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Homemade Nilla Wafers

I think for a lot of people the cookie they remember from their youngest years is the graham cracker. I know I definitely ate my fair share of those as a kid but for me the cookie I remember most is the Nilla Wafer. These were such a simple, basic cookie but were so tasty and didn’t make a big mess (important when dealing with a toddler!).

Mostly though I remember that Nilla Wafers were one of the few treats my family could agree on. My mom loved them, I loved them, and even my dad could be found sticking his hand into the yellow box (though I’m pretty sure his favorite way to eat these was nestled into a bowl full of banana pudding). So when I stumbled on this recipe for Nilla Wafers I knew I had to make them…and soon. Often times a recipe will sit in my to-make pile (or on my Pinterest board) for a while before I get around to making it. But this recipe? This one took a mere few days for me to make (and only that long because of my schedule).

These cookies do not disappoint. They aren’t exactly like the ones out of the box but they’re close. I rolled mine a little too big so they’re a bit chewy (and delicious) but next time I’ll make them a little smaller to get more of that crunchy wafer aspect. These will definitely be making a repeat appearance in our house. And maybe next time I’ll make some banana pudding too.

Homemade Nilla Wafers

From The First Year

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/3 Cup Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the butter and both sugars together and then add in the egg and vanilla.

Add the baking powder, salt, and flour and combine completely.

Roll the dough into small dime-sized balls and place one baking sheet. These spread a little but you don’t need much room between them.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until they are very light golden brown. The bigger the cookie the longer they will take.

Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container.

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone who celebrates a happy and fun Easter filled with family, food, and delicious eggs (chocolate or otherwise).

My favorite deviled eggs.

Mastering the Basics: French Toast

French toast seems so simple, yet I seem to have issues with it. I didn’t eat French toast much growing up, we were a pancake household, and I rarely order it when I’m out to eat (I blame the horrible so-called French toast at the restaurant I worked at in college – it ruined me). So sometimes I forget French toast even exists.

But we like to have breakfast for dinner fairly often since we never really get to make a real breakfast in the morning. And after a few weeks my waffle maker starts begging for a vacation and I just don’t want another pancake but I also don’t quite want an omelet and I’m stuck wondering what to have until my brain goes – French toast! Yes!

So I searched some blogs and allrecipes and determined the basic French toast formula and a little while later we had some delicious French toast for dinner. The consensus that night was that French toast is muy bueno (no hablo frances!) and will definitely be making many appearances at our house from now on.

 

French Toast

From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

6 Bread Slices (thick slices work best)

2 Eggs

2/3 Cups Milk

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions

Whisk together all ingredients except bread in a large, wide pan (rectangular Tupperware works great).

Heat a skillet over medium high hear. Lightly spray with no-stick spray.

Place bread into the egg mixture and allow to sit for a few seconds before flipping over to allow the other side to soak up the mixture.

Place in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden as well.

Serve warm with your favorite toppings (syrup or fruit with whipped cream are awesome!). You can give a quick dusting of powdered sugar if you wish.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

These cookies are amazing. Like, you’ll never want to make another cookie recipe again. Or, you’ll never want to eat another cookie recipe again.

I have no complaints about this recipe. It comes together incredibly quickly and easily. I’ve made these many times now and am still impressed at how quickly they come together. I don’t even have to bust out my mixer for these, I’ve made them stirring by hand and they’re just as good.

So try these, today. You’re search for the most amazing chocolate chip cookie (or really any cookie) will be over. Mine is.

I have to add, as I was posting this blog I noticed my photo is a similar set up to Annie’s. Totally not planned or on purpose – total accident. Made me laugh though! I love this shot regardless.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

2 Cups and 2 Tablespoons AP Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

12 Tablespoons Butter (unsalted)

1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 Egg Yolk (from large egg)

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips (I’ve used semi-sweet and dark)

Directions

Melt butter and allow to cool until warm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking mat.

Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix the butter and both sugars until completely combined. Then add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk and mix.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients until totally combined and then add chocolate chips.

Roll 1/4 cup of dough into a ball* and place on prepared baking sheet. Leave room between the cookies as they will spread.

Bake about 13-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You only want to bake them until the edges are firm and the center is still soft. The cookies will be golden brown.

Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

*Check out Annie’s blog post for a great way to roll the cookie dough. I’ve used her way and the above and while I like both I really like the way the cookies form her way.

Drip Beef Sandwiches

These sandwiches are incredibly good. They cook low and slow on the stove and make the house smell incredible. I’m pretty sure I was drooling by the time they were done.

Add a crusty hoagie roll and some provolone cheese and you’ve got a winner. And then consider that these just get better as leftovers and you’ve got yourself a homerun.

