Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 (15 oz) can evaporated milk
4 Tbs butter, melted and cooled slightly

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the two eggs together. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree and evaporated milk, and mix well. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, stirring to incorporate.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Cook waffles on waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. The batter will work for both Belgian and standard waffle irons.

Wellesley Fudge Cake

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together 3 times and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat water, chocolate and 1/2 cup sugar, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg. Add half of flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add milk and remaining flour mixture alternately in 2 parts. Beat smooth after each addition. Add vanilla and chocolate mixture. Blend well.
4. Divide batter into two 9 inch pans. Bake at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

French Lentil and Vegetable Soup

by Ina Garten

Serving Size : 12

16 ounces lentils -- Small French green lentils are preferred over the larger brown ones.
boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large onions -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2 large leeks -- white and tender green parts only, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 whole celery ribs -- chopped
6 medium carrots -- diced into 1/2" pieces
3 quarts chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry red wine -- or red wine vinegar

In a large heatproof bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot (at least 5 quart size). Add onions, garlic, leeks, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery and cook until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, lentils, and tomato paste to the pot. Increase the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very tender (about 1 hour).

Stir in red wine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil if desired, and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

**BY all means, replace the chicken broth with a good mushroom or veggie broth for a vegetarian version of this soup.

Potato Pancakes

from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

4 medium potatoes
4 large eggs, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for cooking

Wash, peel, and shred potatoes. Place them in a colander and rinse them off. Pat dry.

Mix potatoes, eggs, onions, flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or griddle.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Flatten and spread out with a spatula if necessary to evenly distribute the pancakes.

Cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200º oven while cooking the remaining pancakes. Serve warm with butter, sour cream, and applesauce.

Asian Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Sauce

Dumplings:
1 pound ground pork
1 cup scallions
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely chopped napa cabbage (green cabbage is acceptable)
Won-ton wrappers
water for sealing wrappers

Soy-Ginger Sauce:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
2 Tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 or 3 drops sesame oil

Mix meat, scallions, soy sauce, ginger, and black pepper together. Add cabbage and mix well. Lay out 2 or 3 won ton wrappers. Add a scant tablespoon to the center of each won ton. Brush water around the edges, and carefully fold over the won ton wrappers, keeping the meat mixture in the center, and sealing all the edges. Pleat and fold as desired to desired shape. Set aside on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour while making remaining dumplings.

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan. Gently set dumplings in the pan. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Working quickly, add 1/2 cup water to the pan and quickly put on the lid. This will steam the dumplings and complete the cooking. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to keep the dumplings from sticking. Remove from the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Serve with dipping sauce.

*Alternately, the dumplings can be completely steamed in a steamer pot to avoid the frying process.

Herbed Baked Eggs

by Ina Garten

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Cherry Cordial Cookies

1/2 cup butter -- softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 jar maraschino cherries,whole -- drained, juice reserved
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until well combined. Mix in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Gently mix in until combined.

Roll bits of dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press down in the center of each ball with your thumb to make a small indentation.

Place one drained cherry in each of the indentations.

In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly until well blended.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the chocolate sauce over each of the cherries.

Bake cookies in a 350ºF oven for 12-13 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.

If desired, drizzle cookies with a glaze made from powdered sugar, cherry juice, and red food coloring.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Zucchini Squares

4 large eggs -- beaten until smooth
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian spice blend (I used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset)
1/2 teaspoon grey salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquik Heart Smart)
4 cups zucchini -- grated and squeezed to remove excess moisture
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- grated (or mozarella)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce -- for dipping

To the eggs add, parsley, spice blend, salt, garlic powder, oil & biscuit mix.

Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients, stir until mixed.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake 350f oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden.

Cut into squares.

Serve warm or cool with marinara sauce for dunking in.

Orange-Fennel Cookies

1 orange
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
2 cups all-purpose flour
turbinado sugar
Simple glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 drop orange oil
2 teaspoons milk

Remove the zest from the orange using a zester. Measure 2 teaspoons of orange peel. Juice the orange and measure 2 tablespoons of juice.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until well combined. Add the orange juice, zest, eggs, vanilla, and the fennel seeds. Stir in the flour. Wrap the dough well in plastic and refrigerate for several hours, or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Shape the dough into 3/4 inch balls. Roll the balls in the turbinado sugar to coat and place on an ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press down on them slightly with a glass to flatten a bit. Bake in a preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Combine the simple glaze ingredients, adding more milk if necessary to get a good consistency. Lightly drizzle the cookies with the glaze and allow to set completely.

To store, layer in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

English Toffee

4 cups pecans -- finely chopped
1 pound butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 pound milk chocolate

Butter a 12x18 baking sheet; cover with pecans and set aside. In a heavy 3 qt saucepan, combine butter, water, corn syrup, and sugar. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low; remove wooden spoon.

Clip on candy thermometer. Cook syrup to 290F or soft crack stage. Remove from heat immediately and pour over pecans. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

Melt chocolate. Spread over the top of the toffee. Sprinkle warm chocolate with nuts if desired- pressing lightly so they adhere.

Allow to stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Break into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes 4-5 pounds- or around 150 pieces.

White Chocolate-Peppermint Drops

8 ounces *white chocolate baking squares (with cocoa butter)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup peppermint chips (such as Andes or Guittard)
(or sub in 2/3 cup crushed peppermint candy canes)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Chop 4 ounces of the white chocolate, set aside. In a small saucepan, cook and stir the remaining 4 ounces white chocolate over low heat until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the baking powder and salt, mix well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Beat in about half of the flour. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining flour until combined, and then fold in the chopped white chocolate and peppermint chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 375ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Makes about 50 cookies.

*Be sure to use a good quality white chocolate for the melting chocolate. White chocolate chips will not work in the dough for melting. However, chips would be a fine substitute for chopping the remaining white chocolate.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together with a mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix well to combine. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Roll the cookie dough into small 3/4 inch balls. Roll each ball of dough well in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 45 cookies.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

adapted from a recipe by April at Cookworm

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 4 cups cooked black beans)
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squashed, cooked, cooled, and mashed (or 1 15-oz can)
1/2 lb Mexican chorizo, crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, ground
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips and parsley to garnish

Heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook until onions are translucent. Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stir for a few seconds, then add the beans, pumpkin, and stock. Cover and cook on medium-low for 30 to 40 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and parsley.

Makes about 4 servings

Beef Carnitas

from Cooking Light Magazine


Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves -- crushed
2 pounds beef stew meat -- trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large unpeeled orange wedge

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray

. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes or until beef is browned on all sides.

Stir in broth, sugar, salt, and pepper; nestle orange section into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove and discard orange. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Yield:
"4 Cups"

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

adapted from Cooking Light, October 2002

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste (I like Pataks)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

Combine onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until minced.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture, sugar, and curry to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, water, salt, and Garam Masala; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

Serve over basmati rice with plain yogurt and chutney.

Makes about 3 servings.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls- Half Batch

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 C whole milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
4 C flour
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp salt
Filling:
1 C melted butter
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C cinnamon (or more depending on preference)
Frosting:
1/2 bag powdered sugar
1/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter
1 pinch salt

Mix whole milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald to 150 degrees. Let cool until lukewarm. Sprinkle in yeast and let sit. Then add 4 C flour, stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for one hour. Add 1/2 C flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together.

Sprinkle surface generously with flour and form into a rectangle, roll the dough thin, maintaining a rectangular shape. Drizzle melted butter over dough. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough toward you. Pinch the seam to seal it. Grease foil cake or pie pans. Cut rolls 3/4 to 1 inch thick and lay in greased pans. Cover the rolls and let sit for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15 to 18 minutes.

Combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Generously drizzle frosting over warm mrolls after they come out of the oven.

Pecan Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (try Judy's Flaky Pie Crust for a no-fail recipe)
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup (I like Karo's brown sugar syrup)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (use good quality 60% cacao chips)

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place the pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate. Brush with egg yolk, if desired. Set aside for a minute.

Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely toasted, but not burnt.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Stir in the toasted nuts and chocolate chips.

Place the empty pie shell in the oven for just a minute to warm the pie crust. It should be hot to the touch. Pour the filling in, and bake in a 375ºF oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The edges will be firm, but the center will still seem quivery, almost like gelatin. Let cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8 oz) packages Neufchatel cheese (less fat cream cheese), softened
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 or 4 ozs. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Put mayo, garlic, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until well-combined. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 3 minutes. Stir well. Heat for another 2 minutes, stir, and continue the process until the dip is hot and gooey and well-combined. Serve hot with sliced baguettes, veggies, or chips.

Can also be heated in a 350ºF oven for about 25 minutes.

Streuseled Sweet Potatoes

Serving Size : 10

2 40 oz. cans sweet potatoes -- drained
2 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Streusel:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts -- or pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter -- cut in small cubes

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine drained sweet potatoes, eggs, half and half, salt, black pepper and cinnamon. Mix with a hand mixer on low speed until well combined. Scoop sweet potato mixture into the baking dish.

For the streusel: In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, flour and salt. Mix with a fork. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the sweet potatoes.

Evenly scatter the butter pieces over the top of the streusel.

Place in a 350ºF oven and bake for 1 hour, or until streusel is nicely browned.

Can be made up to one day ahead and reheated in a 350ºF oven for about 15 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10.

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce

Serving Size : 8

12 ounces fresh cranberries -- picked over and rinsed
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 pinch salt

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add crushed pineapples, lemon juice and salt to the pan, stir well. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until nicely thickened.

Sauce can be served warm or cold, and can be made up to two days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered.