat leaf parsley, and mint), and the addition of feta cheese, and toasted pecans make this a unique looking and absolutely delicious, fresh crunchy salad! The salad is scrumptious, pretty to look at, and would be a perfect brunch, potluck or party dish!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

What Exactly IS A “Carpaccio Salad”?

I thought the salad looked wonderful, but was very curious what a “Carpaccio” salad actually was. Turns out the word Carpaccio (according to Wikipedia) originally referred to a dish utilizing extremely thin slices of raw meat, layered with white truffles or Parmesan cheese.

The dish was named after a Venetian painter named Vittore Carpaccio, who was well known for his paintings which prominently featured red and white tones. (see where the red meat and white truffles played a part?).

Nowadays the term “carpaccio” can be used for any dish made with thinly sliced raw meat, fish or vegetables. THIS carpaccio salad uses fresh cucumbers and zucchini. Only veggies-no raw meat for me!

How To Prepare This Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Very thinly slice one large cucumber and one zucchini of equal size (I picked both from my garden-yeehaw!). I used a mandolin to thinly slice the veggies, which made it very easy. However, if you are slicing the cucumbers and zucchini by hand, make sure you get the slices as thin as possible. Here are the cucumber slices, so you can see their “thin-ness”.

Here is me and my trusty mandolin (a gift from our oldest son), slicing the zucchini thinly. This is a great tool for this recipe!

Here are the finished cucumber and zucchini slices. The peel is left intact, which adds color to the cucumber zucchini carpaccio salad.

Arranging The Carpaccio Salad Veggies

Begin in the center of a round serving plate, and alternately arrange the slices (one cucumber, one zucchini, etc.), working outward around the circle.

Keep layering the veggies, one zucchini, one cucumber, and so on. Keep layering until all the veggies are distributed and the carpaccio salad looks like this:

Prepare The Salad Dressing

Looks good already, doesn’t it? I think so! Mix the dressing, which includes, olive oil, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, fresh mint, flat leaf parsley and dill (herbs were from our garden… nice).

Toast The Pecans For The Salad

Toast chopped pecans in a “dry” skillet. A “dry skillet means you use no oil. Simply add chopped pecans, and heat on medium-low for 3-4 minutes, keeping them stirred, until lightly toasted.

To Serve The Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Mix the dressing really well, then drizzle it over the top of the veggies, trying to cover them all. Sprinkle the top of the cucumber zucchini carpaccio salad with crumbled feta cheese, toasted pecans, and some cracked black pepper. I also added a few small mint leaves and dill for garnish, and a small red pear tomato (cut in quarters almost to bottom) from our garden, and that was it!

MAKE AHEAD TIP: If you want to make this up early, arrange the cucumbers and zucchini on plate, then cover and refrigerate. Right before serving, add the dressing, feta, pecans and black pepper. This is what it looked like at serving time! Pretty, huh?

Trust me – this carpaccio salad is amazing! The dressing is fresh, and the fresh herbs shine through, to make this such a wonderful, tasty, and beautiful salad. Here… I saved a bite for you! (You’re welcome).

I will most definitely be making this carpaccio salad again! Sure hope you will give it a try, also! Have a great day. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More Salads Using VEGGIES?

You can find all my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a wonderful day!

0 from 0 votes

Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You will LOVE this GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS carpaccio salad, featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, zucchini, feta, pecans, and a light, herb-seasoned dressing!

Category: Salad, Vegetable Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carpaccio salad

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 170 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For salad dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

For salad:

2 zucchini , sliced very thin
2 cucumbers , sliced very thin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup feta cheese , crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted pecans (or walnuts)
Freshly cracked black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, mint, dill and parsley together until well combined. Set salad dressing aside (or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if making ahead).
To make the salad, very thinly slice the cucumbers and zucchini. Arrange the veggie slices on a large serving plate, by alternating cucumbers and zucchini. Work from the inside of the plate around the circle to the outside, filling the entire plate. Once the veggies are arranged, sprinkle lightly with salt. NOTE: If you are making this salad ahead of serving time, wrap the veggie plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point. Add the rest (salad dressing, feta, pecans, etc. at serving time).
When ready to serve, drizzle the salad dressing over the entire salad, trying to cover all the veggies lightly.
Add the crumbled feta cheese, distributing over the top of the salad. Do the same with the toasted pecans (or walnuts), then finish with cracked black pepper.
If desired, garnish salad with additional mint leaves or dill sprigs. I added a small red pear tomato (cut into quarters, sliced from top to bottom). Serve, and enjoy!!!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: For my husband and myself, I cut the SALAD ingredients in half (i.e. one cucumber, one zucchini, etc.), but kept the quantity of salad dressing the same. There was still enough salad for 3-4 small servings. Just an FYI.

Nutrition Facts

Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 170 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 341mg15%

Potassium 343mg10%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 345IU7%

Vitamin C 19.9mg24%

Calcium 91mg9%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

21
Sep
2015

Mini Apple Crisps

categories: Apples, Cobblers and Crisps, Desserts

327 Shares

Pin327

Yum

Mini Apple Crisps are individual sized versions of this favorite American classic dessert! Whether you call them crisps or cobblers, they are super easy to make – serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Well, well, well… the OFFICIAL start to Fall 2015 will be here in a couple of days. School’s begun, the days are cooler here in the Northwest, sunsets are earlier each day, leaves are beginning their color changes… and apples are everywhere!

