Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel

 I am so happy that fall is here! I want to spend more time in the kitchen when the cooler weather arrives, and I always love trying new pumpkin and apple recipes to add to my recipe collection . I must admit that I've struggled with cooking and blogging the last few months since I had surgery, but fall is my favorite time to experiment in the kitchen. This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel is delicious and was a real treat for my husband and I. We both love pumpkin so there's nothing bad to say about this recipe. This cake is not as heavy and moist as my pumpkin bread, because it uses butter instead of oil. The streusel is so yummy with the toasted pecans and made this cake such a treat with a steaming mug of coffee! I also love the size of the cake; it's made in a 9 inch springform pan so it's not too huge for a small group. It was perfect for us. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
(The only thing I changed in the recipe was the spice amounts.)

Ingredients:
For the streusel;
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (Spread pecans on baking sheet; toast   at 325 for 5 minutes. Cool before adding to streusel.)

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
about 2-3 teaspoons of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.

To make the streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the butter; use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Or you may use  a food processor. Stir in the pecans. Set aside.

For batter; in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar, until combined. beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin and sour cream and mix. Stir in the dry ingredients. Batter is very thick.

Spread half the batter in the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread over the streusel as best you can. (This was the hardest part of the recipe for me as the batter does not want to spread well. but it turns out delicious anyway.) Top with the remaining streusel. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Place pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan from the cake and slide cake onto rack to finish cooling.

To glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Place cake on serving platter. Drizzle glaze over cake. Enjoy!

I'm Back with an Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad Recipe

 I thought I'd drop in and share a quick, delicious potato salad recipe that I made recently. It is so easy to put together and is healthy, delicious and perfect for hot weather. Made with a dressing of red wine vinegar and olive oil, it stays light and tangy and complements just about any main dish from grilled and smoked meats, fried chicken, sandwiches and anything else you can think of. It is yummy served room temperature or cold. So if you like a light and tangy potato salad, this recipe is for you. I will caution you to not over-cook the potatos though as this salad is best when the potatoes hold their shape and are not mushy. So watch them carefully while they boil.
As a quick update, I am doing well with my new knee. It has been almost 3 months since my surgery and I am walking so much better. I have awhile before I'll be back to normal, but I'm getting there. I'm more interested in cooking again, so more recipes are on the way! Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers that you have sent my way!
 Now, here's the recipe.

Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad
Adapted from here

1 1/2 pounds new, small red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions, or 1/2 of a small red onion diced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2-3 teaspoons of mustard, if desired- I used 2 teas.

Add diced new potatoes to a pot; cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, (mine took about 5-10 minutes depending on how small you dice them).
Boil potatoes only until they are just tender. Drain them well, and spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet to cool. (I usually place them in the fridge to hurry up the cooling.)
Put cooled potatoes into a bowl with the diced onions. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the potatoes and onions. Stir gently; serve immediately, or refrigerate for later. So easy and yummy - enjoy!

Memorial Day Recipes

 Hi! Remember me? Please don't give up on me. I'll share more of my current situation after the recipes. I've got a couple of delicious food ideas for your summertime dinner celebrations, starting with today's Memorial Day Cookouts. First up is my Springtime Macaroni Salad with Peas, which is one of out family favorite recipes. It also is one of the most popular recipes on my blog. Made with elbow macaroni and lots of spring veggies, it is cool, creamy and delicious, and one of my all time favorite salads. I could eat just a plate of this and be very happy! Here are some more salads ideas for your table!

