Applesauce Nut Minis

I was looking at the Better Homes and Gardens Recipes and came across this applesauce cupcake which looked delicious.  Knowing, hubby loves applesauce, I was pretty sure I would not go wrong with this recipe and I did not.  I made some changes to this recipe.  I do not use shortening unless, there is absolutely no option for a substitute.    I will make the changes on the recipe below and if you want the original recipe, please go here. 

These are gluten-free so you know that I substituted my gluten-free baking mix.    I double or triple this and store it in a cannister.  It goes quickly.  If you are making it, judge by your own usage, what you need.

Rather than make cupcakes, I made mini bundts which I think are a lot nicer.  I baked it longer of course and found I had to keep checking it until it was really done. 

*Gluten free baking mix

*3 c. rice flour   (Rice flour comes in white and brown.  We use brown but when I can’t get it, I substitute white so it would appear, they are inter-changeable.)
1 c. potato starch (NOT potato flour)
½ c. tapioca starch
Mix well.

For this recipe, I used two cups of this mixture.

Applesauce Cupcakes                  

 Makes 6 minis and some muffins with extra batter.

 

 Ingredients

• 1  cup granulated sugar                                                    
• 1/3 cups margarine
• 1-1/3  cups applesauce
• 2  cups gluten-free flour (recipe above)*
• 1-1/2  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4  chopped walnuts 
• 1/2  cup packed brown sugar
• 2  cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1  tablespoons milk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

 Directions

 Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.

Grease 6 mini bundt pans.  (I waited until these were filled before I knew how many muffins, I could make.  I was able to make 6 muffins.)

In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar and 1/3 cup margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Beat in applesauce.  In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg. Beat into applesauce mixture. Stir in walnuts

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.* Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire rack.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.  

The Lady and Sons Beef Vegetable Soup

This week the ladies cooking with My Girl Paula are making beef vegetable soup.  We are really cutting back on meat so I chose to make a vegetable soup without the meat.  With lots of vegetables, the soup is chock full and the lack of meat is not causing a lack of flavor.

 

The Lady and Sons Beefless Vegetable Soup      adapted from Paula Deen   You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients             I scaled the recipe down

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast*   If you want to use meat, this is what was recommended.
• 2 quarts cold water  
• 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1  cups chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (below)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce (the kind with no fish in it)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup scallions (to use them up)                                
• 1 cup  black-eyed peas
• 1 cup  butter beans
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni  (have not put it in yet.   Hope I don’t forget.)

Directions:

In a crockpot, add the water, diced tomatoes, onions, chopped parsley,  dried Italian seasoning, House Seasoning,  Worcestershire sauce,  garlic powder,  and black pepper .

Cook on high for one hour.

Reduce the heat to medium or low.

Add the remaining vegetables and cook for two additional hours.

Add the macaroni, for the last half hour.

 Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and add fresh chopped parsley.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Tomato Stuffed Peppers CEiMB Ellie An Award

This week at CEiMB, Craving Ellie in My Belly, we are choosing, something for Thanksgiving.  Since, I have shared pumpkin, apple and cranberry recipes, I thought I would choose a salad.  The cheese is my addition  and, I would not add cheese for a Thanksgiving dinner.   Without the cheese, I would love to see it on the table, even if it clashes with the orange pumpkin dishes.  I guess you could use orange or yellow peppers instead of the red.

Tomato Stuffed Peppers                        Ellie Krieger

 2 servings

 Ingredients                                                                                                                                                                      

• Cooking spray
• 2 large red peppers
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped olives
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2/4 cup shredded cheese (Mozzarella or if you are a Cheddar fan, that would be good, also.)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with cooking spray.                      

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, removing the seeds but leaving the stem. Although the stem is not edible it looks good in this dish and helps the pepper retain its shape. Place the peppers cut side up in the baking dish.

Divide the sliced onion and the olives evenly among the peppers. Cut each tomato into 8 wedges and put 4 wedges into each pepper half. Drizzle each stuffed pepper with a little oil and season with a few grinds of pepper.

Add shredded cheese as a topping.  It should be lightly browned, when you remove it from the oven.  Cover it, in the middle, if you see that it is browning too quickly.  There is no cheese in the original recipe.

Roast the peppers for about 50 minutes or until they are tender and beginning to brown around the edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Palidor from Crazy Asian Girl for this award.  Palidor is a special person.  Note how she welcomes new members to her blog.  She has great recipes also and if I were you, I would hurry over and get some goodies to make, perhaps even for your Thanksgiving table.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. 

 With this award comes a list of bits and pieces about me.  Ready.

1. I love chocolate, much too much. 
2. I have the best children and grandchildren in the world.  No prejudice here.
3. I can be the biggest procastinator and the most organized person, at the same time.
4. My hubby is a tremendous helper.  He does more than his share.  He also bought me a watch, yesterday.  Good guy to have around.
5. I I bake more for my class than for my family.
6. I want Palidor to tell me what J-pop is.
7. I love to cook and can’t stand my kitchen.  This is an area that I am never satisfied.
8. My guilty pleasure is reading everything and anything.
9. I just discovered blogging (June) and I love it.
10. I don’t have a favorite color.  Is that normal?

