Pepper Paints

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

This is a perfectly moist, perfectly spiced (not too much) pumpkin cake.Perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving or breakfast for those who can’t wait until then!

350 degrees

12 x 18 would work  I used a Bundt pan–greased and floured

Beat:

1 1/4 cups oil

2 cups brown sugar

Add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups canned pumpkin (or one 15 oz can)

4 eggs–beat in 1 at a time

Gradually beat in:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Bake 30 minutes or longer for Bundt pan

When cool can be frosted or left as is. I whipped up a cream cheese frosting that I could eat all by itself by the bowl full!! I tinted it orange for a festive touch!

Thursday’s Recipe … Overnight Coffee Cake

Years ago I followed a “large family blog”. Not that my family is all that large but she posted hints and tips and recipes. I used to half this recipe but with 2 working teen aged boys in my home these days–plus a zillion friends that seem to be here eating several days a week, a double recipe worked out just fine.

The Hoover at work!

Luckily there was still this pan full for the rest of us!

Overnight Coffee Cake

Beat the following until fluffy–

4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups coconut oil, 2 t vanilla  (I used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter)

Mix with a whisk–

6 cups pastry flour, 8 t baking powder, 2 t salt  ( I also added cinnamon)

Add dry alternately with 2 cups of milk or buttermilk (I used plain yogurt)

Pour into 2 oiled 9x 13 pans  (I used 1 9x 13 and 1 deep dish pie pan)

Lay fruit on top ( I used a  frozen berry mixture)

Topping– 1 1/2 c sugar, 1 1/3 c flour, 2t cinnamon, cut in enough butter to make it crumbly)

Put in fridge overnight

Bake 350 for 40 minutes

Thursday’s Recipe … A Bread Wreath

The basic dough recipe makes 4 loaves

It is a sweet  and tasty dough

In a large bowl mix the following together:

2 cups luke warm water

1 1/2 T yeast

3 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup melted butter or oil

Add:

6 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

Cover loosely and let rise about 2 hrs

At this point divide dough into 4 balls—freeze (up to 1 month) or refrigerate (up to 5 days) unused portions

Cloak dough and form a ball. Poke hole in center with thumbs and stretch about an 8 inch circle in center

Place on parchment on cookie sheet, cover loosely about 25 mins.

Heat oven to 350

With scissors, cut slightly angled, horizontal cuts almost all the way through the bread. Spread pieces out. You can brush the top with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

Bake about 35 minutes.

I have three more loaves I turn into tasty bread wreaths —- I might just use them to impress my family and friends with on my Thanksgiving table!!

This was yet another idea/recipe from Family Fun!

Thursday’s Recipe … Mini Stuffed Leaf Pies

You start with pie crust for these and because I don’t make pie crust I bought some from the refrigerated section of my grocery. That right there makes this recipe a little easier to tackle!

Roll out pie crust on a floured surface. You have to roll these rather thin.  Use leaf shape cutters to cut out leaf pairs.

Fill one side of your leaves with any of the following: chocolate chips, marshmallows, peanut butter, nuts, cream cheese and jam or a combination of any of these.

Brush the edges of the leaves that hold the stuffing with an egg wash (1 egg scrambled with 1 teaspoon of water). Put matching leaf cover on top and pinch the edges together–like a pie crust.

Brush the egg wash on the tops of each mini pie and sprinkle with colored sugar and regular sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or until edges are brown.

It  is hard to tell what is hiding inside each little pie so if some little people … I am not naming names…. have an issue with some of the contents of the leaves you may want to use certain shapes for certain inards …. or risk most of the little pies either torn in half or left with bites taken out of them to see if they picked the right one! Or maybe that’s just my picky family.

Thursday’s Recipe …. Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Here is yet another recipe for summer’s zucchini bounty! This is a super light and moist cake. Forgive the poor photo–I barely had the chance to take a picture they ate the cake so fast!

3/4 cup oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini (or more )

1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk (I used some of my homemade yogurt)

3 T cocoa powder

1/2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t cloves

2 1/2 cups of flour

as many chocolate chips as you want

I also I have been known to add some cayenne pepper to this chocolaty cake! Goes great with the other spices and chocolate.

Heat the oven to 350  Grease a 9×13 pan  Mix all ingredients and bake 30-35 minutes

Thursday Recipe – Lemon Berry Bars & Perfect No Cook Dinner

I know I usually post a photo to entice you….but I am going to leave you in suspense (or you can scroll down–but you shouldn’t -it will ruin it for you!!)

Lemon Berry Bars

Preheat 350    Grease a 9 inch square pan

For crust

Beat 1 cup softened butter with 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 T ice water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat until mixture forms a ball. Put in fridge for 10 minutes

Bake crust until golden and firm about 15 mins  Let cool completely  Reduce the oven temp to 325

Spread 3/4 cup of jam evenly over crust

In a bowl whisk together 6 lg eggs, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder  Pour over crust. Bake 20-25 mins   Let cool completely

First let me say I a a genius! I was out of powdered sugar so I googled and made my own!! sugar and cornstarch in the mixer = powder sugar!!

And now for the photo…………………………..

I am also a genius because I left it on the stove and my dogs ate it. I bet it was good.

But this is what we are having for dinner AGAIN tonight–too hot to cook and no time for dinner prep once again!!

Hummus and Tabouli  Pita Sandwiches

I usually make my own hummus and tabouli but sometimes I buy it!

I cut up tomatoes, onions and pickles (yes lots of pickles make this soooo tasty!!) and put out sprouts and lettuce. These are usually big and messy and really drippy by the end so we have started wrapping them in foil (and running out the door to eat them in the yard) so it’s almost like we have take out from The Pita Hut!

I would love to hear others no cook, low cook, easy summertime dinner ideas!!

Happy National Pretzel Day!!

April 26 is National Pretzel Day—who knew there was such a holiday?!

So in honor of National Pretzel Day here is a blast from the past (May 2008!)

Homemade Soft Pretzels

We followed a recipe that promised Aunt Annie’s Pretzels-like from the mall.  They weren’t exactly Aunt Annie’s but not too bad either.  I used white whole wheat flour for ours-white flour definitely would have been better.  Ours were really heavy.  And as far s the amount this recipe makes-unless you are feeding an army cut this recipe in half as this makes at least a dozen pretzels and they don’t save well.

Aunt Annie’s Soft Pretzel Recipe

In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 tsp live active yeast with 1 1/2 cups 110 degree water, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar and dash of salt.  Let sit 5 minutes

Add 4 cups flour mix well and knead for 5 minutes

Put in greased bowl and cover with damp towel and let sit 1 hour in a warm place.

Divide into 8 to 12 pieces -we divided into 16 pieces-and they were still pretty thick.

Roll into rope and shape , dip into 1/4 cup warm water that has 1 tablespoon baking soda mixed in.

Bake at 500 degrees for 8 minutes

Brush liberally with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt or 2 tablespoons mixed with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or parmesan cheese and garlic salt and serve with marinara sauce.

Mmmmmmmm!