Category: Holidays

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Note: A 15 or 16 ounce can of pumpkin will equal the 2 cups of pumpkin needed for this recipe.

Ingredients:

For the brownie layer

4 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or arrowroot or corn starch)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the pumpkin pie layer

1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin

2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or use arrowroot or cornstarch)

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground allspice

To decorate:

A handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan, or use a 9 inch square pan, preferably lined with parchment paper.

To make the brownie layer:

Melt the chocolate (I still don’t need to tell you how to melt chocolate, right?).

In a large mixing bowl mix together pumpkin, sugar, oil and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, tapioca, baking soda and salt and stir to combine, then mix in the melted chocolate.

To make the pumpkin layer:

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

To assemble:

Use a spatula to spread the brownie layer into the prepared baking pan, taking care to bring the batter to the edges of the pan. Pour the pumpkin layer over it, leaving a little room at the edges if you can. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin layer looks fairly firm (a little jiggling is okay) and has cracked at the edges a bit.

Let cool for 20 minutes and then transfer to the fridge to set for at least an hour and a half. Once set, decorate with chocolate chips and serve.  

via

Maple Sugar Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 14 cup maple sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon mild yellow curry
  • 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, skin-on
  • 1 tablespoon minced green onion, to garnish

Directions

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough vegetable oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.

 In a small bowl, whisk together the maple sugar, black pepper, salt, and yellow curry. Reserve.

 Scrub the sweet potatoes clean. Cut in half and then into 12-inch thick wedges. When oil is hot, reduce heat to medium-high and carefully put half of the wedges in the oil. Cook turning occasionally to brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined colander to drain. Sprinkle the fries with some of the reserved spice mixture. Cover with another paper towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining wedges. via

Yo-Yo Pine Trees

•Assorted fabric
•Clover Extra Small Quick Yo Yo Maker template (optional)
•Thread, string
•Sewing Needle
•Pinecones
•Clear drying glue

Steps: Make as many small yo-yos as needed for the pinecone.
Stuff each yo-yo.
Secure stuffed yo-yo to the pinecone with a small drop of clear drying glue. Optional: glue onto an old jar cap to make tree stand upright. via

Edible Specimins

Before we begin, let’s be clear about what we’re trying to accomplish, with a few ground rules for the project:

1. What good is a specimen jar if you can’t serve it at dinner?The contents of the jars should be genuinely edible, made out of real food. Plastic snakes and spiders are right out.

2. Make it tasty. While the appearanceof the specimen jars may cause loss of appetite, the scent, by contrast, should be simply mouth watering. There are many ways to get there. Specimen jars can be prepared as an antipasto course (e.g., with preserved vegetables), as a soup appetizer, as a palate cleanser between courses, or a dessert course, depending on the ingredients chosen.

3. Work within the comfort zone of your guests. If your guests are super-omnivores, eager to eat the most challenging ingredients that you can get your hands on– whether that’s brains or balut or something far worse –then go right ahead. However, the point of this project is to make a dish that looks intimidating but actually consists of friendly ingredients. It’s possible to make a truly scary looking set of specimen jars that is (for example) strictly vegan or passes the even stricter dietary requirements that your child may present.

Cake Batter Crispy Treats

3 tablespoons butter

1 10-ounce bag of mini marshmallows

1/4 cup yellow cake mix

6 cups rice krispies cereal

1 1.75-ounce container of sprinkles

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

via