Quick n' Easy Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Monday to you all!

With Halloween just around the corner it's the perfect time to be doing all things fall before November comes along!

Last week I took out my pumpkins, carved them, ate Pillsbury ready-made Halloween cookies, watched Hocus Pocus, made my Halloween costume, so I guess you could say I've been pretty fall-ish.

I could've made my own cookies but...
These are way too good

Also for the record, my pumpkin carving skills could have been better...

Expectation...

...Reality

But anyway!

For all of you carving pumpkins this week, I have created this recipe for you to also make something yummy. Here is my recipe for Quick n' Easy Pumpkin Seeds!

Quick n' Easy Pumpkin Seeds

I love using different types of spices and flavors to combine and really create something delicious in every bite. If you want to use less or more of some of these spices, be my guest! Cooking is all about trying new things and adjusting them to your preference! 

Ingredients: Per 1 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

- 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Olive Oil

- 1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

- 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Red Pepper

- 1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

- 1/4 Teaspoon of Paprika 

- Some Black Pepper

Step 1

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F.

Place seeds in a bowl.

Mix together all ingredients, adding spices, more or less, as desired. 

Step 2

Place tin foil on a baking tray, spread out seeds on tray.

Bake in total for about 30 minutes. Every 5-7 minutes flip and stir your seeds on tray

At the end of the 30 minutes, test out a few seeds to make sure they are cooked enough.

Remove and enjoy!!

These had the perfect mixture of spices and were baked to add some crunch to every bite! Very delicious, and I made my more spicy for preference :)


Do you use your pumpkins for any other kind of cooking or baking? Leave a comment if you do!

Let me know if any of you decide to make these seeds!! 

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by xo :)

An Apple a Day... Bread & Bonus Recipe

Hello food lovers!

I hope you are all enjoying your Wednesday! Few more days until the weekend! :)

I am excited to bring to you the third and final recipe for An Apple a Day!

PS: There is also a bonus recipe at the end :)

An Apple a Day #3 Apple Pie Bread

 

Is anyone sick of apple pie yet?

I hope not! Because this bread definitely adds a flavor twist with the moist texture and apple spices. The cinnamon and nutmeg really stand out on top as the crust and also in the middle layer. The apples were baked perfectly in between each layer I created, and this bread only lasted a day in my house!

Here is the recipe:

Let's Get Cookin'

Ingredients: (This bread was baked in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan). 

I try my best to be Milk-free when possible! 

I changed a few ingredients when I made this.

- 1 Large apple of choice (I used honeycrisp)

- 2 Eggs

- 1 and 1/2 Cups of all-purpose Flour

- 1/3 Cup of brown sugar

- 1/2 Cup of butter softened, (I used coconut oil from the brand Melt)

- 2/3 Cup of granulated sugar

- 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

- 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla extract 

- 1 and 3/4 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

- 1/2 Cup of Milk (I used Rice milk, enriched with vanilla from the brand Rice Dream)

- Dash of Nutmeg

Step 1

Mix your brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. 

Get rid of as many clumps as possible from your brown sugar when mixing.

Set this aside. This will be needed later.

Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg

Step 2

Use an electric mixer and mix together your softened butter and granulated sugar.

Do this until it is soft and creamy.

Beat in eggs 1 at a time, until incorporated.

Add in vanilla and mix well.

Step 3

Mix together your flour and baking powder. To save wasting a bowl, I measured my flour in a large measuring cup and then added baking powder to that cup and mixed together. 

You will then add this flour-mixture into your electric mixer, little by little.

Use a rubber spatula or spoon to incorporate the sides and make sure everything is mixed well.

Next, add your milk and mix well!

The mixer goes 'round and 'round

Step 4

Grease and add some flour to your loaf pan, 

and by now your oven should be set to 350 degrees F.

Take your choice of apple, peel, core, and dice! Set aside.

Step 5

Pour half of your batter into your loaf pan.

Next, add half of your diced apple to the mixture.

Do not mix, just sprinkle on top of the batter!!

Lightly push/pat the apples into the batter

Half of the batter and half of the apples on top!

Next, sprinkle half of your brown sugar spice mixture right on top of the apples!

Added the sugar-spice mixture on top!

Once that is complete, pour the rest of your batter on top of the spices, followed by the remainder of the apples. On top of that, place the remainder of your sugar-spice mixture.

