OLIVE OIL PUMPKIN BREAD :: a quick bread recipe

 

I am still baking anything and everything that calls for pumpkin!

I LOVE pumpkin and find I really only bake/cook with it in the Fall.

I thought I would share an easy olive oil pumpkin bread recipe I found online.  It's tasty and I love that it uses olive oil and honey, instead of vegetable oil and sugar.  **Full discloser, I added a powered sugar glaze and it adds just a perfect extra hint of sweetness.  A cream cheese frosting would be good too!**

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup  pumpkin purée*
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts or pecans

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, honey and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Can easily double the recipe.

Can easily add a powered sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting to add extra sweetness.

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS :: a recipe

I thought I would share a scrumptious pumpkin spice muffin recipe.  Last week I made some to-die-for pumpkin + molasses cookies.  Seriously, I couldn't stop eating them!!  I will post the recipe, I just didn't get any photos, but I promise, you will want to eat the entire batch!!

Anyways, I had some left over pumping puree to use up.  A little breakfast treat sounded good, so I made some pumpkin spice muffins.

Pumpkin Muffins from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Addilyn loves to help in the kitchen.  She picked out the muffin liners ;-) and she takes her role of taste testing very seriously.  Don't step between the girl and her muffin batter {or cookie dough, or cake batter or anything with butter and sugar}.

And on a separate note, I am loving my 'FALL' sign that I got from Anne.

Isn't it darling?

We did a little bartering after the SALE and I was thrilled to come home with this ;-)

Now go bake some muffins....your family will love you for it!!

xoxo~Darci

FALL DECOR & COOKIES :: a fall cookie recipe

This weekend was stormy and cool, the perfect weekend to bake in the kitchen and begin adding a few Fall touches around the house.

The girls and I worked in the kitchen and had several dance parties as we decorated.  It was so good for my heart!!

It's hard work running a business.

Especially when you are a driven personality, a bit of a perfectionist, very little time to actually work, and a little family who you adore and want to spend your time with.

So, we celebrate the little moments.....

Like being home all weekend with the rain blowing outside.

Extra time with out-of-town family.

A chance to do a bit of Fall decorating.

Some time to gather goodies from the garden before the rain beats everything down.

Extra snuggles with my littles.

Some time to work on projects.

And just sit and enjoy the quiet moments.

I am really working on enjoying the little moments and living with the fact that I can't get everything done on my to-do list.

I want my day to be about building relationships, and not always accomplishing tasks.  I know I am not the only one who battles with this struggle!!  And so, I am thankful for the un-expected 'slow' weekends/days/moments, the chance to take a deep breath, and just be thankful.

***

And so, I leave you with a yummy GINGER COOKIE recipe.

I love baking cookies!!  They make the house smell delicious, and they warm the hearts and tummies of family and friends.  I love packaging up half the batch of the cookies and giving them away.  It's a simple gesture....and a great excuse to get to bake another batch ;-)

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces) Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

S'MORES BROWNIE :: a sweet treat

I made these ooey-gooey s'mores brownies last weekend and they are slightly addictive.

A perfect treat for your Labor Day weekend, especially if you won't be camping but still want to savor some of the last of summer's treats!  And really, who doesn't love chocolate + graham crackers + more chocolate + marshmallows??

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 9 broken in half (18 pieces) whole graham crackers, divided
• 1 package chewy fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips,divided
• 2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• chocolate (for melting), 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate bar or whatever your heart desires

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

LINE 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE 15 graham cracker halves into bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining graham cracker halves into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

COMBINE brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Spread over graham crackers in pan.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out still slightly sticky; remove from oven.

PREHEAT broiler.

SPRINKLE remaining graham cracker pieces, broken chunks of chocolate bar and marshmallows over warm brownies. Broil for 30 to 45 seconds or until marshmallows are light brown. Watch carefully as browning occurs very fast! Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate over the bars.

COOL for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Lift out by foil edges to cutting board. Carefully remove foil. Cut into bars with wet knife. Store in tightly covered container.

I would recommend sharing these with friends because I promise you, it will be hard to stop eating them!!

Enjoy!!

xoxo~Darci

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES :: a sweet treat

These tasty little treats taste like brownie batter.  They are so good, trust me, you won't be able to eat just one!

RECIPE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon of oil   1 large egg 1 tablespoon milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for coating

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add oil, egg and milk and stir until combined.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir with mixer just until combine - don't over mix.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

To scoop out cookies, use a tablespoon and roll the cookies in powdered sugar, twice.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 8 minutes.

'HOMEMADE' CINNAMON ROLLS :: a sweet {breakfast} treat

 

Every Friday morning, I bake a batch of 'homemade' cinnamon rolls.

I make a big pan for our breakfast, and a mini pan for guests staying at the LOFT.  The guests are always asking for the recipe so I thought I would share it.  You won't believe how easy these are!!

