Cranberry Pumpkin Cake

Cranberry Pumpkin Cake

Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 125.

Maida Heatter has several recipes that are good for the holidays and I have made several of them already. I plan to post a list of all of the holiday desserts I have made and will do that soon.

Here is another good one that is so easy. This is a dark and dense cake that is very moist (don't overbake it). Confession - I get so paranoid about overbaking cakes that I always start checking before the allowed time and sometimes take them out a little early. The cake will always continue to bake especially when left in the pan for a while. Of course, this depends on the type of cake but after you have done a lot of baking, your instinct will kick in. 

I used bagged cranberries that had not been frozen. The cranberries are tart and provide a kick when paired with the delicate and spicy flavors of the cake. The nuts and the berries do not sink.

I froze half of this cake and plan to take it to a meeting this weekend. 

6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) walnuts
12 oz. (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
3 cups sifted unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (or canola, safflower, corn)
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10x4 1/4 inch tube pan with an 8 cup capacity (I used a Bundt pan for this). Dust with chocolate bread crumbs (bread crumbs with cocoa powder mixed in).

Place the walnuts in a large pan and bake for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool and break into small pieces.

If using fresh cranberries. wash and dry them.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. 

Beat the pumpkin, sugar and oil to mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat only until smooth and fold in the nuts and the cranberries.

Turn into pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes (if the cranberries are frozen, it may take longer). The cake is done when a tester comes out clean from the deepest part of the cake. 

Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Beetroot Walnut Loaf with Red Wheat

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A delicious quick bread made with beetroot, walnuts, raisins and freshly milled red wheat sweetened with maple syrup. The pureed beetroot gives this loaf a unique flavor and makes it extremely moist. Make the most of beetroot season and bake this delicious beet walnut bread!

80 g Ghee, melted 150 g Maple syrup 50 g Milk chocolate, chopped 350 g Cooled pureed beetroot 2 Eggs, medium 1 tbsp Vanilla extract

30 g Cocoa powder 150 g Organic red wheat berries, milled into flour 100 g Walnuts, ground into powder 12 g Baking powder 100 g Raisins 100 g Walnuts, chopped 12 Walnut halves for topping 1 tbsp Coconut sugar for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 22cmx11cmx9cm loaf pan with baking paper and set aside.
   
2. Warm the ghee in a medium size saucepan on very low heat. Add the maple syrup and milk chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.
   
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the pureed beetroots, eggs and vanilla extract. Sift in cocoa powder, red wheat flour, ground walnuts and baking powder. Stir to combine.
   
4. Fold in raisins and chopped walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Top with walnut halves and sprinkle the coconut sugar over.
   
5. Bake for1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, before turning out and cooling completely.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Pumpkin Flax Bread (Eggless)

Did anyone go out Black Friday shopping today?  I decided to avoid the crowds and the cold and hang out at home.       

While most of you are probably ready to move onto all things peppermint and eggnog, I'm still over here swooning over this pumpkin bread.  This was definitely our favorite pumpkin bread recipe this year and I made it so many times.

This recipe really intrigued me, because there are no eggs in it, but instead you add ground flaxseed meal.  Flax is said to offer many health benefits and it contains omega-3, fiber and protein.  It can also be used in recipes instead of eggs.    

The texture and flavor of this bread are amazing.  It's not too sweet and it's not overpowered with pumpkin flavor.  It's a delicious hearty bread that tastes great for several days.  This will be one of my go-to recipe for years to come.    

You might also like:

Low-Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Banana Bread with Crunchy Streusel Topping

Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze

Cherry Almond Bread

Pumpkin Flax Bread (Eggless)
adapted from: All Recipes
(Printable Recipe)

6 Tbl. water
2 Tbl. ground flaxseed meal
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
1/2 c. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, whisk together the water and flaxseed meal.  Stir in the sugar, pumpkin, oil and vanilla and whisk until combined.  In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, along with the mini chocolate chips and stir together until just combined.  

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.  Bake in preheated oven for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  I like to tent mine with foil the last 10 minutes of baking, so the top doesn't get too brown.  Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.  Slice and serve.  