I am passing on this award to these bloggers who I respect to the utmost.  I thank each of you for inspiring me.

Amy from Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

Kim of Stirring the Pot

Reeni at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice - the first person to reach out to me and help a new blogger

Libby at Cooking with Libby

Joanne at Eats Well With Others

Girliechef who I owe so much to

Rebecca at Chow and Chatter 

Joy of Joy of Desserts - yummy

Emily at Marvelous Recipes

Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny 

 

This was not easy to do and I know I left out some important blogs.  Hopefully, I can honor you, in some way, in the future.  I thank all of  you have touched my life and made it better.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

I had, close to a cup , of pumpkin, in the fridge, from a previous recipe.  I can’t count the times, I planned to use this in wonderful recipes and just did not get to it.  I wanted to use it before it went bad.  Along comes this warm and cozy bread and bye-bye pumpkin.  Alas, I did not have quite enough for the recipe.  In the fridge, was also, a delicious butternut squash/sweet potato soup, again less than a cup.  Add the two together and I had a wonderful mix of creamy smooth pumpkin/ butternut squash, sweet potato mix.  They enhanced this bread because it is the richest pumpkin bread, I have made.

This recipe did not call for nuts but hubby loves nut breads so I tend to turn most quick breads into nut breads.  At the very last-minute, I dropped, on top of the bread, a hefty handful of chopped walnuts and mixed them in.  If you are not a nut lover, leave them out, and you will still have a great autumn bread.

This is a Libby’s recipe which is adapted to the ingredients, on hand.
 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour mixture
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin  (3/4 cup pumpkin with 1/4 cup sweet potato/butternut squash soup)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar 
  

  Pumpkin Nut Bread

• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

SIFT flour, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Combine pumpkin, sugar, apple juice, eggs, oil and vanilla extract in large bowl; stir well. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon into greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Pour nuts on batter and gently mix.  I did it, at this step, because it was a last-minute thought.  If you do use nuts, mix them in, after all other ingredients are blended together.

This turned out to be a good recipe which I would make again with the soup that saved the day.  Perhaps, it was that extra sweet potato flavor that changed this recipe into an even better one.

Baked Manicotti

Check on Friday for all the recipes at Deb from Kahakai Kiitchen, who you may know better as Deb from Souper Sundays (you can send her a soup recipe as well as a pasta recipe, this week.)  Thanks for hosting, despite your busy blogging and life schedules, Deb.

Each time I visit Amanda’s blog, Amanda’s Cookin’. I find a few recipes to make.  This afternoon, I was fortunate enough to find tonight’s dinner, Baked Manicotti.  I have never seen gluten-free manicotti but this recipes uses lasagne noodles, rolled up and voila, we have manicotti.  There was a major change to be made to make this recipe kosher but eliminating the meat solved the problem.

This is my contribution to Tuesdays at the Table.

Baked Manicotti                                                                  

1 box gluten-free lasagne

1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
1/4  teaspoon hot red pepper flakes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 ounces grated parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cups)
1 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves                                                                                                                                                                                                         
2 tablespoons dried basil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
1 package lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sauce:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil, onion, and pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium heat until onion is just barely starting to brown (1-2 minutes). Add tomatoes and salt; cook until sauce thickens slightly (about 15 minutes). Add basil and salt.

Filling: Combine ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs. Set aside.

Assembly: Cook noodles until just pliable.

Place in single layer on clean kitchen towels.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Pour about 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of 9″ x 13″ baking dish; spread evenly. 

 Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture on to the bottom 3/4 of each noodle on top of noodle, leaving top 1/4 of noodle uncovered.                          

Starting from the end with cheese, roll into the noodle into a tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down.

Top evenly with remaining sauce, covering each noodle completely. 

Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack until the sauce bubbles (about 40 minutes).

Remove manicotti from the oven and adjust the oven rack to the highest position. 

It should be about 6 inches from the heating element. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese evenly over the manicotti.                                

Do not replace the foil.

Broil until cheese starts to brown. Cool 15-20 minutes before serving to allow manicotti to set.

Eat and enjoy.

Applesauce Filbert-Walnut Bread

Once again, we ran out of our gluten-free bread and sandwiches had to be made so I decided to bake two loaves of quick bread.  This is one and the other is a pumpkin bread.   This was very wet.  As a result, I took close to a cup of filbert, ground to a meal, and threw it in the mixing bowl

Applesauce Filbert-Walnut Bread   

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons Rice Dream
• 2 cups gluten – free flour mixture (not store-bought mix) 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped  walnuts
• 3/4 cup filbert crumbs

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, applesauce, oil, egg whites, and milk; mix until well blended.
2. Into another bowl, sift flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. Stir into the first mixture until well blended; stir in chopped pecans or walnuts.
4. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pecan Applesauce Mini Cupcakes

My husband likes plain desserts so I scour the cookbooks and Internet and blogs, looking for recipes I can make plain and dress up.   He is a nut fan, meaning walnuts, pecans, cashews and a variety of other nuts.  When I came across a Martha Stewart recipe that was a simple applesauce and pecan cupcake, I decided, in about two seconds, to make the recipe.  You can find the full recipe here but I am not sure it is correct.   I also made miniatures because again, that is hubby’s preference.  I know, he rationalizes, one is a little bite so he can have more and then some more.  Should I tell him that the calories add up?  Nah.  Let him enjoy himself.  He deserves to.  Check out Cupcake Tuesday for fabulous cupcake recipes.

