Apple Cider Pumpkin Loaves with Cranberries and Raisins

I got this recipe off the Libby's website. (Even though I did not use their product... Shhhh!) I made a few minor alterations and turned an ordinary pumpkin loaf into something simply spectacular!
 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) organic pumpkin
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe makes two loaves.

FOR THREE 8 x 4-INCH LOAF PANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.

FOR FIVE OR SIX 5 x 3-INCH MINI-LOAF PANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

Apple Cranberry Loaf with Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar

So, you've gone apple picking with the kids -- or friends kids... or the boyfriend or the family dog and you've once again come home with more apples than you know what to do with... Apple pies are good and lovely but you can only make so many... and you can only eat so much without spending every waking hour on the treadmill. And your children's teachers don't have any more room left on their desks for the sweet, crisp apples you have kindly given them...

Yes, you have bowls of apples strategically placed around the house to give a fall-like ambiance to your decor. But if not used they will start to break down... and they must be used within... a certain amount of time. And you have some cranberries because you like to decorate with them too and they are on sale... and you realize that apples and cranberries make the perfect combination. It is fall, after all, and the oven is beckoning you... and there is nothing as soothing or as comforting as the aromas of fresh baking from the oven... especially when the aroma comes from apples and cinnamon and sugar...

Ingredients:

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups of fresh cranberries
1 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
1/8 cup water
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a saucepan place cranberries, water and 1 tbs sugar
Bring to boil and then turn heat off. Let simmer a few minutes. You will hear cranberries start to pop
Meanwhile prep apples
In a large mixing bowl add sugar and oil and beat high until smooth and pale yellow. Add eggs, vanilla and baking powder. Mix well.
Add flour, mix well.
Add apples and cranberries with all the juices.
Mix well. Batter should be moist but not too wet. If too wet add small amounts of flour. If by chance it is too dry add a couple of tablespoons of milk or water.

Place well mixed dough into a well-greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour, checking for done-ness with toothpick. (Depending on calibration of your oven you may need a few more minutes.)




My youngest thought the cranberries to be a bit tart. I sprinkled some Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar over the warm bread and let it all melt in. It was divine! Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar is a wonderful substitute to ordinary Cinnamon Sugar.

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar

1/4 Cup granulated sugar
4 - 5 tbs  Pumpkin Pie Spice
Mix well. Store in airtight jar. If the flavor is too strong or too sweet, adjust either the spices or the sugar.

(Chocolate Chip Loaded) Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

It's fall in New England! Although it is August and an Indian Summer looms right around the corner I am taking pleasure, extreme pleasure, in the fact that I can have all the windows open, wear jeans and long sleeves! The dry summer has led some of the trees to start turning prematurely... I can hear them rustling beyond. Suddenly I have this great craving, this great urge to have all things pumpkin. Rumor has it that Starbucks will introduce its first Pumpkin Spiced Latte of the season in just over a week... I swoon at the thought of this ... while visions of pumpkin bread dance through my head!

And then, as my youngest was eating his breakfast, I started to rifle through the pantry. I was pulling various ingredients and putting them on the counter... I had pumpkin puree and brown sugar and flour and chocolate chips and vanilla and baking powder... and then I sat down to my children's laptop and Googled "pumpkin biscotti." I scoured through recipes and came up with something that was partially my own and partially several others'...

I've had a few pieces already. I can attest to you that this stuff is good. Damned good. I'll to hit the treadmill a little harder today!

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour
1 1/2 Cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 (ok 3/4!) Cup white chocolate chips
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 Cup of pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a mixing bowl beat together eggs, sugar and butter.
Beat in vanilla and pumpkin.
Add baking powder and flour. Mix well.
Fold in chocolate chips.


Grease and flour baking sheet. Or use a Silpat.

Drop dough by spoonfuls on to cookie sheet to create 3 equally sized logs, about 3 to 4 inches wide.
Bake for 30 minutes
Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
Bake for 30 minutes.


Remove from oven and very carefully cut the dough into slices, about 3/4 inch wide.
Place cookies on baking sheet. (I took out a clean one.)
Bake 10 minutes.

Cool a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Mrs. Clause's Snickerdoodle with a Twist

I love a simple cookie.

Snickerdoodles are just that. Little bites of perfection, really. I added my own touch to Mrs. Clause's recipe. Instead of using cinnamon and sugar for the topping I used cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice. I did have to add a little extra sugar to the ratio. I hope Santa likes this version of his wife's recipe! I certainly liked the subtle boost of flavor!

Makes Approximately 2 Dozen • From the kitchen of Mrs. Clause

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder

Topping
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Cream butter. Add sugar and add mix thoroughly. Sift flour, baking powder and salt; stir in mixture. Form dough into balls about the size of walnuts and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes at 400 degrees.