Time to make Mini Apple Crisps and welcome in this change of season with a tasty dessert! Here’s how to make Mini Apple Crisps.

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Fall And Apples Just Seem To Go Well together, Right?

Fall just sort of screams “APPLES”, don’t ya think? There are so many varieties that come into season this time of year, and to me, there is something so memorable about making my first Apple Pie or Apple Crisp of the Fall.

Apple desserts just seems to fit right in with Fall, wearing sweatshirts, raking leaves, football games, pumpkins, brilliant fall foliage, etc. Can you tell I enjoy this season?

I especially enjoy it here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The gorgeous colors on display make the ever present RAIN tolerable!

Mini Apple Crisps Are PERFECT for Fall Weather!

This recipe for individual sized mini apple crisps is perfect for those nights when you just want to crawl up on the couch in your sweats, under a big warm blanket, and eat something decadent, like some warm apple crisp “goodness” while reading a good book, or watching a good TV show or movie.

Warm and bursting with fresh apple and cinnamon flavor, what could be better than that? Well, I guess a little scoop of vanilla ice cream could make this even better, right?

This is a very easy recipe that makes 4 individual servings, so you can eat one, and save 3 for later, if you are so inclined (Ha Ha).

How To Make Mini Apple Crisps

First thing to do is peel, core and slice the apples. Then place the apple slices, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon into a large skillet.

Mix the ingredients well, to combine. Cook the apples on medium-low for about 10 minutes, or until the apple slices have slightly softened.

While the apples are cooking, use a pastry blender (or two forks) to blend the crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl. Easy!

Spray 4 ramekins with non-stick cooking spray. The ones I use are 4″ wide.

Fill ‘Em Up

Once the apples are done cooking, divide them evenly between the 4 greased ramekins.

Divide the crumb topping evenly between the 4 ramekins, sprinkling it over the top of the mini apple crisps, all the way to the edges.

Time To Cook the Mini Apple Crisps!

Bake the mini apple crisps in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly, and the top crumble mixture is lightly browned.

Let the desserts cool on a wire rack for a bit, then serve the Mini Apple Crisps while they are still warm. They are delicious!

Doesn’t that look delicious? These mini apple crisps are especially good with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream served on top! This recipe is so easy to make, too! You’re gonna LOVE it!

If you enjoy apple desserts, you might also be interested in Dutch Crumb Apple Pie, Apple Cobbler, Apple Shortbread Tart, or Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons!

Welcome, FALL! Sure hope you will give this delicious recipe a try! Have a great week!

Looking For More COBBLER or CRISP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a good variety of cobblers and crisp recipes to enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Slightly Adapted From: The New Pillsbury Family Cookbook, page 131, published 1973 by The Pillsbury Company,

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Mini Apple Crisps

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Mini Apple Crisps are individual sized versions of this favorite American classic dessert! Super easy to make - serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mini apple crisps

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 591 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For apples:

5 cups Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons water

For crumble mixture:

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour (unsifted)
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned or quick cook)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place sliced apples, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, lemon juice and water into a large skillet. Stir to combine. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes, or until apples have softened slightly. Remove from heat.
While apples are cooking, prepare the crumb topping. Place the brown sugar, flour, rolled oats, 1 tsp. and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add to bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly and butter is about the size of peas. Set aside.
Spray 4 ramekins with non-stick spray. Once apples are done, divide and spoon them equally into the 4 ramekins.
Divide the crumb topping equally between the 4 apple-filled ramekins.Spoon the crumb topping over the entire surface of the apples, all the way to the edges.
Bake apple crisps at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and the crumb topping is a light, golden brown. Remove hot ramekins to a wire rack to cool a bit. Serve warm, with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Firm tart baking apples are used in this recipe (Granny Smith, Gravenstein, etc.).

Nutrition Facts

Mini Apple Crisps

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 591 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 61mg20%

Sodium 220mg10%

Potassium 293mg8%

Carbohydrates 95g32%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 69g77%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 795IU16%

Vitamin C 8.7mg11%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

17
Sep
2015

Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan

categories: From Our Veggie Garden, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes

10 Shares

Pin10

Yum

Skillet potatoes, cooked with garlic, scallions and Parmesan cheese, are an easy, delicious, and inexpensive side dish you will enjoy!
I don’t know about you, but I’m on the lookout for new, easy, and inexpensive side dishes to add to our dinner meal. It’s easy to fall into a rut and serve the same old, same old veggies. That’s why I enjoyed making these Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan! Yum! They’re an easy and delicious dish you can serve with a variety of meats.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

It helped that I had just harvested some red potatoes from our backyard garden. Some of them were a little scarred from digging them up), but I was excited to use a few of them. I used 5 red potatoes, which made enough for 2-3 servings.