Drip Beef Sandwiches

From The Pioneer Woman Food From My Frontier Cookbook with a few adaptations

Ingredients

3-4 Pound Chuck Roast

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Oil (I used vegetable)

2 Cups Beef Broth

1 Cup Water

1 Jar Pepperoncini

Hoagie Rolls

Provolone Cheese, optional

Directions

Melt butter and oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot until hot. Salt and pepper the roast and then sear on each side until brown.

Remove the roast and add the beef broth and water. Give a quick stir to get any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the roast back into the pan carefully.

Pour in the pepperoncini and the juice from the jar.

Cover the pan and cook over low heat 4 to 5 hours or until the meat easily falls apart when touched with a fork. Using two forks shred the roast.

Slice your rolls and then add your desired amount of meat and peppers. Top with cheese if desired.

You can serve these with a bowl of the juice for dipping, pour some juice over your completed sandwich, or, if you’re feeling wild, you can dip your assembled sandwich into the pan to soak with juice.

Mastering the Basics: Waffles

One of my favorite kitchen items is definitely my waffle maker. I love being able to quickly make a batch of waffles for breakfast – or even dinner! I don’t always get to make waffles as often as I’d like but when I do I usually double the recipe and then put the extras into the freezer to pull out when we’re having a waffle emergency (you have those too, right?
This recipe was so quick. I actually found it through Pinterest and then browsed the comments on Allrecipes. This recipe has lots of rave reviews, so I was pretty confident it would turn out ok. And did it ever! The waffles were fluffy and delicious and we loved them. I doubled the recipe and have quite a few in the freezer now. Yay! To freeze I just place two waffles into a ziplock bag, push out as much air as possible and freeze.
Definitely give this recipe a try. It took no time at all and I think it will become a regular in our rotation.

Easy Waffles
From Allrecipes via My Missouri Kitchen and found on Pinterest
Ingredients
2 Eggs 2 Cups AP Flour 1 3/4 Cups Milk 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil 1 Tablespoon Sugar 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract Directions Heat your waffle maker per the machine’s instructions. Spray with no cook spray if necessary. In a large bowl beat the eggs until fluffy. Mix in other ingredients until smooth. When the waffle maker is ready pour in the batter (whatever amount goes in your waffle maker). Cook until golden brown. Top with syrup or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

It has been cold here lately. Like, really cold. Single digit cold. Add to that Doug and I fighting off the cold/sinus thing that has been going around and I decided that we were in major need of a warm, hearty soup.

This soup fits the bill. I saved this a few weeks ago and hadn’t gotten around to making it. I’m so glad I finally did. This soup is easy to throw together, tastes fantastic and is very filling. This will definitely be made again and I highly recommend it to you.Try it, you won’t be sorry.

I did make a few changes because of a few things I couldn’t find in the grocery stores here, so check out the original recipe too.

 

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

From : Your Homebased Mom

Ingredients

1 Pound Sweet Italian Sausage

1 1/2 Cups Carrots, thinly sliced

1 Small Onion, chopped

2 Cups Tomatoes, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/2 Cup Water

5 Cups Chicken Broth

1 (8) Ounce Can Tomato Sauce

8 Ounce Meat or Cheese Tortellini, fresh or frozen

Very thinly slice Mozzarella, as much as you’d like

Directions

Brown sausage, drain.

In the pan you will make the soup in sauté the onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil.

Add carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and broth.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes..

Skim off any fat if needed and add tortellini. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes (30 if using frozen pasta).

Spoon into bowls and top with thin slices of mozzarella.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Roundup

 

The 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event was hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! This week some bloggers are just posing a quick roundup of the last 12 weeks in case you missed some posts or just want a quick collection of ideas to browse if you’re looking for any last minute ideas. Check out the links in the hop below!

 

Week 1 – Apple Cinnamon Scones

Week 2 – Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Week 3 – Pumpkin Bread

Week 4 – Pumpkin Spiced Nuts

Week 5 – Rice Krispies Treats

Week 6 – Banana Banana Bread

Week 7 – Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Week 8 – Funfetti Cake Cookies

Week 9 – Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Week 10 – Spiced Applesauce Cake

Week 11 – Chocolate Chip Blondies

Week 12 – Snickerdoodle Bars 

 

 

  

 

 

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 12–Snickerdoodle Bars

Welcome to Week 12 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

Week 12! Already. It seems like the weeks flew by. Make sure to check out what amazing goodies everyone made for the last week!

These snickerdoodle bars are fantastic. They came together really quickly, dirty very few dishes, and make the house smell amazing while they bake. These are a very sturdy bar so they would hold up really well in a goody bag or basket. I highly recommend these, they are by far one of my favorite things that I have made this year and I will be making them a lot next year too I imagine, they are just that good!

