Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Long post ahead. Shared in my foodie group (www.facebook.com/groups/whatscookinGL) and thought I'd share here as well...

It's no secret that I don't like pumpkin... and since it is officially fall now we can talk about it!

Ha! But I DO like pumpkin spice. You know why? Because there's no actual pumpkin in it! It's Pumpkin Spices (sometimes also called Pumpkin Pie Spice) - a blend of delicious spices, not pumpkin flavored spices.

So many folks can be confused. Say it with me now, "pumpkin spice is not pumpkin." Haha! 

The pumpkin (pie) spice blend is a lot like the apple pie spice blend...

🍎 Apple Pie Spice blend:

Nutmeg, Allspice, Cinnamon (And some recipes call for cardamom and sometimes ginger. I generally just do the first three ingredients. )

🎃 Pumpkin (pie) Spice blend:

Nutmeg, Allspice, Cinnamon & Ginger I especially like the ginger in both!  It adds a little zip and zing. And I like to make my own blends. They are pretty easy and I always have the ingredients on hand.

Here are a couple recipes so you can make your own.

Pumpkin (pie) Spice https://www.crazyforcrust.com/diy-pumpkin-pie-spice/

Apple Pie Spice https://www.taketwotapas.com/apple-pie-spice-homemade/

 ****************************************

Yesterday I made my first pumpkin spice flavored anything. I made Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles! (Note: no pumpkin in these, although you can find some recipes with pumpkin actually in them.)

These were super yummy and super quick! The recipe said it makes 24 cookies, but I only got 21. I did cit the sugar back about 2 Tbs for high altitude so that may account for part of the missing 3.. there also may have been some tasting. ;)

Here's the recipe: https://www.crazyforcrust.com/pumpkin-spice-snickerdoodles/

If you give these a try let me know what you think of them!

XO,
E

No Need to Knead & Soups On! Lazy Food….

I’ve been learning that cooking at our high Colorado altitude is a little different than cooking at our previous altitude in Utah.  Here we are at 6,300 ft and in Utah we were at 4,700 feet.  While they are both “high altitude”, Colorado has additional challenges with baking.  I have not been super successful with cakes and cupcakes yet.  Still working on adjusting the recipes.  However, I’ve got cornbread down pat and decided to try my hand at my first loaf of bread.  I am still having a hard time with pain when I over use my left arm, so I decided to try a favorite no fail, no knead recipe…. and I wanted an easy lazy dinner for last night so I made a Potato Corn & Ham Chowder to go with it :) Yes, I planned dinner around the bread. Hehe!

This bread is started the afternoon before the evening you want to eat it.  It rises for a full 18-24 hours.  I went the full 24 hours and it turned out awesome!

Nice, round crusty bread… perfect for dipping in soup or chili.

 




Last night we had it with Potato Corn & Ham Chowder.  And it was SOOOO delicious!

Here’s a shot of it during its last rise stage.  I keep a cool house (temp wise) and found that it rose nicely next to the crockpot of chowder… all that nice warm air coming off the crockpot…





(Really, I don’t own a ginormous crock pot and teeny tiny Kitchen Aid.. crazy angle with the camera phone.)
Once it has reached it’s full rise (dough doesn’t readily spring back when you poke it gently) it goes into the oven… Here’s a shot of it crisping up the crust… 2 more minutes, 2 more minutes….





I couldn’t wait for it to cool before cutting it… oh my gosh.. get in my tummy now…





Slather it up with some butter… just a smidge…




(See? I took a bite – or two – oh my… yum.)
Dunk it in your soup ….. and enjoy!!!


It was seriously good.  I ate the last piece for breakfast this morning. MMMM.


No Knead Bread
*I measure most dry goods by weight for baking)

• Whisk together:
  16 ounces All Purpose Flour
  2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt (less if you use table salt)
  1/4 Teaspoon Instant Yeast 
• Add:
  11 ounces room temp water (abt 1.5 Cups)

1) Mix well with a spoon. Dough will be wet and sticky.

2) Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 18-22 hours in warm place (I put mine in the oven.. no drafts.

3) After it has rested and risen for 18-22 hours scoop your dough out onto a well floured piece of parchment paper. (It needs to be well floured or cornmealed or it will stick.)  Spray a piece or two (depending on the size of your loaf) of plastic wrap and cover LOOSELY (allow for more rising room).  

4) Let it rise for 30ish minutes (at 6300 ft), up to 1 hour at lower elevations.

