The BEST Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I don't even know where to start with this one.  Honestly, this could be my favorite recipe on the blog to date.  I have made no less than 6 loaves (and 1 batch of muffins) in the past 3 weeks.  I even ordered a set of loaf pans so that I could evenly bake two loaves at the same time.  #multitasking

This recipe is the perfect combination of sweet but not too sweet, incredibly moist with a good amount of spice!  We are absolutely obsessed at our house.  Addie gobbles this down by the slice and asks for more repeatedly!  Which, let's be honest, is the cutest thing ever.  I used coconut oil and there is so much pumpkin in it that I would call it semi-healthy!  

I would highly HIGHLY suggest making this ASAP.   

The BEST Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (which is 1 15 oz can) 

1/2 cup vegetable, canola or melted coconut oil 

1/4 cup orange juice

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but delicious) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place your rack to the bottom 1/3 of the oven so the top of the bread doesn't get too dark. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.   

Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl with a whisk.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, oil and orange juice.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together with a spoon or spatula, just until combined.  There will be lumps, do not over mix.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if you are using them.  

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 60-65 mins (mine always bake up perfectly at 60).  Halfway through the baking process, loosely cover the bread with tinfoil to prevent the top from getting too brown.  The bread is done when you insert a toothpick in the center and only a few moist crumbs are on it.  

Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan.  I keep my bread in a zip top bag, on the counter and I hear its good for 10 days.  It has never lasted that long in our house!  It also freezes like a dream, wrap in plastic wrap, tin foil and place in a zip top bag.  

This recipe also makes fantastic muffins.  Bake at 350 for 17-18 minutes. 

Recipe from: Sally's Baking Addition

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These little buggers are good.  Like really good.  The fantastic thing: the cake part is low fat, the other fantastic thing: cream cheese frosting is involved…not so low fat.  Although I did use 1/3 the fat cream cheese.  

These muffins are moist and dense thanks to one of my favorite things: Greek yogurt.  More specifically, Chobani pineapple Greek yogurt.  Betcha wouldn't have guessed that huh?  

So make these with or without the frosting I promise you will be a fan.  

Start with a good o' can of pumpkin.

Next, break out the Chobani…ugh, have you had this pineapple version?  Life changing.  LIFE changing I tell you.

Add that to the pumpkin.

Separate four eggs

And only use the whites.  See, low fat baby.

Add vanilla

And sugar.

Stir until everything is well incorporated.

Next the dry ingredients.  Baking soda

Baking powder

Flour

Salt

And pumpkin pie spice

Stir that until everything is well combined again.

This is an optional step…line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.  Although these are super cute, they were a disaster to get the actual cupcakes out of the first day.  Miraculously, the second day they peeled right off.  So, if you are planning to serve these the day of, just spray the pan with baking spray.

Using a teaspoon, spoon the batter into the liners/tin.  Okay, you know I love my muffin and cookie scoops, they NEED to make a mini muffin scoop.  Seriously, first one to make this, I will love you forever. I know, worth it right?

Bake these for about 15 minutes or just until they spring back up when you press in the middle.  Let them cool on a wire rack. 

Meanwhile, you can work on the frosting.  You will need a block of cream cheese, preferably at room temperature.

Add powdered sugar

Vanilla

And a splash (or about a tablespoon) of half and half or milk

Using a hand mixer, mix it up

Ah yeah, let's just talk about this situation.  That's Rem, the "I'm going to eat an entire mini cupcake wrapper and all" kitchen mascot.  Shame on you, there wasn't even any frosting on it.   : )

Using a pastry bag or just a little zip top bag with the corner cut off, frost the cupcakes whichever way you choose.

That's it.  So easy, mostly low fat and seriously, how cute are they?

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the muffins:1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup Chobani Pineapple yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, yogurt, vanilla extract, egg whites and sugar.  Stir until fully combined.  Add the baking soda, baking powder, flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Stir until combined again.

