Beverages/ DIY

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

This time of year, you’ll find all sorts of seasonal coffee creamers at the grocery store. It’s one of the signs that the Thanksgiving holiday is not far away. But as my luck usually has it, my favorite fall coffee creamer flavors are in either in a very limited stock or not available at all. So rather than run around to multiple stores in hopes that you’ll find what you want, I’ve found it’s much easier to make it myself. And that way I can control the quality of ingredients used and – more importantly – when I want to enjoy a fall flavored coffee.

This recipe is a DYI for pumpkin spice coffee creamer, which is perfect for welcoming fall or for entertaining family, friends at Thanksgiving. And if you don’t happen to have pumpkin pie spice in your pantry, no worries. Use this simple recipe for a DIY pumpkin pie spice blend that you can use throughout the season.

DIY Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream 

3 tablespoons pureed pumpkin 

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the heavy cream, pureed pumpkin, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. When it begins to steam, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Pour into a glass container (with lid) and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

http://bakedchicago.com/homemade-pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer/

DIY/ Kitchen 101

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Ingredients

1/4 cup ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool space for up to 6 months.

http://bakedchicago.com/homemade-pumpkin-pie-spice-blend/

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Kitchen 101

Fresh or Dried Herbs?

Fresh or dried herbs?

Generally speaking, fresh is usually best when it comes to food – and that includes herbs. But sometimes that’s just not practical or even possible. So what do you do?

In most cases, you can substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs as long as you follow a simple formula:

1 teaspoon of dried herbs = 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs

Dried herbs have a concentrated flavor. Substituting dried herbs works better when the herbs are added early in your recipe because they have a chance to mellow with the cooking process.

For herbs that have a delicate flavor – like mint, parsley and basil – fresh is usually better because they are typically added to your recipe just before serving.

3,208

Breakfast

Honeycrisp Apple-Cinnamon Upside Down, Baked French Toast

I subscribe to the credo that breakfast is just too good to limit it to AM hours. A great breakfast dish is satisfying any time of the day. And there’s something irresistible about a simple breakfast packed with bold flavors.

That’s why I’m a big fan of this “turned-on-its-head” French toast recipe. It’s easier to make in the oven for a small group and you can mix-and-match your favorite seasonal fruits and whatever bread is handy from your pantry.

Honeycrisp Apple-Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 3 servings

Honeycrisp Apple-Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey (I like to use locally produced honey from Chicago Honey Co-Op)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 cup Zeigler's Apple Cider

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced

6 slices of Challah bread

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a small microwaveable bowl, melt the butter on medium-high setting. Mix the cinnamon and honey into the butter. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread the mixture so it evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Space the sliced Honeycrisp apples evenly in the pan.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, apple cider and salt. Dip both sides of the Challah bread in the egg mixture before placing in the prepared pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Invert onto a serving platter and serve immediately with your favorite garnishes and condiments.

http://bakedchicago.com/honeycrisp-apple-cinnamon-french-toast/

Snacks & Candies

Cheesy Beer-Salsa Dip

On most weekends, I’m whipping up a quadruple batch of a favorite casserole or soup, so I’ve got enough for a few meals during the week and can also freeze some for when there’s just no time to cook. But when fall hits, I like to just take things real slow with a great crock pot recipe. This cheesy beer-salsa dip is a great snack during Sunday football or as part of a relaxing brunch with friends.

If you’re a regular reader of Baked Chicago, you know I like to experiment with new ingredients and for this recipe I’m changing up the beer with one of the new Berghoff Beer Classics: Sir Dunkle Crispy Dark Lager. This beer pairs well with the medium spice of the salsa, and the specialty malts used add a toasty, cookie and dark toffee character to the flavor. Grab a six-pack along with your favorite tortilla chips. Use (almost) one bottle for the dip and you’ve got five more to share with friends (or not). Prost!

Cheesy Beer-Salsa Dip

Ingredients

16 ounces salsa, medium-hot

2/3 cup Berghoff's Sir Dunkle Crispy Dark Lager

4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

8 ounces cream cheese

1 red bell pepper, sliced, for garnish

tortilla chips

Instructions

In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa and beer. Stir in the cheeses. Cover and cook on low-heat for 3 to 4 hours (or high-heat setting for 1 to 2 hours).

Stir and garnish with sliced red peppers. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite dippers.

http://bakedchicago.com/cheesy-beer-salsa-dip/

4,008

Desserts

Baked Honeycrisp Apples with Peanut Butter & Pretzel Topping

A few years back, a good friend introduced me to the magic of the Honeycrisp apple. Until then, I was convinced there was no better apple than the Granny Smith. I love the tart, crisp taste of a Granny Smith and they’re readily available all year round.

After I tried the Honeycrisp apple, I was blown away by its mellow, sweet – yet crisp – flavor. But because the Honeycrisp is not available year round, I try to take advantage when they are. And right now is prime Honeycrisp season. So for an easy Saturday night dessert, I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Pretzel Crumbles recipe from 2011. I think you’re going to like my addition of peanut butter to the pretzel crumble topping. I know I do!

Baked Honeycrisp Apples with Peanut Butter & Pretzel Topping

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Baked Honeycrisp Apples with Peanut Butter & Pretzel Topping

Ingredients

4 T butter, cold

1 T ground cinnamon

4 T all-purpose flour

4 T dark brown sugar

4 T crushed pretzels

4 T crunchy peanut butter

2 Honeycrisp apples, halved and cored

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, blend butter with the cinnamon, flour, and brown sugar. Stir in crushed pretzels and set aside.

Place the apple halves in the prepared baking pan. Scoop 1 tablespoon of peanut butter inside the well of each apple half. Scatter the pretzel mixture over the apple halves.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until apples are soft and the topping is crisp. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before serving warm.

Notes

This recipe is lightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Pretzel Crumbles recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/355997/pretzel-crumbles

http://bakedchicago.com/baked-honeycrisp-apples-peanut-butter-pretzel-topping/

Breads

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

This recipe is part of my “make it in a mug in the microwave” series of sweet and savory dishes that are deliciously fast. So the next time you’re craving a slice of pizza, whip up with pizza bread with your favorite toppings.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Ingredients

4 T all-purpose flour

1/8 t baking powder

1/16 t baking soda

1/8 t kosher salt

1/2 t Italian seasoning

3 T buttermilk

1 T vegetable oil

1 T plus 1 T shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

12 plus 12 Hormel® turkey pepperoni minis, divided

marinara sauce, if desired, for the side

Instructions

In a large (16 oz or bigger) microwavable mug, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, buttermilk and oil with a fork or small whisk. Mix batter until smooth.

Add in 1 tablespoon of mozzarella and 12 pepperoni. Fold into the batter. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and pepperoni on top. Cook for approximately 90 seconds on high in your microwave.

Let cool slightly before eating. Drizzle marinara sauce on top, and dig in with a spoon!

http://bakedchicago.com/pepperoni-pizza-bread/

4,570

Desserts

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Taking a bite out of National Bourbon Heritage Month

We’re at that time of year when late summer and fall do their dance of warm days and cool nights. Fall is my favorite season because I love that crisp coolness in the air – and no matter how much baking I do in the kitchen it never gets too hot. This season, I decided I can’t say goodbye to September (National Bourbon Heritage Month) without baking up a new concoction to mark the occasion.

I recently (and happily) discovered an organic bourbon made right here in Chicago at Koval Distillery. According to their website, Koval is the first craft distillery within Chicago’s city limits since Prohibition. You don’t have to be a history major to know that Chicago’s DNA has a strong influence that can be traced back to Prohibition. Wanting to incorporate Koval’s organic bourbon, I decided to update my Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies recipe, which was one of the top 5 most popular recipes in the Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook (the Kindle version is available on Amazon for free until October 2).

In addition to adding cinnamon to the recipe, I also adapted the dark chocolate ingredient by using Scharffen Berger’s 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate. Besides being decadently delicious, your kitchen will never smell better. Enjoy!

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 16

Bourbon, Bacon & Pecan Brownies

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

10 ounces Scharffen Berger® 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons Scharffen Berger® unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Koval® Organic Bourbon

Instructions

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon fat and set aside. Let the bacon cool and chop roughly. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large heatproof bowl set on top of a small saucepan of simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and butter. Stir constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until frothy (about 1 minute). Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, bourbon and reserved bacon fat. Fold in the flour mixture and pecans, just until combined.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Cool the brownies completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.

http://bakedchicago.com/bourbon-bacon-pecan-brownies-3/

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Soups, Salads & Sides

Creamy Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups coarsely chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Bring broth to boil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and let simmer.

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and garlic. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally.

Add hot broth and potatoes. Return to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in pepper and salt. Serve chunky or puree with immersion blender.

http://bakedchicago.com/creamy-sweet-potato-carrot-soup/

2,194

Desserts

Raspberry Brownie Torte

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur (such as Chambourd®)

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup dark cocoa

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, then grease. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup sugar, eggs, raspberry liqueur and vanilla. Add cocoa, blending well. Stir in flour mixture. Spread mixture in prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out slightly sticky. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack, removing parchment paper. Turn right side up and cool completely.

Beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Spread over top of brownie and top with berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3,234

Desserts

Amaretto Peach Cobbler

This amaretto peach cobbler recipe is perfect for a single-serving of indulgence. It’s easy, fast and delicious.

Amaretto Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granola

1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur

1 tablespoon milk

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 slices (canned) peaches [or 1/2 medium peach, peeled and sliced]

1 large microwave-safe mug (recommend 16 ounces or larger)

Instructions

Microwave butter in mug until melted, about 20 seconds. Add brown sugar, flour, milk, amaretto, granola, baking powder and cinnamon to mug. Stir until combined. Add peaches on top of batter - do not stir.

Cook for 2 minutes in microwave at 100% power (based on using a 1100 watt microwave).

Remove from microwave and let stand until cool enough to eat.

http://bakedchicago.com/amaretto-peach-cobbler/

Breakfast

Honeycrisp Apple Pancakes with Fresh Raspberries

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups Honeycrisp apples, peeled and shredded

fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and oil until blended. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, just until combined. Fold in apples.

Lightly grease a griddle and heat over medium-low heat. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook until bubbles on top begin to pop and bottoms are golden brown. Turn over and cook until second side is also golden brown.

Serve warm with butter, fresh raspberries and maple syrup.

http://bakedchicago.com/honeycrisp-apple-pancakes-fresh-raspberries/

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Fresh or dried herbs?

Taking a bite out of National Bourbon Heritage Month