Bye-Bye Pumpkin Pie

Picture this: Shortbread cookie... as a bed for creamy, rich cheesecake...nestling a layer of caramel apple pieces...blanketed by crumbly oatmeal  & brown sugar streusel.

Now, wipe your mouth. You're drooling a little bit.

And I don't blame you. These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping are soooo gooood. {Four "o"'s worth, to be exact.}

When I saw the recipe for this {from none other than Ms. Paula, of course} I knew it was a must for my Oktoberfest party. Fall flavors of apples and brown sugar and cinnamon all piled into a cheesecake-ish bar? Yes, please.

This dessert disappeared at lightning speed. It is a perfect, decadent end to any meal and a fantastic addition to a holiday menu. I might just forgo the traditional pumpkin pie this year and bring this to the table instead. Somehow I don't think the pie will be missed. ;)

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
Slightly adapeted from Food Network

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Streusel topping {recipe follows}
• 1/2 cup caramel topping

Streusel Topping

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

3. In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.

4. Refrigerate for 3-5 hours or overnight to enjoy cold, though I'm sure you it is quite enjoyable right out of the oven as well.

Lovin' in the Oven - Homemade Pretzel Rolls!

Something funny happens to people when you tell them you've baked fresh bread.

No, really. Try it, even if you didn't, just so you can see the reaction. {Although that's kinda cruel. We don't joke about homemade bread in my house.}

When you tell someone you've baked homemade bread, they get this starriness in their eyes and look at you like you have done something completely miraculous. Like you've just told them that you spun gold out of straw. Or walked on water. Or finished P90X.

But if you've ever baked homemade bread, you know the truth. There's not that much to it. It's literally flour, and water, and yeast. Nothing out of this world. No expensive truffle oil, or 50 year aged anything, or fancy spice from another land required. And yet, it's so darn delicious.

I don't mean to oversimplify the breadmaking process, because it is a process. I mean, yeah, there's all the kneading and clouds of flour and preoccupying yourself with other tasks while it rises and all that. But really, it's not all that hard.

Still, not too many people give it a try.
I think maybe what makes bread so special is that people know that it takes time. And we all know time is precious and limited, so it's pretty thoughtful to spend yours making something for someone else, even though the yeast is really doing most of the work. It's like telling someone you love them in edible form.

That might be why my Mom asked for birthday bagels instead of a cake this year. Or why I will never buy expensive perfume in hopes of seducing my husband because I know that the aroma of bread baking intoxicates him nearly to the point of buying me sparkly things. {I stress nearly.}

That's why when I planned my menu for our housewarming party, I knew I was going to bake homemade Pretzel Rolls {No, not to seduce them. Bad segue. Get your mind out of the gutter.}. They fit perfectly with my Oktoberfest theme. I knew our friends would love them. And, honestly, what warms a house better than that amazing smell coming from the oven?

The rolls were fantastic with sauerkraut and kielbasa, or on their own. They've got a chewy, pretzel-like outside, and a soft delicious inside. Everyone will love them. And they'll be so impressed with your bread making skills they'll probably nominate you for a Nobel Peace Prize. Or at least think you're really great.

I'm starting a bread baking revolution. Get in your kitchen and do it!

Pretzel Rolls
from Epicurious

• 2 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 envelope quick-rising yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds {Optional}
• 1 cup, plus approx 2 tablespoons hot water {125°F to 130°F}

Preparation:

• Cornmeal
• 8 cups water
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg white, beaten to blend {glaze}
• Coarse salt

1. Combine bread flour, 1 envelope yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and celery seeds in food processor and blend. With machine running, gradually pour hot water through feed tube, adding enough water to form smooth elastic dough. Process 1 minute to knead. {My food processor is not big enough for this, so I just used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and it worked just fine.}

2. Grease medium bowl. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel; let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.

3. Flour baking sheet. Punch dough down and knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 8 pieces. Form each dough piece into ball. Place dough balls on prepared sheet, flattening each slightly. Using serrated knife, cut X in top center of each dough ball. Cover with towel and let dough balls rise until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease another baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bring 8 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add baking soda and 2 tablespoons sugar {water will foam up}. Add 4 rolls and cook 30 seconds per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer rolls to prepared sheet, arranging X side up. Repeat with remaining rolls.

5. Brush rolls with egg white glaze. Sprinkle rolls generously with coarse salt. Bake rolls until brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Serve rolls warm or room temperature. {Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 375°F oven 10 minutes.}

OktoberFeast!