And this Four Layer Pudding Dessert is a favorite from way back. My family will devour this dessert way before they even touch anything else. No kidding, I could spend hours over the most wonderful layer cake or fancy pie, but this dessert will win hands down with my family, every time. It is delicious and easy to make as well. You will be the star of the potluck!
I have many other winning recipes for this summers cookouts that I wish I could list here. But this is a quick post; here's what I've been up to in the last 2 weeks.
I underwent knee replacement surgery on May 8th of this month and am recuperating nicely, but I am not back to cooking yet. Physical therapy is taking up most of my time right now, and my appetite has not been very good yet either. I am so grateful to my friends and family who have prepared delicious meals for me, so I haven't had to worry about what we will eat on any particular day. And I have plenty of salad fixins to fall back on at lunch time too, so I'm definitely not hurting for food. I'm also suffering from some sciatic nerve pain at this time, so sitting for long periods blogging is not easy right now. I am trying to catch up, but I am slow. Please bear with me while I get my strength back and keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I have some recipes that I will be posting very soon that will get you taste buds revved up for summer! Happy summer!

Butternut Squash Soup

 Creamy and mildly sweet, this body warming soup is perfect with a salad or sandwich, and was perfect for this cold weather. Snow in May? That usually doesn't happen here in Southwest Missouri, but that's what's going on. After about 3 days of 80 degree weather, we had a cold front come through yesterday which brought lots of freezing rain and 2 inches of heavy snow. So this soup tasted so good. I was glad I purchased a butternut squash at the market earlier in the week. I love its mild flavor, and though I usually roast them in the oven, I made soup this time, and it is delicious. This is a keeper recipe for me. It is simple and mildly seasoned so the flavor of the squash shines through. This squash is a fall veggie, but it sure was tasty on this freezing May day.

Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, which she adapted from America's Test Kitchen

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, diced fine
1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, cut in half lengthwise, with the seeds and strings scraped out and reserved
4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup half and half or heavy cream
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg

1. In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter and add the diced shallot. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes over medium-low heat until softened, but not browned. Add the squash scrapings and seeds and cook until the butter is saffron colored, about 4 minutes.
2. Add water and salt to the Dutch oven, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low again. Cut squash halves in half cross-wise. Place a steamer basket in the Dutch oven and the squash in the steamer basket, cut sides down. Cover pot and simmer for about 30minutes until squash is fork tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Use tongs to remove the squash from the steamer basket and transfer to a plate or baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the skins and put in a bowl. Discard the skins.
3. Strain the hot cooking liquid through a mesh strainer into a second bowl. Discard the solids. Rinse and dry the pot.
4. Puree the squash in batches in a food processor or blender, adding some of the cooking liquid until it has a smooth consistency. Pour puree into the pot; add the cream, and brown sugar and more cooking liquid if needed and heat the soup over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes until hot. Do not boil. Add a pinch of cinnamon and salt to taste. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve in bowls with a another pinch of cinnamon. Delicious!

Blueberry Pie Bars

 If you love blueberries, and you love pie you will be thrilled with this yummy recipe for Blueberry Pie Bars. The blueberries are in a creamy filling and surrounded by a crumb style crust. When I saw the recipe last week, I knew I had to make them immediately. The bottom crust is pretty sturdy to hold the filling and there is a thin layer of crust on top also. These blueberry treats are a definite winner in our household. I hope you give these delicious treats a try.

Blueberry Pie Bars
Adapted from a wonderful blog, Annie's Eats. She used blackberries instead of blueberries.

Ingredients:
For crust and topping-
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
zest of half a lemon
3/4 cup (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter

For the filling-
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream- I used vanilla Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla-I omitted since I used vanilla yogurt
15-16 ounces fresh blueberries (can use frozen if they have been thawed and drained of excess juices)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and zest. Add the cold butte and process pulse in short bursts until the mixture is crumbly.

2. Reserve 3/4 of the mixture to use as topping. Add the rest of the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and press to form an even layer of crust on bottom of pan. Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden. Let cool 10 minutes before proceeding.

3. In a medium bowl. make the filling. Combine eggs, sugar, yogurt (or sour cream), flour, salt lemon juice and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries. Spread the filling over the pre-baked crust. Crumble the reserved topping evenly over the filling.