Either line the mini muffin tin with liners or baking spray.  Using a teaspoon, spoon the batter into the muffin liners/tin.  Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until you press down in the middle of the muffin and it springs back to the touch.  Remove the muffins out of the muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8 oz block of cream cheese (I used 1/3 the fat)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
A splash (or about 1 tablespoon) half and half or milk

In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, teaspoon and half and half/milk.  Using a hand mixer, mix things until they are fully combined and kind of fluffy.  If you would like the frosting a bit thinner, add more milk.

Using a pastry bag and tip or a zip top bag with the corner cut off, frost the cupcakes as you wish.

Enjoy!


Pumpkin batter recipe found at SheKnows.Com
Frosting by: Mrs. Schwartz

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These rolls have a bit of a story.  They started off a few weeks ago when I thought about fall baking and combining apples in cinnamon/carmel rolls.  As you may well be aware, I love to make homemade cinnamon rolls as illustrated here and here.  So I thought I would make some.  I did.  They were let's say underwhelming.  Not wanting to start from scratch again, I thought why wouldn't I just use refrigerated rolls and just add apples. Boom. Done. 

So, let's start things off with the apples.  Peel, slice then dice one apple.

Break out a can of cinnamon rolls.  Yeah, I know this picture is blurry.

Unroll each roll and carefully place the apples on the roll.

Roll it back up

And place in a baking dish.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes until they come out golden and delicious.

Frost with the frosting included in the rolls.  I know, it's not really homemade but seriously, these are GOOD.

See, they look homemade!

Big gooey cinnamon rolls flecked with apples.

Don't you just want to burry your face into that little cinnamon crevasse?

I do. 

These won't last long.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls
1 apple
1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls + frosting from the rolls

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, slice and chop the apples.  Open the can of rolls and remove the rolls.  Unravel each roll and sprinkle the apples on the roll.  Roll back up and place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the rolls are fully cooked.  They will take a bit longer because of the moisture of the apples.

Remove from the oven and frost immediately with the frosting the rolls come with.

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz

Molasses Cookies

All the food, lifestyle and decorating/crafting blogs are all waving their "LIKE TOTALLY HIGH ON FALL FLAGS" right now and I am lovin' it.  Most of the recipes I have stumbled across have pumpkin in them.  To be honest, I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie.  Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, yes.  This delicious specimine of a cake...gawww don't get me started.  I'm seriously considering converting that cake into cupcakes.  And by "seriously considering" I mean I'm doing it. Stay tuned.  

Although these don't have pumpkin in them they absolutely scream fall to me.  Not only do they taste like fall all spicy and chewy, but they make your house smell so freaking amazing.  So make these and wave your high on fall flag with me! 

Start with brown sugar

And shortening, yeah the white stuff.  I only use shortening for this recipe and for making cake pops.  True story.  Until my mom finds her banana cake bar recipe that I swear she is hiding from my sister (in-law) and myself.  That's a whole different story....

Pour in some molasses.  I bet you are wondering how it isn't sticking everywhere...well I'm glad you asked.  Just spray a little cooking spray in the cup before measuring.  Just looking out for ya.

Add an egg as well.

Stir it up until it's all fluffy and delicious.

Next add flour

Ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves.  Ahhhh the fall trifecta.

Baking soda

And salt

Beat until just combined again.  Ahh this dough is just glorious.

Taking a small cookie scoop or two teaspoons, take the dough

Place it in your hands and make a ball.  I have man hands.

Roll in sugar

And place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 11-15 minutes or just until they "no longer look moist."  I took mine out promptly at 11 minutes because I like them to be gooey in the center.

I could eat this whole basket, no question about it. 

I think I have a problem.

Molasses Cookies
Make about 2 dozen

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer beat the brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg.  Scrape the sides down and add remaining ingredients minus the sugar.  Beat just until combined into a thick dough.

Using a cookie scoop or two teaspoons, measure dough and roll into little balls.  Roll in the sugar and place on a baking sheet.  I like to use a Silpat for all of my cookie making but if you don't have one place directly on the cookie sheet without greasing it.  Be sure to place the cookies at least 2 inches apart as they do spread.

Bake for 11-15 minutes or just until they no longer look moist on top.  I took mine out immediately at 11 minutes because I like them to be slightly underdone with a chewy texture.

Enjoy!

Recipe directly from: Betty Crocker