Cranberry Orange Mini Bundts...

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I am trying to post as many holiday recipes as my stubby little fingers will type. Today's deliciousness is a recipe for Cranberry and Orange Bread that I baked in mini bundts. Fresh cranberries are everywhere right now and I have seen them on sale at almost every grocery store in my area. Being the baking obsessed freak that I am, I have countless bags of cranberries in the freezer just waiting to get baked into something scrumptious! I think these would also be just as good if you used lemon and blueberries...I am definitely going to be trying this combo soon and will report back! These mini bundts turned out absolutely delicious and would be a perfect item for your Thanksgiving breakfast or brunch. Serve these alongside a breakfast casserole, fresh squeezed orange or mimosas and you'll have your guests swooning! Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!
Orange Cranberry Mini Bundts
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf or mini bundt pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and orange zest until fragrant. Add in the margarine and mix until well combined, stir in the egg and combine until smooth. Stir in orange juice and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened (DO NOT OVERMIX); fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared pan(s).
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven (18-22 minutes for the mini bundts), or until the bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
4. When the bread is thoroughly cooled, sprinkle on some powdered sugar or drizzle on an easy powdered sugar glaze. I simply mixed powdered sugar with orange juice to achieve the look pictured above.

Deconstructed Stuffing...

Although I typically do not post appetizers and main dishes on my blog, this recipe was just too good to keep to myself. If you watch Top Chef, you are probably very familiar with the term “deconstructed” as it is used the culinary world. It seems like someone on that show is always deconstructing something. My favorite deconstructed dish from this season of Top Chef was definitely Ashley’s recipe for pot roast…the recipe looked amazing and was thoroughly enjoyed by the judges, but I must confess, I am far too lazy to make this dish at home. However, when I saw Ina Garten’s recipe for deconstructed stuffing I knew this was something more my speed and thought it might just be a prefect appetizer course for Thanksgiving.

Essentially these are stuffed mushrooms overflowing with a sausage and panko filling bound together by creamy marscapone cheese. I found marscapone cheese at Fresh Market, but if you don’t feel like shelling out the cash for marscapone, I think cream cheese would work just fine. I also used sherry instead of the Marsala because that is what I had on hand. Although I would never forego my usual Thanksgiving stuffing recipe for the deconstructed version, I loved the flavor and texture of these mushrooms and will definitely make them again. I hope you enjoyed this brief break from baked goods, but rest assured I will back tomorrow with a Thanksgiving breakfast/brunch item that will be sure to make your mouth water. Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!
Stuffed Mushrooms

from: Ina Garten

Ingredients
16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
4. Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer.
5. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Tips/Notes:
1. I cut this recipe in half, which yielded 8 stuffed mushrooms.
2. I used the sherry as a substitute for the Marsala.
3. These reheat very well, we had them for leftovers the following day and they were just as delicious.

Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars...

I have quite a few Thanksgiving dishes to post in the next week, but I wanted to start off with an amazing, simple and delicious recipe. Sweets are what I do best, so dessert was an obvious choice when deciding what my Thanksgiving kick-off recipe would be, plus my twitter peeps helped me decide! I came across this delectable dessert while browsing the Betty Crocker site and knew I had to make it! The crust looked amazing and as you may remember from previous posts I am a sucker for anything with a streusel topping. Both components of this recipe are easy to assemble, especially if you use a food processor for the crust. All in all this recipe is stellar, but it is definitely the crust that puts this baby over the top! I guarantee you will find these bars hard to resist and they will disappear from your holiday table in no time. Have a scruptious day and stop back tomorrow for an awesome Thanksgiving appetizer!

Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars
adapted from: Betty Crocker
Printable Recipe

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Oatmeal Cookie Mix
1/2 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

Filling
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. (I used my food processor) Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour over warm cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
4. Before serving, drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Notes-The original recipe which is linked at the top called for crushed ginger snaps, since I did not have any on hand I subbed the graham cracker crumbs and added 1/4 tsp of groud ginger. I also did not drizzle the bars with chocolate and caramel, instead I opted for a nice dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bundt...

Today is National Bundt Day...yes, folks...bundts do indeed have their day! I must confess that I had no idea National Bundt Day existed until I saw The Food Librarians' tweets about her "I Like Big Bundts-30 Days of Bundt Cakes." Go visit her site for 29 different bundts leading up to National Bundt Day...I guarantee you will be jamming to the Sir Mixalot classic in a matter of seconds.