Beef Liver Paté with Pistachios

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http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This is a delicious way to get more nutrient-dense liver into your diet and a great addition to any party. Perfect for feeding a crowd with some crackers, or toasted French bread and seasonal fruit on the side. This recipe is gluten-free, low-carbs, and keto-friendly. If you want to make it dairy-free, just replace ghee with olive oil or coconut oil, and heavy cream with coconut cream.

Paté	Topping
500 g Beef liver, sliced 50 g Ghee or butter 2-3 Shallots, diced 30 g Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tbsp Brandy, optional 1 tsp Pink sea salt 1 tsp Mixed peppers (green, white, black and pink) Large pinch of nutmeg 5-6 Sage leaves 100 ml Heavy cream	4 tbsp Ghee or butter 1 tsp Pink peppercorns 2 tbsp Pinenuts 1 tsp Hemp seeds

1. Gently rinse liver under cold water. Slice and place them in a large bowl, barely cover with water and add the juice of a lemon. Soak for an hour before cooking, drain and pat dry.
   
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add ghee and cook shallots and ginger for 5 minutes until aromatic.
   
3. Add liver slices and cook until no longer pink inside, about 7 minutes. Stir in brandy if using. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a food processor. Add salt, peppers, nutmeg, sage, and heavy cream. Blend until smooth.
   
4. Pack into small serving dishes, then cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
   
5. Melt ghee or butter for the topping. Cool slightly and pour over pate. Top with pink peppercorns and pine nuts or hemp seeds.
   
6. Once the butter sets, cover the pate with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set and develop the flavours. The pate can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt Cake

Happy Friday :) I am so excited to share this absolutely amazing Sweet Potato cake with you that screams Fall.

I have really become a fan of sweet potatoes over the past few years.  As a kid, I wouldn't even touch them.  Now, I look for recipes that I could easily incorporate them in to.  Whether it's in a savory recipe or a sweet recipe, sweet potatoes are delicious.

Today's recipe is a moist and dense bundt cake using mashed sweet potatoes.  This cake has the perfect amount of spice, a cinnamon sugar swirl and it's topped with a tangy cream cheese icing.  It is seriously heavenly.  No one will even know there are sweet potatoes in there.  I shared this cake with the neighbors and didn't tell them what was in it.  At first, they thought it was a pumpkin cake because of the color, then they tasted it and it wasn't pumpkin.  Everyone loved the texture and flavor and went back for seconds.  There wasn't a crumb left.  I later shared with them there were sweet potatoes in there.  A few people that think they "hate" sweet potatoes were in shock.

This amazing bundt cake is a must try recipe for Fall.

You might also like:

Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Sweet Potato Casserole

Chicken, Corn and Sweet Potato Casserole

Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt Cake
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. canola or vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked mashed sweet potatoes

Cinnamon Sugar Ripple
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. unsalted butter, cold

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbl. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a large 12-cup bundt pan; set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil until well combined.  Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture alternately with mashed sweet potatoes, starting and ending with dry ingredients and beating after each addition until just combined.  Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan, batter is very thick.  

For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:  Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon; add the butter and mash together until a crumble mixture forms.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter in the pan.  Top with remaining cake batter and spread out evenly.  Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Icing:  You want the cream cheese really soft.  If it isn't soft enough, microwave for a few seconds.  Combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and stir together until smooth and creamy.  Drizzle over cooled cake.  Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes:  This recipe was only tested with fresh sweet potatoes, not with canned sweet potatoes.  You will need around 2-3 sweet potatoes for this recipe, depending on the size.  To cook the sweet potatoes, line a sheet pan with foil.  Poke a few holes into the sweet potatoes using a fork.  Place on the lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until very soft.  Remove from oven and cool.  Then, peel the sweet potatoes and mash.  This can be done ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 284.

I wanted a quick recipe for a meeting I was attending and I wanted to try out a new muffin pan. This cupcake recipe is from Maida Heatter's chocolate book. She notes that this is the recipe she usually uses when asked to bring something to a bake sale.

You can make these with cupcake liners like I did (the fastest method!) or you can grease the pans.

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes although I came up short. I probably added too much batter to each cup. The instructions say to fill them 2/3 full.

The cupcakes are dipped in a glossy icing which makes it easy. I do think that they might be more attractive if the icing was piped on. I suppose it depends on how much time you have!

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 oz. (10 2/3 TBS) sweet butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour two cupcake pans or line them with liner papers.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa and set aside. 

Beat the butter until softened and gradually add the vanilla extract and sugar. 

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix well.

Alternately add the cocoa with...

the milk in three additions. Beat only until smooth. Do not overbeat.

The batter will be a little thick and grainy. 

Fill the cupcake forms with batter, filling about 2/3 full. 

You do not have to smooth the tops.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed. Do not overbake. Cool completely before icing.

The icing should be at room temperature before using.

For faster cooling (as well as easier dipping), you can place it in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip each cooled cupcake into the icing. This can be done several times.

Delicious Bran Loaf

Delicious Bran Loaf  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 265).

Another "healthy" recipe, this one is on the next page following Health Food Raisin Bread. I think I like this one better but they are both good. I like the addition of dates to this recipe and it makes the cake (or bread) more moist. This isn't sweet and it makes a good bread for breakfast or a coffee break. 

I used Kellogg's All-Bran cereal for the recipe (and Maida Heatter said that she did too) and I did not include the sunflower or pumpkin seeds, which are optional.

1 cup 100% bran cereal
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup dark or light molasses
2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup boiling water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup walnuts or pecans in large pieces
1/2 cup dates, cut into pieces
Optional: 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inch loaf pan and dust it with wheat germ, quick-cooking oatmeal or fine, dry bread crumbs. (I used wheat germ)

Place the bran, raisins, molasses and butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add the boiling water and stir until the butter has melted.

Add the egg, nuts, dates and optional seeds. 

Sift the two flours, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon over the mixture in the bowl.

Stir until just mixed.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is barely firm to the touch.

Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Dairy-Free Keto Bread with Herbes de Provence

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

A soft, tender, absolutely delicious keto bread with a killer crumb. Smear with butter or chocolate spread, and you will think you are eating the real thing!

150 g Hazelnut meal 60 g Macadamia, ground 40 g Vanilla whey protein, sugar-free 1 tbsp Psyllium husk powder 2 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Herbes de Provence 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt 6 Organic eggs

1. Line a 20cm loaf pan with parchment paper. Add all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with a spoon until smooth and well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Bake the loaf for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
   
3. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Butternut Squash Chili

What do you like to eat with your chili?  Fritos, bread or just the regular toppings like cheese and sour cream?  I have to have Fritos with my chili.  The corn flavor and crunch it adds is what made me first love chili.  

Despite the usual long list of ingredients, chili is super easy to make.  I have several versions on the blog, but this one is unique, because it has butternut squash in it.  I saw bags of pre-cut butternut squash at Trader Joes the other day and I remembered once seeing a butternut squash chili recipe.  

I grabbed a few bags of the butternut squash and decided to throw it in this chili.  It turned out fantastic.  You can't actually taste it, but I loved having the extra veggies in there.  Some of the butternut squash gets so soft it dissolves into the chili and makes it extra creamy.

This chili has a great flavor and it isn't spicy.  It goes great with all the usual chili toppings.  

Tomorrow night, I plan to serve the leftovers over baked potatoes.  Yum :)

You might also like:

Fresh Garden Tomato Chili

Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

My go-to Chili 

Chili Cheese Baked Potato Casserole

Butternut Squash Chili
(Printable Recipe)
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

1 Tbl. olive oil or avocado oil
1 Lb. lean ground beef
1 c. diced onion
2 green bell peppers, ribbed, seeded and chopped
2 c.  peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 (14.5 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. cumin, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1 tsp. paprika (I like to use smoked paprika), or to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

For serving:
shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped green onions
cilantro
sour cream
Fritos
sliced bread

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned.  Add the onion and green bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.  Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, all the beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.  

It tastes better the longer it simmers, but if you are in a rush, you can serve it as soon as the butternut squash is tender.  If you want it to be thicker, remove the lid and simmer at the end to thicken.  

Serve with desired toppings.  Serves: around 6.