4. Bake until the top is beginning to brown and the bars are just set, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Chill to firm up the bars before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Basic Homemade White Bread

 Does anything smell better than bread baking in the oven? I think not!
So yesterday, I made this fantastic white bread that I have had bookmarked forever it seems like, and my house smelled heavenly with the aroma of freshly baked bread. This simple white bread has a tender, moist, but sturdy crumb, and makes the most wonderful toast. I can't wait to make grilled cheese sandwiches with it too.

I must admit to an accident though. When taking the bread out of the pans, I dropped a pan and it landed upside down on a chair! Thankfully not on the floor, but the top of the bread was torn up some. sigh~ So we ate that one first. I don't know if I've ever mentioned what a klutz I am; now you know.
 Anyway, these loaves are delicious to eat, easy to cut and make wonderful toast and sandwiches. Just what I was looking for in a homemade white bread. And the dough was so easy to work with. I used my mixer to stir it up, (and I about killed my hand-mixer) and then kneaded it for about 5 minutes. It only bakes for about 30 minutes so this bread was ready in time for lunch. I hope you'll give it a try!

Basic White Bread
Adapted from this wonderful blog, Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. Natasha adapted it from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Bread.

5 cups bread flour (all-purpose flour can be used)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt-I used fine sea salt
1 package Quick Rise yeast (2 1/4 teas.)
2 cups whole milk, warmed to about 120 degrees
3 tablespoons melted shortening, cooled

Directions: The recipe is originally mixed with a stand mixer, (but I used and almost killed my hand mixer). *Directions for stand mixer below.
1. Grease 2 loaf pans.
2. Put all ingredients into a large bowl. If mixing by hand, use 4 1/2 cups flour to start and add the extra 1/2 cup as needed. Stir bread well until it comes together. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Dough will come together in a nice ball and be very workable.
3. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. If kitchen is cool, it can take longer to double.
4. When dough has doubled, punch down. That release the air in the dough. Now divide the dough evenly in half. Shape each half in an oval, then roll ups and tuck the ends under. Lay into greased loaf pans. Cover and let dough rise about 45 minutes.
5.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bread for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes. Internal temperature on bread should be 200 degrees F. When done, and loaves should sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove bread  (carefully), from pans and cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

*If using a stand mixer, mix with dough hook for 3 minutes to combine, and then 5minutes to knead. Then turn dough out on a floured surface and knead until it forms into a soft ball. Follow remaining directions above.

What to do with left-over Ham

Our family Easter dinner was last night and I didn't get any pictures of our ham. Sorry, it was beautiful, delicious and everyone was hungry. So we ate. I baked a ham and I'll just have to bake another soon, when I can take pictures. But we have plenty for some great tasting leftovers, that won't taste like leftovers. Sandwiches are wonderful, but here's some other ideas if you have a good portion of ham hanging out in your fridge.

 Scalloped Potatoes and Ham are awesome. Really, this is a dish that's easy to overindulge in. I have to be very careful because it is so delicious!

 White Beans and Ham Soup. I use great northern dried beans for this hearty dish.

 Asparagus, Ham and Fried Egg Stacks. So yummy and perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 Red Beans and Rice. If your craving a little southern comfort, then look no further. Spice it up as much as you like.

 I love a good Western Omelet, made with ham or bacon. Perfect for anytime of day.

 Green Beans and New Potatoes. Of course this dish is best with garden beans, but I froze my ham bone to use for the season's first green beans. Don't ever throw out your ham bone! Just wrap it in plastic wrap, then in heavy foil or put it in a freezer bag. Date it and freeze to use in green beans, or soup. It will last several months in the freezer.

 

And this is a tree, not food. I was outside today and it is so beautiful that I had to take some pictures. It is 70 plus degrees and gorgeous! Our trees are beginning to bloom. Spring just may have arrived, for a few days anyway.

I hope you all have had a fantastic Easter and hopefully you've  found some good ham recipes. Love to my readers!