I know what you're thinking. And, nope, I did not get eaten alive by the creature living in my dining room table. But thanks for your concern. ;)

The end of the year (!) is proving to be a very busy one around these parts. To say we've had a lot going on would be a major understatement. And I have SO MUCH I want to share with you about the Fall cooking and baking that's been happening in my kitchen.

But first... Halloween. How was yours? Ours looked something like this:

We decided to go the cost effective route and make our own Halloween costumes for the second year in a row. This is what we came up with {Thank you, Costco, for the free boxes. And Goodwill for the ill-fitting Dockers and long sleeved shirt for a grand total of $6.}. I chose to be a food item, of course. Does this surprise you at all? {Or were you more surprised by hubby's shockingly white thighs?? Love you, dear!}

Other than our debut as Scout & S'more, our Halloween was pretty uneventful. We didn't buy candy. {GASP!} We didn't turn on our porch light.  We didn't get one knock at the door. I learned my lesson about Halloween and apartment living long ago when I bought bags of candy and was left with... bags of candy {And very tight fitting jeans as a natural consequence}. So, as grinchy as it may seem, we only partook in adult Halloween events this year and rationalized it by saying that I'm sure we'll pay our dues when we have little Trick-or-Treaters of our own one day.

While we didn't have our own Halloween party, we did decide to invite our friends over on Saturday for a housewarming party. But not just ANY housewarming party... an Oktoberfest themed housewarming party. Complete with steins, liederhosen, alpine horns {you know, like the Ricola commercials}, and copious amounts of German-ish fare.

Four pounds of kielbasa. Two pounds of chicken-apple sausage. Four pounds of sauerkraut. Two and a half pounds of German Potato Salad. Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Homemade Pretzel Rolls. Three different Fall fruit desserts. Hundreds of ounces of beer. {And a partridge in a pear tree. Oops. Wrong holiday.} Not an ounce left over. No joke.

I'm sure I'll be sharing most of the recipes for these tasty treats throughout the next few weeks... but for now, I'll leave you with an easy, flavorful German Potato Salad recipe that makes a great side dish.

Hope your October was fantastic, and that your November will be even better!

German Potato Salad with Bacon Vinegar Dressing & Dill
Slightly Adapted from Epicurious

• 2 1/4 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 6 bacon slices, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill {or 1 tsp dried dill weed}

1. In a large pot, boil potato slices until fork tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Cover with foil.

2. Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Discard all but 2 1/2 tablespoons drippings. Heat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Whisk in next 6 ingredients. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Add onion mixture to potatoes and toss to gently to coat with dressing. Let stand 3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and fresh dill; toss. Transfer potato salad to serving platter. Serve warm.

Made in Vietnam

There is something living in one of the legs of our dining room table. 

We have never seen it, but we hear it daily. It sounds like it is steadily gnawing its way from the inside out.  And it scares me.

I am convinced that this creature is some sort of Vietnamese monster insect {the table has a sticker underneath that says  “Made in Vietnam”}, and that it is going to eventually make its way out of the table and into our living room where it will breed millions of babies and invade the United States, upon which we will be deported for starting a nation-wide infestation.  Either that or it will decide to crawl up my leg while I am sitting at the table and I will die of sheer terror.  Neither scenario sounds like a good one to me.

I had to restrain myself from taking audio footage of this noise and posting it to see if any of you can help me figure out what it is that has made it a mission to devour our table and annoy the hell out of me. I'll spare you since it isn’t all that interesting to listen to {and for fear that you’d report me for insanity harboring an alien}.

I decided that making Vietnamese food for dinner might pacify whatever it is that has decided to take up residence in our table leg. Perhaps the aromas of its native land will lull it into a state of restful slumber. On the other hand, I hope it doesn’t perceive the dish as an offering and invitation to join us.

Either way, this strange incident inspired me to make a mighty tasty meal.

This Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad is flavorful, easy, and pretty healthy, too. In our house, that constitutes a winner. The combination of the fresh herbs {Mint?! Who would've guessed?}, fish sauce, and garlic is unusual but delicious. The original recipe calls for one whole jalapeno {which intimidated me a little because I'd rather keep all of my tastebuds in tact}, but after making it with only half I decided that next time I'll definitely add the rest for a spicy kick. I also added in some shrimp for extra substance and protein. I served it warm but it can be eaten cold as well.