***note: rise time depends on your elevation and climate.  Here in Colorado (6,350 ft elevation) I can let my dough rise for about 1 hr and it is ready to go.*** 

The dough is ready when you can press your finger into the dough GENTLY and it very slowly springs back, but still leaves a slight indentation.

Ok, so now.. you need a HOT oven…. and an oven INSIDE the oven…

5) 30 minutes prior to baking:  place a dutch oven (with the lid) into the oven and set the oven at 475.   It’s gotta be HOT HOT HOT (yes, said just like the song…) Get that dutch oven all nice and hot.  

OPTIONAL STEP: Here is a step you don't have to do, but I like to do.  Score your bread.  Immediately before placing your dough into the Dutch oven score (or slice) the top of the bread with a very sharp knife or a bread lame.  Slice about 1/4" into the dough.  

This allows the dough to expand in a controlled manner when oven spring happens.  You don't have to score your dough.  You can just let it go crazy and pop open wherever.  Sometimes you can get some cool looking loaves.

6) Carefully take the dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid.  Remove plastic wrap and pick up the entire loaf of bread WITH the parchment paper and place it down into the dutch oven.  Place the lid on the dutch oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.



7) After 35 minutes carefully remove the lid and bake an additional 8-10 minutes to brown up the crust.  

Remove bread from dutch oven and place on a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing.

03/22/2020: Here is a video I just posted for this bread recipe





Potato, Corn & Ham Chowder ~ Erin Grotegut

• Toss in a crock pot:
  6-8 Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced/cubed small
  1 Med White Onion, diced (about 1 Cup)
  1 Can Creamed Corn
  1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
  8 Ounces Diced Ham
  2.5-3 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock (3 cups if you use 8 potatoes)
  1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  1/4 – 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  Dash Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)
• Optional:
  1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Chives
  1-2 Tbs Diced Chiles (Your fave… kicks it up a notch or two…)
• Have ready:
  1/4 Cup Butter ( don’t use margarine)
  2 Cups half and half
  2 Tablespoons flour

1) Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or if you are a goofball like me and start dinner at 3, cook on high for about 3-4 hours until the potatoes are soft and able to be smashed.  

2) Smash the food in the crock pot with a potato masher until it is the consistency you like.

3) Make a slurry.  Scoop out 2 Tbs of the “broth” and put into a bowl or mug.  Add 2 Tbs of flour and whisk with a fork.  Add to the crock pot.  This will help thicken the chowder a bit.

4) Add the butter and half & half and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the slurry has had a chance to thicken and cook.

Garnish with chopped chives and/or your favorite shredded cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Bling RAK Winner & Sausage Cheese Balls - MmM MmM Good!

We've drawn a random name for our Bling RAK......

Amy said...

Shopping for toys with money raised from our toy drive at work. I love this part of Christmas...giving to those in need. Specially children!

December 8, 2007 12:31 PM

Congratulations Amy!
Please email your address to me at inkysmiles @ gmail.com

And.... as requested by Tilda.... here's my recipe:

The most fabulous Sausage Cheese Balls
(A former family Christmas Tradition - before Mom quit cooking)
This recipe is on the package of Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage... we've modified it for a smaller batch, added extra onions & celery, and increased the Bisquick amount so that the balls are not so greasy.


1 Pkgs (16 oz) Breakfast Sausage
1 Cup Bisquick
2 Cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup finely chopped celery
½ Tsp black pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl & stir well.
2. Form into 1" balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
3. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan and set on paper towels to absorb any grease.

Strawberry Jam Recipe (No Pectin Added)

I used this recipe for my first batch and then the Pectin added recipe which you can find in the box of powdered Pectin. The no added pecting recipe takes quite a bit longer than the pectin added one, but they both taste fabulous. So, the recipe choice is really in the taste buds of the person making the jam :)

Strawberry Jam (No Pectin Added)

Ingredients:
2 quarts fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
6 cups white sugar

Directions:
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in small batches. Be careful not to make too much juice because too much liquid can cause jelling problems. I crush the strawberries one layer of berries at a time with a potato masher. You can also slice the berries and smash with a fork or your fingers, too. Don't stack a huge pile and try crushing them all at once.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries & sugar.

Stir with a rubber spatula over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).

Transfer to hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe any excess jam off the top of the jar and place a sterilized lid on the jar. Screw down a ring to hold the lid in place while processing.

Process in a boiling water canner for at least 10 minutes (depends on altitude). (If you’re going to eat it right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.)


JELLING TEST
Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned.