I know I’ve been on a bit of a Pumpkin-kick lately (even that’s an understatement), so last week I made it a point to bake something that had nothing to do with my favorite orange squash.  As I’ve been doing so often lately, I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread on Pinterest, and its “over-the-top”-ness is what made me pick it. Not only does this bread include regular peanut butter, but it’s also chock-full of an entire bag of mini Reese’s peanut butter cups. 

It’s funny because I’m very much like my Mom in a lot of ways, but definitely not when it comes to baking.  She likes very simple, classic flavors, while to me more is better.  One of the recipes that she always made when I was growing up was a really delicious, really moist banana bread, so when she came home from work and saw that I had made this, she didn’t really understand it.  In fact, when I made a second loaf to take to work, she went so far as to say “Why don’t you just use my recipe?”

She may not understand it, but to me it makes perfect sense.  Bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate is an unbeatable combination.  The smell when I was mixing it was heavenly and the taste of the completed version was even better. 

Plus, her aversion to this new version of an old classic didn’t stop her from trying a couple pieces!

Recipe

Since I read so many food blogs and watch so much food TV, I’m constantly finding recipes that I want to make.  But of course, I only get the chance to try a small percentage of them—there are only so many meals in a week! This pasta, cleverly dubbed “Penne a la Betsy,” by Ree of The Pioneer Woman for her sister, has been on my radar for a LONG time.  Somehow I’ve resisted this decadent dish, which contains a CUP of cream in the sauce, for over a year.  It just didn’t seem like something I needed, especially over the summer.

But last Friday, after a week of being sick with what I dramatically called Tuberculosis, I knew I deserved it.  The heavy cream, waiting to be added to the caramel for those Pumpkin cupcakes, was mocking me from the fridge.  I gave in, and I’m so glad I did.

There’s no frills to this pasta.  It’s made up of simple, great ingredients: Garlic, Onions, White Wine, Sauteed Shrimp, Cream, Tomato Sauce, and Basil.  But it all comes together perfectly into one of the most comforting dishes I’ve ever had.  I always felt like my tomato cream sauces were a little off, good but not perfect, and now I know why— they didn’t contain a cup of cream.

Recipe

I have two other culinary creations that I made before these that I still have yet to share, but I can’t let this weekend end without writing about these beauties: Pumpkin Cupcakes with a Salted Caramel Buttercream frosting.  Have you ever heard a more amazing title? I must have recited that phrase over 20 times this weekend, and every time I got the same stupefied reaction, complete with a little drool.

As soon as I saw these on Made in Melissa’s Kitchen, I knew I’d be making them.  I didn’t know, however, that it would be in the two hours before a dinner reservation I had with my two best friends, or that I’d have to re-make the caramel sauce because I burnt it the first time.  Or that I’d have to switch the frosting tip because the first one just wasn’t right.  Or that I’d be frantically scrubbing the BUTTERcream off the pastry bags and mixer bowl in time to get ready to go.  But even with so many hiccups, these were probably the best baked goods I have EVER made.

I shared these with three different groups of people this weekend— my friends Amanda and Elyse, my family, and my South Plainfield favorites— and their reactions all reaffirmed why I love to cook and bake for the people I love.

I know I’ve told you to make many things in the past, but ignore all those suggestions and take this one: MAKE THESE.  You’ll love its moist, spicy Pumpkin base and the sweet and salty combo that the caramel icing provides.  Perfection.  These might be my contribution to Thanksgiving this year!

Recipe

I recently entered into a love affair with Pinterest, as I know so many other people have. I’ve discovered that it’s an amazing place to find and share new recipes. There’s something about the emphasis of the site on the visual that makes me want to make the meals that I find on there IMMEDIATELY.  That was the case with these Chicken Chimichangas.  I saw a picture of these fried pockets of goodness, topped with creamy guacamole, and I knew I’d be making them for dinner that night.

They were a little time-consuming, considering I had to poach the chicken first, but it’s the kind of recipe where I feel like practice makes perfect.  I know where the kinks happened (there definitely needs to be more liquid involved in the cooking of the rice) and next time I’ll be able to correct them.  I also feel a little more confident about frying now, and won’t be so hesitant to cook something if it isn’t baked, sauteed, or boiled. Although I’ll probably always be a little scarred from cutting open a perfectly crispy chicken cutlet to find way too much pink in the middle.