 

Snickerdoodle Bars

From: one ordinary day

Ingredients

2 2/3 Cup Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)

1 Cup Butter (softened)

2 Eggs (at room temperature)

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Topping:

2 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar

2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with no-stick spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time and then add in the vanilla and beat until smooth.

Slowly stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Evenly spread the mixture into the pan.

Combine the topping ingredients and evenly sprinkle over the cookie batter.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool before cutting.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 11–Chocolate Chip Blondies

Welcome to Week 11 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

These blondies are a great thing to make for the holidays. They are easy to whip up – using very few ingredients and even fewer utensils – and they taste amazing. Definitely make these; they would be perfect on a dessert table.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

From: Lovin’ From the Oven

Ingredients

1 Cup Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

1 Stick Butter (melted)

1 Egg

1 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together the melted butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and salt.

Slowly add in the flour until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 10–Spiced Applesauce Cake

Welcome to Week 10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

This cake is fantastic. I made it for my contribution to the dessert table for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. We are pretty sure this would be great even without the frosting, but who argues with cinnamon cream cheese frosting?

Spiced Applesauce Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Cake

2 Cups AP Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Stick Butter, softened (unsalted)
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs (large)
1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce

Frosting

5 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons Butter, softened (unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8 or 9 inch round pan (I put parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and buttered it too per the suggestion).

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices for the cake. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs slowly, beating completely after you add each one. Then mix in the applesauce.

Turn your mixer to a low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spread the batter into the pan into an even layer. Bake 35 to 45 (mine went to 45) minutes until golden brown and the center is baked through (use the toothpick test). Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate. Flip the cake upright and allow to cool on a rack until completely cool (can also put in the fridge).

To make the frosting beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixer until fluffy. Add in the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and beat until incorporated. Spread over the cooled cake.

This cake is awesome because it can be made ahead. I made the cake on Tuesday and stuck it in the freezer. I pulled it out and put it in the fridge Wednesday night and it was perfect for Thursday. I made the frosting Thursday and iced shortly before eating. Check out Smitten Kitchen for more tips on doing this ahead.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 9–Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Welcome to Week 9 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

I actually made this week’s recipe as my birthday “cake” – I’m not a huge cake fan but love cheesecake so cheesecake was a very appealing alternative. I have made a cheesecake at Christmas time every year for the last 4 years and this would be an excellent option for a holiday dessert.

I hope everyone that celebrates has a fantastic Thanksgiving. We are hosting for the first time so we have been busy cleaning and rearranging and I’ve been in the kitchen non-stop for the last few days. I’m excited to put this meal together!

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

As seen on Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

For the crust:
23 Oreo cookies
2 Tablespoons Butter (unsalted), melted

For the cheesecake:
12 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
6 Tablespoons Sugar
6 Tablespoons Sour Cream, at room temperature
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven at 325 degrees and line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil.

Place the 23 Oreos in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are ground up. Add the melted butter and continue to pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake the empty crust for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer place the cream cheese and beat on high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until combined then add in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Lower the mixer speed to medium-high and add the egg and egg yolk. Stop the mixer and stir in the Oreos with a spoon or rubber spatula.

Pour the batter over the crust and smooth to an even layer. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set around the edges but has a slight wobble still in the center.Cool the pan on a wire rack for an hour and then cover and store in the refrigerator for 3 hours until well chilled.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 8 Funfetti Cake Cookies

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

These are pretty much the easiest cookies ever. Three ingredients, mix, bake, and enjoy. I used funfetti as it was my favorite growing up but you can use any flavor you want. These would be a hit at any holiday gathering and they’re so easy to make that you can squeeze them in between your other holiday projects.

Funfetti Cake Cookies

From Fabulessly Frugal

Ingredients

1 Box Cake Mix

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Mix the three ingredients completely.

Scoop cookies onto pan or roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are golden.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 7 Easy Pumpkin Muffins

 

Welcome to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

So I’m pretty sure this is the easiest recipe I’ve ever made. Two ingredients. That’s it. But these are so good. These would be a great treat to have out for people who gather together earlier in the day on Christmas (these would be fantastic on Thanksgiving too). I think they’d be a hit during our Christmas morning celebrations.

These would also be a fantastic addition to a gift basket with hot chocolate mix or coffee. Just wrap them up and stick them in the basket. You could also add the two ingredients to a gift basket with a muffin pan and oven mitt. That would be a gift I’d love to get!

 

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

As seen on SprinkleBakes

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

1 15 Ounce Can of Pumpkin, plain not pie filling

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan or place liners in each cup.