Hope you'll enjoy a little taste of the exotic... without experiencing a run in with any native creatures. ;)

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

Recipe from Food Network

• 1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed {I only used 1/2}
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice {about 2 limes}
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 pound dried rice vermicelli {I used these noodles}
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cucumber, halved, peeled, seeded and sliced into thin halfrounds
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup finely shredded napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted nuts
• olive oil

Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. When oil is slightly rippling, add shrimp to pan. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, careful not to overcook. Set aside.

Place the garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, honey, lime juice, fish sauce and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until almost smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse well with cold water and drain again. {Skip the rinsing step if you want warm noodles.}

In a large bowl, combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint and napa cabbage. Add cooked shrimp. Toss well and garnish with peanuts.

{Pumpkin Spice} Krispie Treats!

Hello all! I have a quick non-recipe recipe to share with you today that is PERFECT for the Fall season.

You know that line from Twas the Night Before Christmas... "while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads"? Well, once Fall begins, I tend to have "visions of pumpkin spice" dancing in my head. And this Fall is no exception.

A few weeks ago I thought to myself, "What's one treat that I've yet to see 'spiced up' for Fall?" And let me tell you, it wasn't easy to think of something. Those marketing gurus know how the masses love their pumpkin spice, and they cash in on it -- big time. Pumpkin Spiced lattes, ice cream, coffee creamer, cookies, cakes, granola bars, syrups, teas, HERSHEY'S KISSES!, malted milk balls, you name it. There are even oodles of inedible Pumpkin Spiced delights like facial scrubs, candles, hand soaps, and lip gloss. The world has lost it's pumpkin-lovin' mind.

As I sat around thinking about Fall treats begging for some spice, it hit me. Treats. As in, Rice Krispie Treats! Brilliant!

As you might have guessed already, I'm a fan of Rice Krispie Treats.  I haven't come across too many people who aren't. {Except for the husband of one of my favorite bloggers... I was in complete & utter shock when I read this!!} So I knew this was it. I whipped up a quick batch of these babies and brought them along with us for our tailgate when we went up to Gainesville for the Florida - Alabama game. {Which we lost. Boo.}

They were a complete success! {One of my friends said they tasted "like Cinnamon Toast Crunch... but better!"}

For a little extra pizzazz, I dipped part of my Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats in white candy coating, but I promise you won't miss a thing if you just enjoy yours the good old fashioned way.

After I was done patting myself on the back for coming up with such a creative Pumpkin Spiced treat, you'll never guess what I saw:

Now, you can even skip an ingredient in making your own Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats because the spice comes right in the marshmallows. {Although I can't tell you if they're good or not because I haven't tried them.}Oh well. Great pumpkiny minds think alike, I guess.

No matter how you decide to make your Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats, do yourself a favor and make some. In fact, make a bunch! Because these spiced up sweets tend to disappear!

Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats

A Kitchen Prep original... sort of. :)

3 tablespoons butter

1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows {or Pumpkin Spice flavored}

- OR -
4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies®

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add spices, and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat.

2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
{Optional: Dip treats in chocolate or candy coating and allow to set until hardened.}

Sweet Potato Week{s} Wrap-up: Cookies Sent From Above

When I was a little girl, one of my mom's friends made me a sweet rag doll to look like a brown haired angel. I named her Jean. She was designed just for me because, from what I am told, I had a problem with the fact that most of the pictures & figurines of angels I had ever come across were blonde. {I guess blondes do have more fun, even in Heaven. Go figure.} :P

Anyway, I still have the doll to this day. {She mainly hangs out in the back of my closet, but hey, she could be worse off.} Here's a picture of her:

A few months ago I found a fabulous looking recipe for Sweet Potato Latkes posted by the ever-so-talented Jenna over at Eat, Live, Run. {She happens to be blonde & adorable, but I won't hold it against her like I did with the blonde-haired angels.} They looked so delicious, in fact, that I decided I could not wait another second to try them out and coerced my husband into letting me make them for dinner that very night. {He ate all but 2, which I managed to steal away before he devoured the entire stack.}

Jenna's recipe called for two sweet potatoes, shredded, which I happened to have ready in no time flat with my handy-dandy food processor shredding blade -- one of the Best. Inventions. Ever. But I digress... {What else is new?} It turns out that two sweet potatoes make an awful lot of sweet potato shreds. As in, enough to feed a pretty large crowd of latke-lovin' friends. And there are only two of us. What's a girl to do?