Let me just say— these were absolutely perfect.  I’m a sucker for Mexican food, but anyone who appreciates a satisfying dinner will love these. Can you really go wrong with melty pepper jack cheese, refried beans, and a fried tortilla? The answer is no.  If you hate heat in your food, you should cut back on the enchilada sauce, because these were sufficiently spicy.  However, I would recommend NOT being like me and pairing these with a Corona or margarita to solve that problem.

Recipe

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I’m feeling a little down right now, as this October Snowstorm and the impending power outages across New Jersey have managed to put a huge damper on my Halloween plans.  Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and one of the things that I love to do every year is cook a Halloween dinner for my family.  Since the power has been out in my house since Saturday afternoon, I’m going to have to scratch the plans I had for tonight.  No Witch Hat Calzones, no Halloween Oreo Cupcakes.  Sigh!

Not too be too much of a Debbie Downer, I luckily did get the chance to do some Halloween baking last weekend for Brendan and Christine’s Halloween Party. I had been dying to try out Bakerella’s Eyeball Cakepops ever since I saw them on her blog, and I also had a special request from Christine for the Pumpkin Monkey Bread I blogged about previously.  I cleared my Friday night and dedicated hours to getting these babies ready for the Saturday night party.

These Eyeball Cakepops were the HARDEST baking project I have ever taken on.  Nothing seemed to go right, from the size of the cakepops to running out of the candy coating.  One word of advice for anyone who wants to take these (or any cakepop) on: DO NOT USE THE EDIBLE PENS.  I don’t know what Bakerella uses in her photos, but they are not edible pens (Sharpies?).  I got through one pop before they stopped writing on the pops altogether.  Instead, go with some red gel and colored icing.  Worked like a charm.  I’m glad I stuck it out and finished these, because they were a huge hit.

I won’t say too much about this, as I just blogged about it.  I used the same exact recipe, but made it “spooky” by adding some Halloween sprinkles and witches fingers.

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween! Spend it making some tasty treats, since I can’t ;)

Eyeball Cakepops Recipe

Pumpkin Monkey Bread Recipe

I don’t fully understand where or how monkey bread got its name, but I do know that I’m in love with the concept.  I’ve been wanting to make monkey bread for a while now, and I wouldn’t be me if the thought of adding pumpkin didn’t push me over the edge.  

I had a lot to get done yesterday, but I knew I had to bake since I spent all last weekend at Justin and Genevieve’s wedding. I woke up early to make this because I loved both the idea of starting my day by making the house smell amazing and the idea of giving my family something sweet to snack on all weekend.  I definitely made them happy with this one!

For those of you that have never made Monkey Bread before, it can be a time-consuming process.  As with any yeast-based dough, it needs at least two hours to rise twice.  But it’s worth it because it’s SO fun! You basically cut the dough into little balls, rolls each one in butter and cinnamon sugar, and layer them in a bundt pan. When the dough rises for a second time, the pieces come together and form the cake (see above). After you bake it, you flip it upside down, and you’re left with a perfect pull-apart cake! When finished, this cake was absolutely gorgeous and the best word to describe its taste would be ADDICTIVE.  Each piece is almost like a pumpkin donut hole.

A word of advice: the maple glaze in this recipe definitely needs a little milk to thin it out, and the cake only needs a drizzle of it to enhance it. 

Have fun making this one, and then watch your family devour it over the course of a day!

Recipe

Even though I made these a few weeks ago (and of course never got around to writing about them), they were SO good that I knew I needed to spread the word about their wonderfulness.  As soon as I saw this recipe on Gingerbread Bagels, I knew that I’d be dropping all plans and making them that weekend.  As some of you may know, I’m a Halloween fanatic.  I love being scared, getting decked out in creative costumes, and the overall fall atmosphere.  Unsurprisingly, I also love the candy and sweets.