More batter + apples + sugar/spices

Lightly pat down apples from the top into the mixture.

Step 6

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Insert a toothpick in the center and if it doesn't come out clean, add more time.

(Mine took an extra 15 minutes to complete).

If you notice the top is becoming too brown, cover the top loosely with tin foil and continue baking until the inside is finished! :) 

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven!

The layers blend perfectly

A corner/side view!

BUT WAIT...

Along with making this bread, I also had extra apples to make Apple Sauce!!!

SO as a bonus, here is my very easy and delicious recipe for apple sauce :)

Perfect to use with leftover apples and a complimenting fall side dish. 

(Thanksgiving is next month, hint hint).

Apple Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

- I used 7 apples, but add more if possible!

Have these peeled, cored, and chopped up!

- 1 Cup of either water, apple juice OR apple cider

- 1-2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (or the juice squeezed from 1 lemon)

- 1/2 Cup of brown sugar

- Cinnamon and Nutmeg for flavor!

Step 1

Prepare apples and put them into a pot large enough to fit all of them

Pour in your cup of liquid! I used water but you can use apple juice or apple cider instead.

Add in lemon juice.

Add sugar and spices!

Apples with water, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg
Ready to cook!

Step 2

Turn the heat to medium-high heat. Place a cover on top and stir every few minutes for 25 minutes.

After they have been cooking for 25 minutes and your apples become softer, use a potato masher to smash apples and continue mixing.

Still cooking, getting mashed!

Step 3

Let your apples continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and mashing every few minutes. 

Once you feel they are mashed up enough to your preference and cooked well, they are done!

Enjoy either warm or cold :)

So yummy!

The flavors in both recipes were amazing! 

Each really reminded me of Fall, apple picking, and the season.

I hope you all take advantage of using these recipes with any extra apples you have, and of course let me know if you decide to make any of them!

What is your favorite apple recipe to enjoy in October?

Leave a comment or suggestion!!

Thanks for stopping by xo

An Apple a Day... Baked Apples

Happy Monday food lovers!

The weather is finally starting to feel cool and with the sun outside it's been beautiful fall weather lately!

I did my rounds of apple picking this weekend and even got some pumpkins to prepare more recipes as Halloween approaches us next month!

For now, I have the second recipe for An Apple a Day!

An Apple a Day #2: Baked Apples

Baked Apple w/ Pie Crust

Baked Apples are classic! They are wonderful hot, the apple is tender and sweet with a filling and they compliment perfectly with a scoop of ice cream!

These were full of flavor and the warmth of the apple was great when the weather got cooler at night. 

Here is the recipe: 

Let's Get Cookin'

Ingredients: These are enough for 4 large apples. I used Honeycrisp.

- 1 Box of Pillsbury ready-made Pie Crust dough, (comes with 2), or any other brand you like

option: You can also create and use your own dough for this recipe

- 4 Large Apples

- 1 extra Apple peeled and diced (Used for filling)

- 1 Teaspoon cornstarch

- 1 Tablespoon warm water

- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar

- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon

- 1 Egg and 1 Teaspoon of milk (Egg Wash)

- A Pizza cutter

- Any extra toppings like caramel for drizzling on top (optional)

Step 1

Prepare dough ahead of time, or take out your store bought pie crust dough and keep cold in the refrigerator. I use Pillsbury Pie Crusts to make it easy! 

Step 2

Create your apple filling!

First peel and dice 1 Apple, set aside.

In a medium saucepan without heat yet, combine the cornstarch and warm water. Mix until smooth and the cornstarch has been dissolved.

Next add heat to your saucepan and add your diced apples, sugar, and cinnamon.

On the stove!

Mix together for 5 minutes then drop to low heat and let simmer for 5 additional minutes. 

Remove from heat, and then stir in the vanilla. Set aside, allow to cool while you complete the remainder steps. 

Step 3

Remove the core from your apples! To keep from turning brown I also added some lemon juice to the insides. I kept my apples pretty thick, but you can carve to your liking! 

Honeycrisp!

Carved with some lemon juice!

Step 4

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Take out your dough and pizza cutter!

Create your pie strips to go on top of your apples! You want to lay your dough flat and then use the pizza cutter to create strips about 1/4 inch wide. (Mine came out a little thin, I would recommend a little thicker than what mine show)!