In this case, the girl consulted Food Network to see what else she could make with shredded sweet potato. And that's where I came across Brown Angel Iced Sweet Potato Cookies. Immediately, I thought of Jean, the brown haired angel. I'm pretty sure it was Divine Intervention.

I think they would have caught my eye anyway since the idea of "sweet potato" & "cookies" combined in one place are as good a reason as any to take a second look at something.

As unusual as these cookies may sound, they are worth breaking your cookie ingredient rules and making them. This recipe yields cakey little bites of sweet potato heaven. {What else do you expect from "angel" cookies. Hardy, har har...} Added bonus: They make your house smell like Fall. {Take THAT overpriced Bath & Body Works Candles!}

Seriously... Can't you smell these?? Ahh...

I know we officially entered Fall a few weeks ago, but remember that Florida likes to take it's sweet time adjusting to the change of season. However, when college football once again becomes a part of our Saturday agenda, it's officially Fall in my world no matter what the thermostat tells me. The scent of these cookies just helps to make it feel all the more real.

Well... this wraps up Sweet Potato Week(s) {even though I had grand plans to share one more main course dish with you & never got around to it}. If ever you had any doubt that sweet potatoes are a versatile ingredient you should keep around your kitchen, here's your proof!  Hope sweet potatoes will make an appearance in a few of your own recipes this Fall. ;)

Brown Angel Glazed Sweet Potato Cookies
Adapted from Food Network

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour {I used about 1/3 - 1/2 cup extra due to very wet looking dough}
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely grated sweet potato
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest {or 1/2 tsp orange extract if you find, last minute, you have no oranges! Not that that happened to me or anything....}
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Cinnamon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp water or milk, depending on how thick you want glaze

For the Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.

Whisk together, with an electric mixer, the butter and sugar. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, sweet potato and orange zest.

Carefully fold dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with a rubber spatula. Stir in the pecans, if using.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled, drizzle Cinnamon Glaze on each cookie.

For Cinnamon Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir together, slowly adding water or milk one tablespoon at a time,  until the desired consistency is reached. {I like it a little less runny so you can see it on top of the cookie.}

Sweet Potato Week{s}: More Than A Biscuit

Yeah, yeah. I know I said I'd be posting sweet potato recipes "throughout the week". But I lied. But what I really meant was throughout the week(S). Plural. Because that's what time is allowing right now, and I've decided to stop fighting the whole "Let's try to squeeze more than 24 hours in a day" thing.

Anyway, let's get to the good stuff.

So, I've shared a unique sweet potato drink recipe, a fantastic sweet potato starter, and now I'm moving on to give you a little taste of fabulousness: Sweet Potato Biscuits. Oh, yeah.

Remember back in May when we drove up to Gainesville to move my little sister out of her dorm for the summer and discovered The Flying Biscuit Cafe? {You know, the place that has the best grits EVER, featured in this post?} Well, these biscuits are their recipe. So you know they've got to be good. What am I talking about... they've got to be UH-mazing.

My mom gave me a copy of The Flying Biscuit Cafe cookbook for my birthday, and as soon as I saw the title of this recipe, I knew it was something I had to try. Immediately.

These biscuits are exactly what you'd think yet not at all what you'd expect. The addition of orange zest gives them a little citrusy edge, and the sweet potato, though not highly detectable, makes them just different enough to give traditional biscuits a rest and give these a try.

I made a batch last week and brought them along to our tailgate last weekend. They made a fantastic base for breakfast sandwiches, but are certainly yummy enough to nibble on them all by themselves.



If you love someone, you will make them these biscuits. That is all. :)

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Slightly adapted from The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp double-acting baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp brown sugar
Generous pinch ground ginger
1 tbsp freshly grated orange zest
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled & cut into small pieces
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
2/3 cup buttermilk
3-4 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, ginger, and orange zest.  Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas. Add sweet potato mash and fully incorporate.

Add buttermilk and mix just until dough comes together. {If you are using your hands, it will still stick to your fingers at this point.} Once you add the buttermilk, it is critical that you do not over mix.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4-6 times. Using lightly floured hands, pat out the dough to a thickness of 1 inch.  Dip a 2 1/2 inch diameter biscuit cutter in flour, then cut the dough.  Repeat until all the dough has been cut.  Do not twist the cutter - apply pressure straight down then pull back evenly.  Scraps can be gathered together and re-rolled one time.  Using a fork, prick the tops of each biscuit 3 times.

Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1/4 inch between them.  Brush the tops of each biscuit with melted butter.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Biscuits will be golden brown on top and flaky the center when done.