When I was younger, seeing Halloween Oreos on the supermarket shelves always signaled the beginning of the season to me.  I don’t care what anyone says— they just TASTE different.  So when I came across a recipe that incorporated these neon orange cookies into both the cake AND frosting, I was sold.

I had a really fun time making these, which was great because I gave up a Saturday night to try them out.  It was my first time making a buttercream frosting and as nerdy as this sounds, I loved turning on my KitchenAid mixer for 10 minutes and watching the icing transform into something fluffy and beautiful.  And boy was that 10 minutes worth it- this was some of the best frosting I’ve ever had.  The Oreos really add something.

I won’t lie and say that these were perfect.  Although the taste was definitely spot on, I had a tough time getting them to look the way I wanted them to.  I wanted them to be over-the-top Halloween, but two things went wrong.  First, the orange gel food coloring I had somehow hardened and wasn’t very useable.  Second, the piping tip I had was big, but not big enough to allow chunks of Oreos to pass through, so I had to resort to the unwieldy spatula method.  However, these were SO good that I would make another attempt at getting them to absolute perfection.  Maybe for Halloween?

Recipe

No, I didn’t name this recipe.  This lady did.  I wish I could also give credit to someone else for these terrible pictures, but I cannot lie.  We got through about 3/4 of this cheesy goodness before I remembered that I hadn’t snapped a shot of our Saturday night dinner.  Instead of looking at tantalizing photos, you’re just going to have to try it yourselves to understand how good it is!

I first made this back in February for the Super Bowl, and I’ve been wanting to make it again ever since.  The weather is still warm here, but I’m pretending it’s Fall, so that explains the pre-mature comfort food.  I knew no one would say no to spending their Saturday night with caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and FOUR, count em, FOUR cheeses—Fontina, Gruyere, Parmiggiano, and GOAT.  I capitalize Goat, because that’s the cheese that takes this over the edge in terms of tang and creaminess.  It wouldn’t be the same without it.

This recipe can get a little expensive because of the “fancy” cheeses, but I think it would be fine to double up the Gruyere and get rid of the Fontina.  Or vice versa.  Just DON’T get rid of the Goat.

Recipe

In a move that probably comes as a surprise to no one, I’ve fallen slightly behind on my blog.  I made these beauties last weekend, but never got around to posting about them.  However, these are COMPLETELY worth the wait! I have to be honest that, to date, I’ve played it a little safe in my baking.  Besides my masterpiece Pumpkin Cheesecake from last fall, I’ve mostly stuck to muffins, breads, and cookies— things that I knew I could pull off.  I wanted to step it up a notch and go slightly outside of my comfort zone, so stumbling upon this recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls proved to be perfect timing.  Besides that, my sister took one look at these and BEGGED me to make them.  When someone asks me to make something, I usually oblige.

Luckily, I had zero slip-ups in putting these together.  While they were pretty time consuming, a lot of that time was spent waiting for the dough to rise, so I had plenty of time to use Sunday for its other purpose- watching football.  Also, the actual steps that I had to take were relatively straight forward and easy.  

To say these were a huge hit is an understatement! They were gone by the next day, which meant that I didn’t get to share the love with my co-workers.  That’s probably for the best, because these were at their best when fresh and warm from the oven.  I’m glad I took the advice of Lindsey from Gingerbread Bagels (where I got this recipe from) and went all out by making a cream cheese frosting to spread on top.  Without it, they would have really fallen short.  And who wants to be healthy when they’re eating a cinnamon roll anyways?

Recipe

I can’t take the credit for the idea to make this one last night.  I first made this salad a couple of years ago after seeing it in a summer issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. Ever since, my mom (and I) have been obsessed with it, and we make it every once in a while.  Somehow we managed to go the entire summer without putting together this perfect combination of produce.  But last night my mom left for work with very strict instructions to make it so that she could have some when she got home — yup, she even laid out every ingredient, AND the photocopied recipe.

I can’t complain though.  This salad shines in its simplicity and every time I make it, I can’t seem to stop eating it. I’m glad I got a chance to enjoy it before it gets too cold and I start staying away from every dish where a fresh tomato is a main ingredient.  I suggest you make it soon too!

Recipe