Once I started looking through Mary's awesome bundt round-up, I decided on a cake from her site that included peanut butter and chocolate...seriously, how can you go wrong with this combination? Plus, I love the band of peanut butter filling that is visible when the cake is sliced. This cake definitely took a little time, but the outcome of the presentation is worth it. The cake baked up nicely in about 50 minutes and it released from the pan beautifully.

I sliced this up yesterday morning, drizzled each slice with a chocolate glaze and finished them with some chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Brian took these to his co-workers where they devoured each slice and proclaimed it to be very tasty! After examining a couple of pieces for photos, I thought the cake looked like it was a tad dry. When I asked Brian his thoughts on the texture, he admitted it was a bit dry in the center, but said he did not want to tell me! No complaints from his co-workers...BUT it left me wondering how many other desserts he deemed delicious simply to appease me. I guess I need to ask more specific questions...lesson learned. Have a beautiful day and thanks for visiting. Stay tuned this coming week for some great Thanksgiving dishes and desserts! Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bundt

from: The Food Librarian and Culinary in the Desert

Printable Recipe

For the filling
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the cake batter
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water
3 ounces quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 tablespoons sour cream
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method
Preheat oven to 350

To make the filling
In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese and butter until combined. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until combined. Mix in vanilla. Be sure to scrape down the sides. Pour in sugar and flour, mix until combined. Fit a pastry bag with a large plain tip and scoop the filling into the bag. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the batter
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a medium metal or glass bowl, add cocoa and whisk in boiling water. Add in chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Mix in sour cream.

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, and then beat in vanilla. Alternatively mix in the dry ingredients and the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. For example - mix in 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the cocoa mixture, another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the cocoa mixture and finishing with the final 1/3 of the flour. Mixing just until combined with each addition.

Spray a bundt pan with a nonstick spray that has flour included (like Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour). Spoon a little less than half of the batter into bottom of the bundt pan. Using the pastry bag that has the peanut butter mixture, carefully pipe a ring of the filling over the center of the chocolate batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and gently tap the pan to remove air bubbles.
Bake until top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached - about 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Place a wire cooling rack on top of the cake and carefully turn over - remove the pan and let cool completely.

Cranberry Crumb Bars...

With fresh cranberries being abundant in grocery stores at this time of year, I had to pick up a few bags to use in my delectable fall baking. When I saw Katy's recipe for Cranberry Crumb Bars on goodLife {eats}, I knew this would be my very first fresh cranberry endeavor of the season. The bars looked absolutely perfect and since I am a big fan of Katy's recipes, I knew they would taste perfect too!

I had all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge and the use of my food processor made this recipe come together in a snap. Once they came out of the oven, the glorious aroma filled our kitchen and we were tempted to cut into them immediately! However, we decided to let them cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning I cut them into bars and Brian took them to work to share with his co-workers. I must admit, I only kept three for pictures because I knew if I left more at the house, I would have consumed them for all three meals! These were a huge hit and will definitely be a repeat recipe in my kitchen in the very near future...these make an awesome breakfast, snack or dessert and seem to be a real crowd pleaser. I cannot wait to experiment with this recipe by subbing in other fruit for the cranberries. I hope you make these and enjoy them as much as we did. Thanks for stopping by...have a great weekend!

Cranberry Crumb Bars
from: goodLife {eats}, SGCC, and Smitten Kitchen
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal*
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
1 egg
1/4 tsp cinnamon (I left this out by accident)
juice of 1/2 of an orange
4 cups fresh cranberries**
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs cornstarch

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 inch pan.(I lined my pan with non-stick foil and sprayed with non-stick spray)

2. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar, flour, almond meal, salt and baking powder. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. The dough will be crumbly. Alternatively, you can pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor with the butter until pebbly, and then mix in the egg until it all comes together. Pat half of the dough into the buttered pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and orange juice. Mix in the cranberries. Sprinkle the cranberry mixture evenly over the dough in the pan.

4. Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the remaining dough, then crumble dough over the berries. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until top is a light golden brown. Cool completely and chill in the refrigerator before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Here are a few helpful hints from Katy's post...
*If you don't have almond meal, just toss some almonds in a food processor until finely ground to make almond meal.

