Drunken Pumpkin Bread

I make pumpkin bread every year for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  It reminds me of my mom, making it was one of her holiday traditions.  Normally I make her recipe but this year, I opted for something a little different.  With dried cranberries that needed to be used up, this was the perfect recipe to try!  I was a little tentative, spiced rum?  I'm so glad I gave this recipe a try, this bread is delicious.  There's a nice hint of spice and a deep pumpkin flavor. I used my mini loaf pan,  perfect for Christmas giving!

Drunken Pumpkin Bread

Author: Anne Papina

• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup spiced rum
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp ginger
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Mix together wet ingredients in mixer bowl.
2. Add sugars, baking soda, salt, and spices and mix thoroughly.
3. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until thoroughly blended.
4. Stir in raisins.
5. Divide batter equally into 2 greased 9-inch loaf pans.
6. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool before slicing.

Notes

Makes 2 loaves.

Brownie and Oreo Trifle

 There's a chain of recipes on my blog right now, using leftovers from previous blogged recipes!  I made brownies to use for these cookies and had leftovers.  What to do with the leftover brownies?  With lots of holiday cookies in the house, I needed to find something to do with them besides eat them.  I also had some Trader Joe Joe Joe cookies on hand.  If you haven't had them, they're like an Oreo, only peppermint.  Sounds like a perfect combination for a trifle.  Trifles are an easy but great dessert for a dinner party!  Instead of making them in a trifle dish, I made mine in individual glasses. 

Brownie and Oreo Hot Fudge Trifle

Yield: Serves 12-14

Brownies:
• 9X13 pan of brownies, cut into small cubes (see note - you only will use about 3/4 of the pan of brownies)
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Oreos and Hot Fudge:
• 25 mint Oreos, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup fudge sauce, warmed slightly

Directions

1. For the whipped cream, in a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with about 1/2 cup of the whipping cream until the mixture is smooth. Add the powdered sugar and the remainder of the whipping cream gradually. Mix on high speed until the cream is whipped and the mixture is very thick and creamy.
2. In a glass trifle dish (or large glass bowl), place in 1/3 of the brownies then 1/3 of the whipped cream, spreading evenly to the edges. Next sprinkle in a little more than 1/3 of the Oreos (about 10 chopped) and finally drizzle with 1/3 of the hot fudge sauce.
3. Repeat that same layering process two more times
4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Happy New Year!!!

Peppermint Crunch Brownie Bites

After making these for a cookie exchange at Tim's office, I had leftover peppermints. I love a quick and easy dessert.  To save even more time, you could (and yes I did) use a boxed brownie mix. 

Peppermint Crunch Brownie Bites

Yield: 48 brownie bites
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Chocolate brownie bites dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane pieces. These mini treats are perfect for gift giving or for serving at holiday parties.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa (I used dutch processed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups white chocolate chips
10 large candy canes, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pan with non stick cooking spray or line with paper cups. Set aside.
2. Place butter in medium saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until combined.
3. Fill each muffin cup slightly more than halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a brownie bite. Allow the brownie bites to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.
4. While the brownie bites are cooling, melt white chocolate in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl, or by using a double-boiler. Dip the tops of the brownie bites in the white chocolate. Set on a wire cooling wrack and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Continue until all of the brownie bites are dipped and sprinkled. Let white chocolate harden before serving.

Merry Christmas!

Peppermint Meltaways

Tim's participates in a cookie exchange at his office during the holiday season.  Why not make something with one of his favorite flavors?  Tim loves all things peppermint.  Me, not so much.  I can take or leave mint flavored desserts. These are the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate or tea.

Peppermint Meltaways
Adapted from The Cooking Channel
1 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 tablespoons of milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
24 chocolate teardrop candies (I like using Hershey's Kisses)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the butter and mix until light and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract, milk and mix to combine. Next, slowly add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the peppermint candies.

Roll the dough into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch balls. Insert 1 chocolate morsel into each ball and re-roll to ensure that the cookie dough encases the chocolate. Next, transfer to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies rolling each to coat.

Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to wire cooling rack. Cool until they are just cool enough to handle, 5 minutes. Return the cookies to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies and toss gently until each cookie is coated.

Store in an airtight container.

Holiday Vanilla Pudding Cake Cookies - SRC

As a bonus this month, the Secret Recipe Club is having a cookie carnival!  Nice!  Who doesn't need a few more cookie recipes to add to their holiday baking list?  Nothing says the holidays for me like baking cookies. One of my earliest baking memories is baking Spritz cookies with my Mom, green Christmas trees with red sprinkles.  Today I still use the cookie press from my childhood.  What's your favorite Christmas baking memory?

For this special Cookie Carnival, I was assigned Mom's Test Kitchen. The blogger behind this great blog is Jaime.  A little bit about Jaime, she says, I’m a child of God (who requires ALOT of forgiveness),wife to an automotive genius, momma to a Princess that changed my life

daughter to some pretty alright parents."  You can read more about her story here!  You'll find lots of great recipes on her blog as well, drop by and check it out, you won't be sorry!!!

I did a quick search and immediately found my choice for the Cookie Carnival, Holiday Vanilla Pudding Cake Cookies.  What I loved most about these cookies is how easy they are.  My dream is to write a cookbook of nothing but easy recipes, you know when you need that quick dessert for company that's dropping by at the last minute or that quick dinner when you just don't feel like cooking?  Maybe someday!  These cookies are perfect for last minute treats for the office or how about cookies for Santa?  This recipe would be great to make with the kiddos!

Holiday Vanilla Pudding Cake Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Mom's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 box (16.25 ounces) white cake mix

1 box (3.5 ounces) vanilla instant pudding & pie mix

2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk

red & green decorating sugars

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, dry vanilla pudding, eggs, butter and milk – it will be VERY thick
3. In a small bowl, combine equal amounts of the red & green sugars. You can also do two separate bowls of each color & make all red or all green cookies. Or do a little of each & go for a tye-die look :)
4. Scoop the dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll the dough in the decorating sugars, being sure to fully coat the dough. Place the coated dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are set.
6. Cool for just a minute or two on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

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