Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

We continue quick bread week with a tasty recipe for muffins (although I assume you could make it in a loaf too!).

Lately I've been craving sweets at night - cakes, cookies, ice cream, brownies, you name it - I want it. I've upped my exercise in the last month or so and I have really noticed an increased appetite, but I'm trying to keep it under control. I have rationalized my sweets craving by thinking that if I just have "healthier" muffins around, that will satisfy my sweet craving without all the bad parts of other desserts.

I had some pumpkin puree in my fridge so off I went in search of a pumpkin muffin recipe. I found this one from pickycook.com. It sounded (and looked) quite tasty so I whipped it up in no time! (Literally took me about 10 minutes to put together then throw in the oven- awesome!).

The original recipe provides per muffin:
203 calories
6.1 g fat
35.0 g carbohydrate
1.2 g fiber
3.0 g protein

I only made a couple small changes. Instead of oil I used mashed ripe bananas. I also added 1/2 cup raisins because I really wanted to put in white chocolate chips but this was my internal compromise. The end result is a flavorful, moist muffin perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth or for my husband to grab out the door in the morning for a quick breakfast.
Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - BETTER

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon-divided
pinch nutmeg
1 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar - divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins

Put oven in the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.

Sift together flour and baking powder in a small bowl, set aside.

Whisk together pumpkin, bananas, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in raisins with a wooden spoon.

Combine remaining 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. (Or just use cinnamon/sugar from your cabinet!)

Divide batter equally among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer muffins to wire rack to cool.

Per muffin:
182 calories
1.1 g fat
41.3 g carbohydrate
1.6 g fiber
3.2 g protein

Pumpkin Blondies

A few nights ago I hosted my husband's track team at our house for dinner. I made a baked potato, chili and salad bar for the 30+ athletes that could make it out to the middle of no where to our house one snowy night. Even though those athletes brought with them a big appetite, I still had a TON of food leftover (some of it not even prepared). But with all these chopped veggies for salad toppings, I knew they wouldn't stay fresh forever and I needed a way to use them up quickly. So I sent an email out to a bunch of our friends and invited about 10 more people over for lunch after church on Sunday. Everyone was up for a tasty free meal!

Well Sunday morning rolled around and I had a mini-panic when I realized I did not have any dessert to serve with my leftover chili/potato/salad bar. So I did a little brainstorming and decided that a bar cookie would be the fastest to prepare since I wouldn't have to form each cookie. I could whip up the ingredients and put it in the oven while I finished getting ready for church. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Blondies on The Girl Who Ate Everything and I had all the ingredients (except white chocolate chips, so I substituted semi-sweet...). It was perfect!

As originally posted, each bar provides:
229 calories
12.3 g fat
32.6 g carbohydrate
1.1 g fiber
2.5 g protein

It turned out awesome, I got lots of complements on how tasty they were. I made a couple changes. I swapped out half of the flour for whole wheat flour. I also substituted half of the butter with unsweetened applesauce. In a traditional cookie I wouldn't normally do this as the butter provides structure to the cookie. But since it was a bar, I figure it didn't need to hold its shape as much in the oven. I also like that this recipe calls for 24 servings which is a decent size bar once they are all cut. If you wished to slash your calories or fat even more, cut them into smaller pieces.

Pumpkin Blondies - BETTER

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips (or semi-sweet in my case)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional and not included in the nutrition facts)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat butter, applesauce and sugar on medium-high speed of a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (and pecans, if using) with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Makes 24 pieces. Each pieces:
195 calories
8.5 g fat
32.8 g carbohydrate
1.6 g fiber
2.6 g protein

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Christmas cookies have always been a great tradition in my family. I remember my mom making a handful of varieties of cookies and making dozens of each variety. We would get to snack on them through out the Christmas season as well as make up trays for our teachers, take them to cookie exchanges and walk a few over to our neighbors. In past years I have also kept up the tradition of making a bazillion kinds of cookies over the holidays. In fact, at my own wedding I had a homemade cookie buffet in which I served over 100 DOZEN homemade cookies made by myself and the women in my family.

But the last two years have been a little bit of a dry spell for me in the cookie making department. Last year, I had just had foot surgery 1 month prior to Christmas and had a hard time hobbling along in the kitchen on one foot and crutches. We also lived in a TINY apartment with a poor excuse for a kitchen for the small amount of time between when our old house sold and we were building our new house. So, Christmas of 2009 was cookie-less. Christmas 2010 rolled around and I never seemed to have the time make cookies. I'm not sure if having a new child threw my cookie making schedule a curve ball but it just seemed it wasn't going to happen this year.

Finally, on December 23rd, I got the Christmas treat bug and jumped to action. I decided I would make one batch of cookies and would try to make them healthier. I had saved a link to the Swanky Pear's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies a few months back and thought I could still bake with pumpkin in December. So that was the start (and end) of my Christmas cookie baking this year.

Each cookie in the original recipe provides:

161.5 calories

7.8 g fat

24.3 g carbohydrate

0.8 g fiber

1.5 g protein

These cookies have almost a cake like consistency and therefore, could handle a few changes in them. First, I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the oil. (Obviously I canned a lot of applesauce this fall!). Next for the filling I used fat-free cream cheese instead of full fat cream cheese. I also used 1/4 cup butter, instead of 1/2 cup butter (actually by accident as I read it as half a stick but really it was supposed to be a full stick). But, either way, it turned out delicious!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies - BETTER

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 cups chilled pure pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. fat free cream cheese
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, all-spice and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the unsweetened applesauce together. Add the CHILLED pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

5. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. I also kept the bowl of batter in the freezer between batches to keep it chilled. The batter is quite thin and works better a little chilled.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

7. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth.

8. To assemble the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half (I used a ziplock bag with the corner clipped, made quick work!). Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving. These also freeze well for later.

I made 52 sandwiches in my batch.

Each cookie provides:

107.5 calories

1.3 g fat

25.0 g carbohydrate

0.8 g fiber

1.8 g protein

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

***Picture to come***

Quick breads are such a convenience item – they come in handy all the time! Going to a relative’s house for a weekend getaway? Bring a quick bread. New neighbors move in? Bring a quick bread. Unexpected company staying over night? Whip up a quick bread. The BEST part about quick breads is that you can make them ahead of time and freeze for up to 2 months when properly wrapped in your freezer. Since pumpkin is the quintessential fall food accessory, I was bound and determined to find a pumpkin bread recipe. After all, I was headed to a Bible study that night… and why not bring a quick bread?

I found this recipe over at My Kitchen Addiction and knew it was meant to be. A. I like when pumpkin recipes call for the whole can of pumpkin, not a portion of it. So then I’m not stuck with a portion of pumpkin that I have to figure out something to do with it. B. It called for 1 cup of chocolate chips and I had a random bag of chocolate chips with 1 cup in it in my pantry.

The recipe makes quite a few loaves of bread. I made three 8x4 pans and could easily cut each loaf into 12 slices, making 36 servings total. Per serving, each slice provides:

196.4 calories

8.2 g fat

29.9 g carbohydrate

1.3 g fiber

2.4 g protein

I made a few simple changes to the recipe to decrease the fat and calories (and make a small increase in the fiber). First, I switched the white and wheat flour. Second, I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the oil. The finished product was delicious!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread – BETTER!

2 ½ cup wheat flour

1 cup white flour

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 large eggs

2/3 cup water

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9x5 loaf pans or three 8x4 loaf pans with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, applesauce, eggs, and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread freezes beautifully. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Per serving (36 servings)

143.7 calories

2.2 g fat

30.3 g carbohydrate

1.9 g fiber

2.5 g protein

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

In Michigan, we are all about fall. The leaves are BEAUTIFUL, the pumpkin patches are overflowing and the abundance of apple orchards provide endless entertainment for families. My husband and I enjoy a fall weekend with many of our friends every year at one of our friend's family farm. We drive across the state for a weekend full of outlet malls for the girls, poker for the guys, hayrides, apple orchard and tons of food.

I wanted to make sure I brought along a treat for the occasion that represented fall and it's many tastes. So of course I had to find something pumpkin! (I already have made a fall apple treat here). I came across this recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls at Sweet Treats and More. As made in the recipe, these cinnamon rolls provide:

252 calories
6.5 g fat
49.1 g carbohydrate
1.1 g fiber
4.4 g protein

When baking yeast breads I am often hesitant to make too many changes as baking really is a chemical equation - which has the potential to fail miserably! The only change I made to the ingredients was to use half wheat flour and half AP flour for a little extra fiber.

When a recipe doesn't allow for huge adjustments, the next thing to evaluate is your serving size. The recipe states that it makes 12 cinnamon rolls, but I rolled mine out so it made 14 cinnamon rolls, thus making each a little less in calories, fat, carbs, etc. You could even make this into 16 or 20 cinnamon rolls, just roll out the rectangle to be a little more oblong and you'll have more room to slice more rolls.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
1-1/2 cup all purpose flour, divided
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Caramel Frosting
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp skim milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
dash salt
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 cup all purpose flour and yeast; set aside. In a saucepan, heat and stir pumpkin, milk, sugar, 2 Tablespoons butter and salt until warm (120-130 degrees) and butter is almost melted.

Add to flour / yeast mixture along with egg. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Roll into a 14x9 inch rectangle (or longer /narrower if you are increasing the number of servings). Melt remaining butter; brush on dough. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll dough, jelly roll style, starting with the longer side. Cut into 14 slices, 1 inch each. Place rolls, cut side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, melt butter in a saucepan; stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla, salt and 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar; beat until well blended. Add more sugar, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over rolls. Yields: 14 rolls.

210.9 calories
5.7 g fat
41.3 g carbohydrate
2.2 g fiber
4.1 g protein