Combine the cake mix and pumpkin until well combined. The mixture will be very thick.

Spoon the filling into the muffin pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

I got 16 medium sized muffins from this.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 6 Banana Banana Bread

Welcome to Week 6 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun! I can’t believe we are already at week 6! These 12 weeks are flying by. I feel like I really need to get cracking on my Christmas shopping now!
This week I made Banana Banana Bread. I’m not really sure why banana is in the title twice but I promise that’s not a mistake (at least not as far as I know!) A lot of people only make banana (banana) bread when they realize “oh no, the bananas are on their last leg!” But I adore banana bread and purposely let a few bananas sit around every so often so I can make some delicious bread. I think banana bread is great because it is so easy to throw together, is pretty hard to mess up, makes your house smell great, and always tastes great.

This would be a very welcome item in a gift basket or goodie bag at the holidays or a welcome addition to a brunch or dessert table. Next time you buy bananas let a few hang out for a few days so you can panic
(on purpose) and make some of this delicious bread.
Banana Banana Bread
As seen on For the Love of Cooking (original recipe from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/3 Cups Bananas, over-ripe and mashed
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 bread pan thoroughly with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Add the bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center is clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 5 Rice Krispies Treats

 

Welcome to Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!

This week I picked a really easy but much-loved recipe – Rice Krispies Treats. These are a favorite of mine because of how quick and versatile they are while also being incredibly tasty. I used pumpkin spice marshmallows for these but they are also awesome with classic marshmallows. Last year around Christmas I found French Vanilla and Gingerbread flavored marshmallows as well and I imagine either of those would be fantastic too.

One of the great things about Rice Krispies Treats is that you can make these while something else is baking since they don’t need to go in the oven and they don’t take very long to make. Then you can just put the pan aside and move on to something else with one more thing marked off your to-do list. Gotta love that!

And I’ve found that these treats are always a hit. They are a popular item in gift baskets, always seem to disappear from dessert tables, and are always one of the first things gone from bake sales. So clearly I’m not the only one that loves these.

I had never had pumpkin spice marshmallows and though I thought they were a bit different at first I did really like them. They taste a lot like the pumpkin spice kisses. These would be a big hit for Thanksgiving too I think, especially with kids!

I’ve never frozen Rice Krispies Treats before but the Rice Krispies Treat web site says you can freeze them by cutting them and placing them in an airtight container with wax paper between each layer. They will freeze well for up to 6 weeks and just need to sit out for at least 15 minutes before serving. This makes them an even better treat for the holidays I think!

Rice Krispies Treats

From ricekrispies.com

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Package Marshmallows, regular size

6 Cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Once melted add in the marshmallows and stir until they are totally melted.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cereal. Stir to coat completely.

Pat the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed liberally with non-stick spray. Allow the treats to cool. Cut and enjoy!

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats–Week 4 Pumpkin Spiced Nuts

Welcome to Week  of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun!
I love spiced nuts and pumpkin spiced anything. So pumpkin spiced nuts are heavenly! I will definitely be making these again and using different nuts – pecans and almonds are definitely on my to-try list. These are so good and so easy to make. They would definitely be a hit at any holiday gathering or in any holiday goody bag.

Pumpkin Spiced Nuts
From Tasty Kitchen
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 Cups Nuts, chopped
In a sauce pan, mix the water and sugar to make a syrup. Stir over medium high heat until it boils. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice.
Add in the nuts and stir to coat.
Turn hear to medium and stir until all the moisture has evaporated. Crystals will start to form on on the nuts and it will get very thick.
Pour the nuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to cool. You may need to break apart any clumps.

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Week 3–Pumpkin Bread

Welcome to Week 3 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog event hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic! Check out the links in the hop below and head over to Meal Planning Magic to learn more about joining in the fun! I love pumpkin treats. Pumpkin is such a fantastic flavor and can be made so much more complex with seasoning and additions. Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite things to make. So easy to throw together, stick in the oven, and just walk away. It makes the house smell fantastic and makes a great gift. Quick breads are great because they can be frozen and pulled out to give away or grace a sweets table. To freeze just wrap the loaf thoroughly in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag. Loaves thaw wonderfully and taste just as great as they did fresh. This recipe is great because it is low-fat but full of flavor. The original recipe covers the top with pepitas but I didn’t have any so I left them off. This bread is really moist and has a great deep flavor from the spices. I will definitely be making this again and again. Low Fat Pumpkin Bread From Skinnytaste 1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
1 1/4 Cups AP Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
T1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Egg Whites (large egg)
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 inch bread pan. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl combine oil, egg whites, pumpkin, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until thick.
Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Do not over mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with 2 tablespoons pepitas if desired.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf.