My love for canned pumpkin continues into these nutty, crunchy fall cookies that I found over here and tweaked here and there.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
6 tbsp. canned pumpkin
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup slivered almonds or chopped pecans
For glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder and baking soda. Also, add in the cinnamon mixture. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl with a stand- or hand-mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed.
5. Add the egg, canned pumpkin and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
6. With a mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
7. Stir in the almonds or pecans with a spatula. Don't overmix!
8. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. Drop the dough by large tablespoons onto the parchment paper.
10. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are light brown around the edges.
11. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze:
1. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, honey and vanilla extract and whisk into a glaze.
2. Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle with the glaze and let dry completely before storing in an airtight container.
I love salmon, and this recipe from Barefoot Contessa is so good. The crunchy topping makes it, for sure.
Ingredients
4 (6 oz.) salmon filets
2/3 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon zest + juice
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Chop the parsley. Combine in a small bowl with panko, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
3. Add the olive oil and stir to combine.
4. Lightly oil a glass baking dish with olive oil. Season the filets with salt and pepper, then place them side-by-side in the dish.
5. Cover salmon filets evenly with dijon mustard, and top generously with the panko mixture.
6. Press the panko mixture gently into the mustard so it adheres well and doesn't crumble off.
7. Bake the filets in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
8. Turn on the oven's broiler, and once ready, broil the filets for 2 minutes until the top begins to brown.
*Note: this helps the panko get crusty.
9. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
10. Top with fresh lemon juice and serve.
In Chicago, you know it's fall by the crisp breeze, the vibrant orange and blazing red leaves on the trees and the crinkle of them under your feet as they wither and dry up. The beaches empty, and people throw on their tall boots, scarves and sweaters that have hung unworn since early spring.
But here in Los Angeles, fall snuck up on me. The palm trees didn't change color, and it's still warm enough for me to lay out by the pool. But it hit me that my favorite season had arrived when I saw canned pumpkin abounding in the grocery aisles.
I love fall, and I love the scent of fall baking. I saw this recipe on a new food blog I began perusing, and it seemed like a great way to use some of that canned pumpkin. A few adjustments, and here's what I came up with.
Ingredients
1 cup arborio rice
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a large pot, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil over medium-hight heat.
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, salt and spices in a small bowl.
4. After 20 minutes, add the milk and brown sugar mixture to the pot.
5. Bring the pot back to a boil.
6. Once boiling again, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes.
7. Add the canned pumpkin and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
8. Cook uncovered on low heat for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes, covered.
10. Serve warm in deep bowls or on a shallow plate.
*Note: I did not top it with whipped cream, but I would definitely do so next time. The sweetness of the pumpkin would be in good company with some cool cream.
For whipped cream: In a medium mixing bowl, combine one pint of heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Whip into soft peaks. Dollop it onto the rice pudding and dust with ground cinnamon. This is so fall!
