Cranberry Sauce and Spread

So obviously my new breakfast consumption goal has me making as many spreads as I can to mix things up. And what better way to do that than in a holiday light! 

Yay for cranberries! Full of antioxidants and tart deliciousness.

This is also a great spread for toast, waffles and pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt and cereal. And probably many more things I am not yet aware of. I loved the addition of orange in this, which is apparently common for cranberry sauces, but I hadn't yet experienced the pairing. I let this go for awhile on the stovetop because I wanted mine reduced more, but you can cook it for less time to get more of a whole cranberry experience.



Cranberry Sauce and Spread

1 cup orange juice
1 quart fresh cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
1-2 tablespoons honey 

Combine the orange juice, cranberries, cinnamon and ginger in a saucepan and set over low, medium heat. Allow mixture to come to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your desired consistency.

Vanilla Cinnamon Peanut Butter

I have acquired quite the obsession with nut butters lately. I recently started making myself eat breakfast (I know, most important meal of the day, but its hard for me, so zip it!), and with this change I have been introduced into a wonderful world where nut butters fit in perfectly! 

Toast for breakfast? Add a dollup of peanut butter!

Oatmeal for breakfast? Add some almond butter!

Yogurt and granola for breakfast? A spoonful of Nutella!

It all just works out so perfectly. And, of course, I had to try making my own. The best part is that you can add whatever you want to it! I started with peanut butter, since it is supposedly the easiest one to start with. I added vanilla and cinnamon to give it a little punch and simply loved it! I have since made cashew butter as well. You do need to be patient with making nut butters, as they go through several stages while being processed. You must wait until it becomes creamy, and it does take longer than you think it will! So many possibilities to add! I can't wait to try many more combinations!



Vanilla Cinnamon Peanut Butter

16 oz. unsalted peanuts
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend for 10-15 minutes. Remove to a bell jar and keep in the refrigerator.

Corn Muffins

Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm looking forward to a week of cooking and baking, and I don't mean just Thanksgiving food! 

These are a great corn muffin base. Nothing fancy, but these come out very tender, slightly crunchy and definitely a good addition to soup or salads. Or just for an afternoon snack! There really is no cap on what you could add to these, either. I've been making them for several weeks to go with my lunches and I started by just adding corn, then tried corn, sausage and cranberries. I loved both ways!



Corn Muffins
Adapted from All-Recipes 

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/8 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk (I use skim)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin (for 6 muffins).

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, oat bran and salt.  Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. 

*I have made these with an addition of 1 cup of frozen corn and with 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup chopped cranberries and 1/2 cup browned chicken sausage.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

My favorite type of cookies are chewy and chunky. By chunky, I mean some type of chip is in there somewhere. Although I love all of the pumpkin cookies I have made thus far in my life, I am on a mission to find a chewy, as opposed to a soft, pumpkin cookie. These were a great start! Chewier than my previous pumpkin cookies and I loved the texture with the oatmeal in them. The pumpkin flavor in these is very subtle and most people couldn't put their finger on what flavor they were eating! And, of course, you can put any type of chip you would like in them. I personally love the combination of pumpkin and butterscotch, so that is what I usually stick with!



Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
Tasty Kitchen

2 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncookied
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 whole egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Drop a heaping tablepoon of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned.

Pumpkin Butter

If you thought pumpkin baking season ended at Halloween, you were sorely mistaken. My obsession continues effervescently.

Welcome to Pumpkin Butter Land (that would be our apartment), where since making this, I have put it on everything I can think of. Sure, I put it in my oatmeal, on toast, and eat it by the spoonful. But, I also have put it on my eggs, used it as a salad dressing, used it in baked good and pretty much put a dollop on everything whether or not I think I can get away with it.

So, if your looking to infuse more pumpkin into your life, this is the solution. This recipe can be fooled around with in many ways. Feel free to use white sugar, or adjust the spices to your taste. You can definitely use canned pumpkin, but I ended up roasting a pumpkin and making my own puree.



Pumpkin Butter

3-4 cups pumpkin puree (or about 1-29 oz. can of pumpkin puree)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, sugar, cider and spices in a large saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and allow to boil. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. Let cool, transfer to jars, and store in the refrigerator.