**Stock up while cranberries are abundant in stores. Just toss them in the freezer and use as you need. They'll be good for about a year. If you're using frozen fresh cranberries for this recipe there is no need to thaw them first.

Apple Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake...

I bought some gorgeous Granny Smith apples last week and after eating several of them, I knew I wanted to bake a delicious dessert with these scrumptious, tart apples. I was also fairly certain my new obsession with cinnamon chips would pair perfectly with this fall fruit. I found a recipe on Martha Stewart's website and thought it sounded amazing. I like the fact that the apples are not chopped for this cake; instead they are sliced 1/4 inch thick leaving a lot of texture and apple-y goodness in every bite!

For this recipe I used Hershey's Cinnamon Chips as opposed to the ones that I purchased from The Prepared Pantry. Honestly, the ones from The Prepared Pantry are by far my favorite. The Prepared Pantry brand chips are smaller, lighter in color and impart a more natural cinnamon flavor. I would definitely use the Hershey's chips in a pinch, but I am glad I stocked up on the minis for my holiday baking.

This cake baked up really well and in my opinion was one attractive bundt, I loved the sugary glaze that was poured on top, it gave a nice balance to the tart apples and spiced cake. On a humorous baking tragedy note...after cutting a couple of pieces of this cake for photos, Brian dropped the whole thing on floor while attempting to transport it to his co-workers. Needless to say the whole thing was chucked into the trash and his co-workers went without their usual Tuesday treat! This was a tragedy indeed!

If you are looking for a great fall cake, give this one a try, just be careful not to drop it on the floor! Be sure to check out my other fall favorites by clicking here! Don't want to miss a delectable post? Subscribe to my feed by clicking here! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!
Apple Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake
adapted from: Everyday Food, March 2004
Serves 10

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients just until combined (do not overmix). Using a rubber spatula, fold in apples and cinnamon chips. Spoon batter into a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan, and smooth top. Bake until a tester inserted in cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes; invert onto rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and enough water to form a thick yet pourable glaze. Set rack with cake over a piece of wax paper (for easy cleanup); drizzle cake with glaze, and let set before serving.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones...

I love scones…to me, they are like a cross between a muffin and a cookie…they are truly a delectable culinary creation. I tasted my first scone over five years ago at Panera Bread. I ordered it on a whim to accompany a cup of hot tea. The scone was orange flavored and was topped with a lovely glaze. Needless to say I was smitten with them for about a minute...my short lived love affair with this delicious mid-afternoon “snack” ended ubruptly when I realized it was packing almost 500 calories and 20 grams of fat!

Once I started my blog, I had every intention of trying to make scones at home, but never got around to it. My perfectionist self also thought I needed a fancy schmancy pan to create nice, perfectly uniform, triangular scones. Then a few weeks ago I was watching Chef Ann Burrell on her Food Network show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. I am not a huge fan of this show, but will watch it from time to time. However, her Cherry Almond Scones piqued my interest because she demonstrated how to form the scone dough and cut it into triangles. After watching the episode, I hit up the web in search of a scone recipe that would be perfect for fall. I came across several recipes through yahoo, but ended up settling on a Starbucks Pumpkin Scones copycat recipe. Of course I tweaked the recipe because I apparently cannot leave well enough alone. I did add mini cinnamon chips to the dough which was a scrumptious decision. The end result was terrifically spiced scones full of fall flavors. The texture was amazing and the glaze put them over the top. Do these compare to the Starbucks scones? I honestly have no idea, but I will definitely be trying one to compare the next time I venture into a Starbucks. This recipe definitely ranks up in my top 3 fall favorites and I will certainly be making them again in the very near future. These were so good I ate one for dinner…I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Have a great day and thanks so much for visiting!

Looking for more fall recipes? Click here for more of my fall favorites and stay tuned this weekend for a yummy Apple Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones
adapted from: recipezaar

Ingredients
Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 large egg
1/2 cup mini cinnamon chips

Powderered Sugar Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions
to make the scones
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, vanilla paste and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix in mini cinnamon chips. Form the dough into a ball.
4. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into an 8-inch circle and about 1 inch thick. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 8 equal triangular portions. Place on prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

to make the plain glaze
-Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth.
-When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.

as the plain glaze firms up, make the spiced glaze
-Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.