Prepare The Potatoes

Wash the potatoes very well, then slice them into about 1/2 inch slices. I keep the peel on, because I think the color looks really good in the finished dish, plus they contain extra fiber.

Place enough water in a large skillet to cover the bottom with about 1/2 – 3/4 inch of water. Put the sliced potatoes into the water and begin to cook them on medium-high heat.

Continue cooking the potatoes, turning gently, and added more water, when necessary, to ensure the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the skillet. TIP: As the water cooks away you will need to add additional water.

Finish Cooking, Then Garnish Skillet Potatoes

Keep an eye on the potatoes as they finish cooking. Making sure there is enough water in skillet is the key to this dish. Continue cooking (about 15 minutes or so) until the potatoes are fork-tender. Once fork-tender, remove any remaining water from the skillet. Add the butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic chopped scallions (green onions) to the skillet.

Coat the potatoes with the melted butter by spooning it up and over the top of the potatoes while they cook. Remove the potatoes from the heat after 1-2 minutes (don’t burn the garlic!). Gently pour potatoes into a serving bowl, and immediately sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Time To Eat The Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan!

The cheese will melt in about a minute over the hot potato slices, then they are ready. Add additional salt and/or black pepper to taste, if desired. Serve, and enjoy!

I’m pretty confident you will love these potatoes! The recipe is easily adapted to double or triple the amount of potatoes YOU want to serve!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have the opportunity to try these delicious skillet potatoes. Have a great day! I hope it is a memorable, and fun one for you! Please come back soon for more delicious recipes.

Looking For More POTATO Recipes?

You can find all of my potato recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious ones, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: My brain. This dish was a no brainer.

0 from 0 votes

Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Skillet potatoes, cooked with garlic, scallions and Parmesan cheese, are an easy, delicious, and inexpensive side dish you will enjoy!

Category: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: skillet potatoes

Servings: 3 servings

Calories Per Serving: 320 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

5 red potatoes
water (enough to continue filling bottom of skillet during cooking time)
salt and pepper , to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
2 scallions (2 green onion stalks-green and white part), sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch slices.
Pour enough water into large skillet to completely cover bottom of skillet by about an inch.
Add potato slices to water. Heat on medium heat until fork-tender (approx. 15-20 minutes). Keep an eye on water level... add additional water, as needed, to ensure potatoes do not stick to bottom of pan as they cook.
When potatoes are done, remove any remaining water from skillet. Add butter, salt, pepper, garlic, and chopped scallions to potatoes in skillet. Mix gently, to combine. Continue to spoon melted butter over the tops of the potatoes. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
Remove potatoes from heat. Place into serving bowl, and immediately garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 132mg6%

Potassium 1637mg47%

Carbohydrates 57g19%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 340IU7%

Vitamin C 32.6mg40%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

Save

Make The Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough

Add The Dry Ingredients To The Wet Ingredients

Make The Cinnamon Sugar Coating For The Snickerdoodles

Forming The Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Coat The Cookie Dough Balls In Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

Bake The Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media: Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks! Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

This Recipe Uses Tomatillos – So What Is A Tomatillo?

Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce Is A Green Sauce!

Do I Have To CAN This Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce?

How To Make Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce

Cooking The Tomatillo Mixture

Can I FREEZE The Sauce?

How Do I CAN The Cilantro Lime Enchilada Sauce?

Looking For More CANNING Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

In Memory Of Our Friend, Richard

How To Make Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Add Pecans And Bacon Crumbles To The Truffle Mixture

Shape The Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles

Coat The Maple Bacon Pecan Truffles With Chocolate

Finish The Truffles

Refrigerate Finished Truffles To Firm Them Up

Looking For More TRUFFLE or BON BON Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Make The Honey Garlic Sauce

Time To Make Honey Garlic Chicken (for crockpot)

Time To Serve The Chicken!

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Do I Need An Ice Cream Machine?

Make Or Buy Blueberry Ice Cream

Make The Crust Mix

Making The Blueberry Sauce Is Simple!

Make The Crust For The Tarts

Ready To Serve The Blueberry Ice Cream Tart

What If I Don’t Have Small Tart Pans?

Looking For More Recipes Featuring BLUEBERRIES?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

What Kind Of Pumpkins Are Best For Making Puree?

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Freezing Pumpkin Puree For Long Term Storage

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

What Exactly IS A “Carpaccio Salad”?

How To Prepare This Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Arranging The Carpaccio Salad Veggies

Prepare The Salad Dressing

Toast The Pecans For The Salad

To Serve The Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Looking For More Salads Using VEGGIES?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Fall And Apples Just Seem To Go Well together, Right?

Mini Apple Crisps Are PERFECT for Fall Weather!

How To Make Mini Apple Crisps

Fill ‘Em Up

Time To Cook the Mini Apple Crisps!

Looking For More COBBLER or CRISP Recipes?

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

Find Me On Social Media:

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

Prepare The Potatoes

Finish Cooking, Then Garnish Skillet Potatoes

Time To Eat The Skillet Potatoes With Scallions And Parmesan!

Looking For More POTATO Recipes?

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks