A few of our recipes from Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy! (The carrot souffle would be a great addition to any dinner.)
Pumpkin Cupcakes
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups if you're making your own puree)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick of butter, cubed and cold
8 oz. cream cheese*
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon spice mix (see below)
Spice Mix
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Line three 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
To make the cupcakes, in a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring with a large wooden spoon until just combined.
Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake until the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for ten minutes; then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool completely.
To make the frosting, cream the butter until fluffy, but still cold. Add the cream cheese in small chunks. When completely combined (no lumps of either butter or cream cheese), add the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla and then 1 teaspoon of the spice mix before blending one last time.
Sprinkle a little spice mix over each cupcake.
* make sure you use Philadelphia Original!
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 stick room-temp butter, brown sugar, flour,and salt until coarse crumbs form. Pour mixture into prepared pan; press firmly into bottom. Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Let cool, 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in same large bowl, mix eggs, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and 2 Tbsp melted butter until well combined. Add chocolate chips and pecans; spread over crust.
Bake until set, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan before lifting out (use foil to lift). Cut into 32 bars. I like to keep mine in the fridge.
Carrot Souffle
from
Stephmodo.com
1 3/4 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
2 tB. all purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
confectioners sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until very tender. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. While the carrots are warm, use an electric mixer to beat with sugar, baking powder and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in the flour, eggs, and butter. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish. Bake one hour in the preheated oven, or until top is golden brown. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Note: If you want to use individual ramekins instead of one dish, adjust the cooking time to about 30-35 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-cooking them. I read online that one person liked to puree the carrots with the butter, sugar and vanilla and then add in the baking powder with the eggs and flour. Apparently the souffle rises better.
