Fall Recipe Roundup

Since today was the first day this school year that I regrettably walked out of the house without a coat, it seems like a good time to do a recipe round-up of fall recipes!

And of course, this means pumpkin. Lots and lots of pumpkin.
I keep canned pureed pumpkin in the house year-round, since it makes a good substitute in baking for some of the butter, fat, and oil (I use up to half of the amount of fat called for and for the rest I use applesauce or pumpkin). But since it is a seasonal item, I tend to stock up during these fall months. Since its just hitting the shelves, now's a perfect time to make some fall-tasting recipes and also buy some extra to hoard for the rest of the year.

*Not all of these are skinny, healthy, or low calorie, but I tried to include recipes that are somewhat good for you, or at least not terrible for you! And a treat once in a while isn't a bad thing either. You can't deprive yourself of all good things!

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Snickerdoodles

From Skinnytaste

These look like every good taste of fall in one bite.

Pumpkin Mousse Shooters

From Eat Yourself Thin

A healthy, easy, and elegant dessert for a holiday party. Or a Tuesday night.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte

From Urban Nester

I'm not a fan of the Pumpkin Spice Latte from a certain coffee shop. It tastes like a toddler threw together a bunch of things he likes to eat thinking it will result in the most amazing food ever and then it ends up tasting like a hot mess. (Literally.) But I could come around to this recipe.

Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Pudding

From Smitten Kitchen

I haven't made anything from Deb that hasn't been fabulous. This looks like it wouldn't disappoint!

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

From Cooking Light via Dwell on Joy

A healthier spin on a classic cake

Pumpkin Baked French Toast

From Minimalist Baker

Hello Saturday morning post-run breakfast!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

From Eighteen 25

Hello Sunday morning post-long-run-to-burn-a-bunch-of-calories breakfast!

------------------

A few that embrace all good things about fall, even without the pumpkin...

Crock Pot Cinnamon Pecan Bread Pudding

From Shape Magazine

Just think about how good your house would smell waking up to this in your slow cooker!

Roasted Acorn Squash and Chai Ice Cream

From Say Not Sweet Anne

Vegetables and dessert? Shut up. Seriously. This looks amazing.

Warm Coconut Rice Pudding

From Cooking Light Magazine

Everything comforting...

------------------

And one savory dish that screams "Falling Leaves and Football!"

Bacon Cheddar Beer Risotto

From Emily Bites

And its only 6 points per serving. What?!?!

Nostalgia and Buttercream

My mom had her birthday back in September, and asked if I could make this cake, since it was one that Grandma Rinsema used to make. I'd spent a number of visits over the summer looking through Grandma's recipes, and I haven't quite finished yet. My pile of recipes I'd like to try or just keep for nostalgia is growing steadily. Whether or not I use the reicpes,  its been a neat glimpse into food from the 1950's and on (There were a few versions of salads that called for powdered lime jello in the salad dressing... not sure I'll be trying that one!)

The picture below is the cake I made in September - the cake was good, but a little dry, and the texture seemed off. Coincidentally, I read an article that mentioned overbeating egg whites would dry out the mixture. How about that? So when my birthday rolled aorund in November, mom tried making it for me. I mentioned the thing about the egg whites, and sure enough! Beating them just to the point of peaked and no further gave the cake a perfect, cake-y texture.

And all of the butter doesn't hurt either.

Tips for frosting the cake...

• Freeze the layers for 30 minutes - a few hours before frosting
• Spread a thin layer of frosting over the layer and then refrigerate it for about an hour to let it set. This is called the "crumb" layer, to avoid the crumbs getting pulled up into the frosting.
• After you frost the whole cake, take a wide-surfaced spatula, lightly press down, and then quickly pull it off the cake to get the finished look on the frosting. Continue until the whole cake is covered like this.

Cold Water Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Recipes courtesy of Gertrude Rinsema

Ingredients
1/2 c Crisco
1 c Sugar
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
1/3 c cold water
1/2 c cocoa
2 1/2 c cake flour
1 c cold water
3 egg whites
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/3 c cold water

Directions
Cream Sugar and Crisco til light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla. Combine 1/3 c cold water and cocoa, beat into creamed mixture. Add flour to mixture alternately with 1 c cold water. Beat after each addition. Beat egg whites, til peaked--gradually add 3/4 c sugar and beat til stiff. Fold meringue into batter. Combine soda and 1/3 c cold water. Stir to dissolve soda. Stir in batter. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Butter Cream Frosting (doubled for layer cake)
1 c shortening (1/2 crisco, 1/2 butter)
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1/2 t almond extract

Combine and mix 5 minutes at high speed. Can store in refrigerator. Beat before using.

I Made Pound Cake

Strawberries were only $1 for a whole pound today, and they were good strawberries too! I suppose some people would go home with these strawberries and make a nice fruit salad, or eat them on top of some yogurt, or even plain. I made pound cake to eat with the strawberries. It balances out the salads we had for dinner tonight. I should note that I planned on making salads for dinner tonight after seeing the strawberries at the store and deciding that I would make pound cake to be their date for the evening.

Who better to turn to than Paula Deen? I mean, pound cake got its name from using a pound of butter after all, and why not go straight to the self-proclaimed expert on this one. Granted, it doesn't use a pound of butter, but there's plenty in the recipe to make up for that. Here's the thing, though. Its really light and (at the risk of sounding like a Food Network host) has a perfect crumb to it. And when you take it out of the oven and let it cool on the counter, it gets this crispy crust that you can peel off because you're going to invert it onto a plate anyway so no one will know the difference (well, now you do, but it still tastes great!).

P.S. Will we ever be able to make anything in a bundt pan without thinking of My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

Buttermilk Pound Cake
From Paula Deen & Friends: Living it Up, Southern Style

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (otherwise known as Crisco - I can never keep "shortening" and "oleo" straight.)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan (make sure to get the shortening/flour into all of the creases).

With a whisk, lightly mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add tghe eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture/buttermilk alternately to the butter and sugar, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the cake is done. (The cake will slightly pull away from the sides of the pan when its ready, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.)  Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Invert onto a cake plate to serve.

Top with macerated strawberries. (Clean, hull, and slice strawberries; mix with some sugar and allow to sit until juices form. If needed, add more sugar to increase the amount of juice. Just be warned that the more sugar you add and the more juice it makes, the less firm the strawberries will become.)

Paula Deel says it serves 8. I'd go more with 10.