CINNAMON ROLLS

2 loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed (I use RHODES, they come 5 to a bag) 6 tablespoons of butter, softened 1 cup of brown sugar 4 tablespoons of cinnamon 1/3 cup of sugar butter icing glaze (recipe below)

Thaw two loaves of frozen bread dough in the refrigerator or on the counter - I just follow the directions on the bag.  Allow the thawed dough to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm area covered with a damp cloth.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle onto a floured surface.  Spread softened butter on the rolled out dough.  Sprinkle sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough.  Roll up the dough into a log.  Slice into 2-inch thick rolls.  Place into a buttered pan.  Cover with a warm damp towel and allow to rise 2-4 hours (or overnight) in a warm area.  When the rolls have doubled in size, bake them at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until they begin to brown.  Top with Butter Icing Glaze.

BUTTER ICING GLAZE

 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of milk

powdered sugar

Melt butter with milk in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar until the glaze is the right consistancy - it just be perfectly smooth - no lumps.

Enjoy!!

PS ~ I found the recipe here

SWEET TREAT :: home made ice cream sandwiches

We love ice cream at the Haney house.

We also love home made cookies.

The highlight of my day is {usually} snuggling on the couch with my handsome hubby and eating a big bowl of ice cream and a cookie {or two}.  I know it's not a healthy habit, but it sure is one of my favorite habits!

This weekend, I combined two of  my {many} loves and made

peanut butter and chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.

I used this peanut butter cookie recipe, but I left out the chocolate chips.

I usually have my frozen chocolate chip cookie dough on hand, so I thought we would make chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches too.  You know, so we can compare which cookie/ice cream combo we prefer ;-)

I made a fresh batch of my honey vanilla ice cream.

It's seriously the easiest ice cream to make....and it always tastes so good!

When you are making ice cream sandwiches, it's easiest to let the ice cream soften a bit, then scoop it into a baking dish.  I wanted my ice cream centers about 1/2" thick, so I spread the ice cream about 1/2" thick over the entire dish.  Toss it back in the freezer.  When you are ready to assemble your sandwiches, cut the ice cream into the same shape/size of your cookie.  Layer them up, then pop them back into the freezer until you are ready to indulge!

This summer, we will experiment with different cookie and ice cream flavors.  Until then, I am quite happy with the simple, but classic flavors of vanilla, peanut butter and chocolate chip!

Do you have a favorite ice cream sandwich combination??

SWEET TREAT :: strawberry + balsamic ice cream

Our strawberries are just getting ripe.  It's pretty hard to beat sun-ripened strawberries, fresh from the garden.

I think the only thing that "beats that", is watching little ones hunt for the tasty red treasures!

We picked a few extra strawberries so that we could make a tasty frozen treat.....Strawberry + Balsamic Ice Cream.

Delish!!

I made it a few weeks ago with store bought strawberries.  Let me tell you, fresh-from-the-garden strawberries make all the difference!

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC {AND ROSEMARY} ICE CREAM

Ingredients (1 quart): - 1 pint strawberries - 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on how sweet your strawberries are) - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar - 2 cups heavy cream - 1 cup whole milk - 3/4 granulated sugar (use a little more if you like really sweet ice cream) - 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary - pinch of sea salt - 4-5 egg yolks - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Hull and slice the strawberries and then place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and balsamic vinegar and let them macerate for about 15 minutes. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes. Roasting them helps remove excess water, which can make for overly “icy” ice cream.

Mash with potato masher. If you prefer a smoother ice cream, puree in a blender or food processor. {I mash mine}. Cool and place berries and accumulated syrup into a container and refrigerate.

Heat cream, milk, sugar, salt and rosemary on the stove until very hot, but not boiling. Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl and add about a 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into the eggs while whisking. This will help “temper” them so they don’t scramble. Return egg mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove rosemary and strain. Stir in vanilla extract. If you pureed your strawberries, you can mix these now as well, otherwise, leave them separate. Refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. It’s very important that both the custard and the strawberries are very cold before putting them in the ice cream maker.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions, adding the strawberries during the final five minutes (unless you pureed them). Enjoy immediately if you prefer a “soft serve” consistency, or freeze for an additional couple hours for more traditional ice cream consistency.

recipe adapted from here

Enjoy!!

AND THE WINNER IS :: a giveaway

At the Open House last weekend, we had a little drawing for gals who signed up to receive periodic newsletters from MD HANEY & CO.

The winner receives 2 dozen freshly baked chocolate cookies {I am thinking double chocolate chip with sea salt, but I haven't quite decided}, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers!  All delivered to the front door, or place of work.

So fun....right?!?

And, the winner is....

Betsy, I will email you to get your address and find out when I can drop off "the goods!"

Have a lovely weekend ladies!

PS~  If you would like to sign up for the newsletter, just leave a comment and I will be sure to add you to the list!!

VANILLA BEAN SCONES :: a sweet treat recipe

We celebrated Matt's birthday on Wednesday!

He likes things pretty simple.  When I asked if he wanted to go out to celebrate, or have me cook a birthday dinner, he decided he wanted to stay in and enjoy a birthday dinner at home.