For 24 mini cupcakes, this is the recipe I came up with, adapted from Martha Stewart.

Pecan Applesauce Mini Cupcakes

• 1 cup gluten-free flour mixture             

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup Canola oil

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

• 2  eggs

• 3/4 cup applesauce

• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and a 6-cup tin with paper liners. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Put 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time. On low-speed, mix in applesauce and then flour mixture. Stir in nuts by hand.

3. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in the clean bowl of electric mixer, mix cream cheese with remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Spread cream-cheese frosting on muffins. Muffins can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Katy’s Cole Slaw – My Girl Paula

My dear friend Katy told me how happy she is with this particular cole slaw.  Of course, I had to try it.  I see why she likes it.  It had a wonderful flavor with the blend of these vegetables.  Katy suggested not changing any of the vegetables.  I think she is right.  This combination brought along a distinct flavor and we like it.  Thanks Katy.  If you are looking for good recipes and even better words, yes words, drop by Katy’s blog, Food for a Hungry Soul.

 

The Lady’s Coleslaw  – Paula Deen-    Serves:  6 servingsIngredients     This is my contribution to My Girl Paula and

• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped (red)
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/2 large carrot, chopped
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cabbage head
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions            

Using a food processor, gently process the bell pepper, onion, carrot, and parsley, being careful not to over process. (I chopped mine)

Cut 1/2 of the cabbage into chunks and place in the food processor and process lightly, making sure the cabbage doesn’t become mushy.

Slice the remaining cabbage thinly. Mix the cabbage together with the processed vegetables.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together and allow to stand for a few minutes.

Combine the mayonnaise mixture with the vegetables and toss. Chill for 1 hour.                                                                                                       Above – adding dressing

Double Potato Mash – Nigella Lawson — I Heart Cooking Clubs

Double Potato Mash

This is my contribution to

I Heart Cooking Clubs and to

We had a pot luck, this week, and this simple recipe, as it may be, has been on my list, for a while.  Since, I am busier than usual, these days with school work, I decided this was a great choice and a recipe, I wanted to try out.

 Nigella Lawson

Serves: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 4 1/2 pounds white all-purpose potatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Loosely wrap the sweet potatoes individually in aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through. Leave to cool in their foil parcels.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the white potatoes and cook them in salted water until tender; then drain and mash.

Open the sweet potato parcels carefully over the mashed white potatoes to catch all the juices that have leaked from them. Still holding each sweet potato over the other potatoes, peel the skin away with your fingers and scoop out the flesh into the mash.

Add the  mace and beat the potatoes together very well with a wooden spoon adding salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

This is an easy recipe and I had no expectations but I was curious to find out what two of my favorites tasted like mashed together.  It turned out to be good.  Not one of your super-top-notch recipes, but a solid one, to have with any dinner.  It could be a comfort food.  After all, it is mashed potatoes.

The original recipe called for the addition of olive oil but I couldn’t do it.  Instead, I added two tablespoons of whipped margarine and it melted in as I mashed it.

Dipped in Chocolate Gems

This recipe originated from Dorie Greenspan.  As it sometimes happens, the recipe takes over and the results are not you think they will be nor would the originator of that recipe.  Dorie, forgive me.

The cookie was supposed to be a normal cookie, one that had height to it.  Mine turned out to be almost like a lace cookie, but a little more dense.  I took advantage of that.  After a day of eating these gems, as they were, and loving every bite, I realized, I could turn them into an imitation of the lace cookie by partially dipping this into melted chocolate.

I had a success.  I am not sure exactly what they taste like but I keep thinking I am eating a lace cookie.  I think the taste is stronger than the traditional lace cookie and I think it is better.

Dipped in Chocolate Gems                                                                                     

1 1/6 cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 plus 2 tablespoons margarine at room temperature
1/2  cup Brownulated sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 egg beater egg
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

1 cup melted chocolate chips (I didn’t add anything.  I was so anxious to see what would happen, I just took the chips and used them alone.)

Method:

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. 

Mix with electric mixer in a large bowl, the margarine on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the brownulated sugar and corn syrup and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend.

Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more.

Add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. 

The dough will be a smooth, very soft dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap.

 Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the sugar in a small bowl.

Divide dough in small balls.

Roll each ball in the bowl of sugar.

Place them on the baking sheet.  

If you do not have a large sheet, use two baking sheets. 

These cookies spread a lot so leave at least two inches between each one.

Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/8 inch thick.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 – 12 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. 

 When they are firm, dip one side of the cookie into a small bowl of melted chocolate and place on wax paper to set. 

When firm remove from wax paper and EAT.   You won’t be able to stop.

While, I was at it, I took some dried apricots and dipped them in chocolate also.  Yum.