Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

I made these as an after school snack and kids LOVED them.  But they didn't turn out as cute as these, but they tasted great! You can find the recipe HERE


For the donuts:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk

• For the cinnamon sugar coating:
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Sift flour into medium mixing bowl, add in baking powder, salt, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In a separate large bowl, scoop in the pumpkin puree and mix in brown sugar.
4. Mix in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and add an egg. Pour in milk, and mix until smooth.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Scoop the batter into a 24-cup mini muffin pan, about ¾ full each cup, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove the donuts from the oven and allow to cool just enough to handle.
8. Place melted butter in one bowl and the sugar and cinnamon in another.
9. Dip the donuts into the melted butter, and coat, coat, coat in cinnamon sugar.
10. Serve warm, and enjoy

** I used pureed squash and you couldn't even tell!  Mini-muffins are tedious...so next I'm just making them into big muffins without the cinnamon sugar.

Real Homemade Soft Pretzels

At the many baseball games we have gone to this spring...my kids spend most of their money on snacks including pretzels.  So one day I decided we should just make them at home for a after-school snack.  They were in LOVE with these pretzels!  I made some with salt and some with cinnamon sugar.  I found the recipe HERE.  They are time consuming but not hard to make.  My boys loved helping me shape them, boil them and of course eat them!



INGREDIENTS:

1 TBS yeast
1 TBS sugar
2 cups warm water
1 cup flour
4 cups flour, mixed with
1 TBS salt, more flour if needed
1 egg
1 TBS water
coarse salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir yeast, sugar and warm water.  Let rest until yeast is dissolved and is a little foamy.

2.  Stir in 1 cup flour.  Then add rest of flour mixed with the 1 TBS of salt.

3.  Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Place in a oiled bowl, rolling around until all oiled.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

4.  Remove and knead again just a little bit, gently.  Cut into 16 pieces, roll each piece into 14" ropes, shape into pretzels and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5.  Cover and let rise 15 minutes.

6.  Drop each one or 2 at a time into a small pot of boiling water, boiling each 1 minute, and replace back onto greased cookie sheet.

7.  Brush each with eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water), sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Hot {and healthy} White Bean Dip

The girls made this for school snack and it was gone in a flash.  I left out the bacon; I never have bacon on hand.  Plus, I used white beans that I had precooked in the crockpot.

Hot White Bean Dip with Bacon
(from Cooking Light)

2 slices bacon  (I don't use bacon and it still  is Great)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. chicken broth
1 can 14-ounce white beans, drained
1/4 c. chopped green onions
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp crushed rosemary

Cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat. until crisp.   Remove bacon from pan; set aside.  Add garlic to drippings in pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Combine bean mixture, onions, and remaining ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth.  Spoon taste it and add more salt to taste, as well as hot sauce and lemon juice if desired.  Sprinkle dip with remaining bacon just before serving.
Serve with pita chips.  (We've been serving with those new flat pretzels- yum)

EASY Blender Salsa

I love Salsa!  Over the summer, I'd experiment and make a couple a day.  I came across this recipe and find it super EASY.  Perfect for when I don't have fresh tomatoes on hand.  My kids gobble this up.

1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 10 oz. can Rotel
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded (I usually leave this out - kid friendly)
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
juice of 1 lime

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor. Plus to combine for 30 seconds or until salsa is at desired consistency.  Taste for seasoning and adjusting.  Serve with chips.