Once those are done, place apples in a baking dish. Fill each one with the apple filling!

Then start placing your crust on top.

Left shows a completed apple.
Right shows an apple waiting for the crust!

Step 5

Once all your apples have their crust, whisk together your egg and milk to create the egg wash.

Brush this onto the crusts on top. 

I also added some extra cinnamon to mine!

Before the Egg wash!

Egg wash with some sprinkled cinnamon!

Step 6

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes!

Check on them at the 25 minute mark. I found my apples to be tender but they could've used more time if I wanted them softer! 

My apples were large and thick, but if yours are smaller or thinner this time mark could be perfect!

Step 7

Remove from the oven and enjoy while hot! Scoop some ice cream and enjoy :)

Out of the oven!

Everything came out delicious! If any of you make this, please let me know :)

I hope you all enjoy your Monday!

Thanks for stopping by! xo

An Apple a Day... Twist on Tradition

Happy Thursday food lovers!

I'm sorry for the delay in my blog! I hope you all have been enjoying the breezy weather and are starting to get accustomed to any new schedules you acquire as summer ends. 

Now that Fall is approaching us, (officially on September 23rd), I wanted to bring something new to the blog!

One of my favorite things about September living in New England is apple picking!

It is a popular-loved activity by many people who are fortunate enough to live near an area that allows them to spend a day with friends or family and pick fresh apples for the season.

As a food lover, I wanted a way to pick out a recipe that would really reflect apples and give my readers something to do with any extra Macs laying around. 

So that's why I created...

An Apple a Day

For the next few blog posts I am going to be posting unique and fun recipes for you all to try with any of your leftover apples, or to bake simply for the enjoyment of Apple Season!

An Apple a Day #1: Twist on Tradition

Mini Apple Pies

Everyone probably has their great grandmother's cousin's sister twice removed secret Apple Pie recipe tucked away in their kitchen. I wanted to create something that was a twist on tradition, staying away from whole pies, or crisps, because most people usually have their own recipe for that. 

So here is my recipe for Mini Apple Pies!

Let's Get Cookin'

Ingredients: This will make 1 cupcake tray worth of mini pies (12)

- 1 Box of Pillsbury ready-made Pie Crust dough, (comes with 2), or any other brand you like

option: You can also create and use your own dough for this recipe

- 4 inch and 3 inch circle dough cutters (I used caps from Mason Jars)

- 3 Cups worth of diced apples (this is about 3 medium apples)

- 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

- 1/4 Cup of sugar

- 2 Tablespoons of packed Brown Sugar

- 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon

- Pinch of Salt

- 1 Egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon of water or milk (Egg Wash)

(Used for top crust)

Step 1

Keep your dough cold in the refrigerator while you create your pie filling.

Dice your apples and place them in a bowl.

Next add your lemon juice, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl.

Apples Diced

Apples with all the filling ingredients

 

Step 2

Take out your dough and place it on the counter.

This is the brand of crust I used! To make it easy.

Rolled out and ready to go!

Step 3

Take your cupcake tray and use a cooking or pastry brush to rub a small amount of olive oil in each tin and around the top of the tray.

After your tray is prepped, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

Then by using your 4 inch circle cutters, start making the bottoms of your crust.

4 inch circles for the bottoms

Step 4

Once you have some made, start placing them in each tin. 

Pinch along the sides so they reach the top.

Any extra dough scraps can be combined and rolled out for more.

Continue until each tin is done!

Ready for the filling!

Step 5

Place your filling in each pie.

Step 6

Cut out 3 inch circles with your dough to create the top crust.

Once those are done, place the top crust on each tin, and fork the edges.

Each pie has a top crust

Step 7

Create your egg wash by place an egg in a bowl and whisking it with a Tablespoon of water or milk. Brush this mixture on your top crust.

Put 4 little slits on your crust and add any extra cinnamon or sugar on top before placing it in the oven. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, making sure the crust becomes golden brown.

Fresh out of the oven

Step 8

Let them sit briefly and then pop them out!

Note: This can be a little difficult, use a knife and be patient otherwise they might fall apart...but they are still delicious :) 

Ta da!!!! All finished! 

Everything came out delicious! These are amazing warm, especially with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream :)


What are some of your favorite recipes in the fall?
Let me know if any of you make this and how it comes out :)

Thank you for stopping by, enjoy your upcoming weekend! xo