Fine by me!

He asked for beef tacos with corn tortillas....corn tortillas that are deep fried.  I {obviously} complain about how labor intensive the tortillas are, because for him it was a real treat......sweet guy.

Anyways, for his birthday breakfast, he asked for Vanilla Bean Scones.  I thought I would share the recipe.  They are really simple and they always turn out perfectly!  These scones have a hint of sweetness, and the perfect amount of vanilla.  The perfect compliment to a cup of hot coffee or tea!

VANILLA BEAN SCONES

Ingredients ::

2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup cold heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 tsp. of good vanilla extract

GLAZE :: 1 vanilla bean, scraped  ||  1/2 cup confectioners' sugar  ||  2 tablespoons of cream or milk

In a mixer, combine flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt using the paddle attachment.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas.  In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, whipping cream and scraped vanilla bean goodness with a fork.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture.  Turn off the mixer once added.

Dust the counter with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the floured surface.  Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a disk - about 8-9 inches in diameter.  Cut the disk into 6 pieces like a pie.

Separate the pieces and put them on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

To make the glaze, stir together cream,  vanilla bean goodness and powdered sugar.  Glaze them while they are still hot.

Enjoy!!

PEANUT BUTTER + JELLY BARS :: a sweet treat recipe

I thought I would share an easy {and really tasty} dessert bar recipe.  This recipe is from Ina Garten, one of my all time favorite cooks and food network stars.  I just adore her, not to mention she is incredibly talented!!

These bars are the perfect combination of salty {peanut butter} and sweet {jelly + sugar}.  They are great for an extra sweet breakfast treat, or a yummy dessert treat.

Ingredients::

• 1/2 pound || 2 sticks|| unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter, {I used ADAMS creamy}
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions::

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Enjoy!!

HONEY VANILLA ICE CREAM :: a homemade ice cream recipe

We love ice cream here in the Haney house!

Last year, my sweet hubby bought me a great ice cream maker.  Since making ice cream is now as easy and mixing the ingredients together, I really don't have an excuse not to make it!!

I thought I would share my 'go-to' honey vanilla ice cream recipe.  It's super easy, the results are always perfect, and I know exactly how to pronounce all of the ingredients that we are eating!

Homemade Honey Vanilla Ice Cream 

makes 1 1/2 quarts

1 cup whole milk {chilled}

1/2 cup honey

2 cups heavy cream {chilled}

1 vanilla bean + 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

{or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract if you don't have any beans}

1. Mix the milk and honey over low heat in medium size pot.

2. Once the honey has mixed in well with the milk, add the cream and vanilla.  Mix just until all of the ingredients are well combined.  Don't let the mixture boil!!  You just want all of the ingredients to mix together.

3. Refrigerate ice cream mixture 4-24 hours.

4. Pour into your ice cream maker, turn on, mix for approximately 30 minutes.

5. The ice cream will be very soft, you will want to freeze it for at least 2 hours before serving.

6. Enjoy!!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE WITH SEA SALT

 I may {or may not have} eaten three of these warm, chocolate-y cookies right out of the oven.  They are so good!  If you are looking for an extra special chocolate treat, these are super easy cookies to make.

The sprinkle of sea salt balances out the sweetness and adds just a bit of crunch.  A sweet friend, just brought me a bag of sea salt from Hawaii, it was just perfect for these cookies!

Ingredients::

1 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c granulated sugar

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/3 c plain yogurt or sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions::

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat. Stir in cocoa powder and both sugars. The mixture will be very grainy and thick.
3. Add yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit 5-10 minutes, so that the chocolate chips don't melt.
4. Add dry ingredients with chocolate chips, stir until all is moistened and there is no streaks of flour in the dough. Do not over mix.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes {or up to 2 days} for puffier cookies.
6. Pre-heat oven to 350 {I used convection, so I set the oven to 325}
7. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared sheet. Sprinkle each ball of dough with sea salt. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the sheet, then gently transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!  Preferably with a cold glass of milk!

xoxo~

Darci

chocolate chip cookies :: soft and chewy

 We really enjoy our cookies here at the Haney household.

I thought I would share my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It works perfectly every time.  Even if I leave the sweet little darlings in the oven for too long, they still taste good!

Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks unsalted butter, COLD, cut into 1/2" cubes 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 cups all purpose flour  

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

2   1/2 good quality semisweet chocolate chips 

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place over sized dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets { I like to use an ice cream scoop.}  Chill dough balls for at least 30 min before baking.  **If you don't have room in your refrigerator for the baking sheets, you can chill the mixing bowl full of dough for 1 hour.**

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Bake times: Put the cookies in a 375 degree oven and set timer for 8 minutes. When timer rings, without opening oven or removing cookies, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cookies appear set. Otherwise, you can bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until done. 

Makes 12-16, depending on the size.  Just remember, the secret to these cookies is keeping the dough cold!

recipe adapted from here

Enjoy.....preferably warm out of the oven and with a cold glass of milk {wink}.

xoxo~

Darci