pumpkin pecan loaf

Ingredients

• No-Stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup light olive oil*
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 
  TOPPING
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsps. light olive oil

Directions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 9 x 5-inch loaf pan lightly with flour no-stick cooking spray.
• Stir olive oil and sugar together with spoon. Stir in eggs until blended. Add pumpkin and milk. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add to pumpkin mixture, stirring until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Combine 1/2 cup pecans, brown sugar and olive oil until mixed and crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan. 

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 60 min + 10 min cooling

Servings: 12

* I use pinto bean puree as a healthier alternative to the oil

Recipe Courtesy of Crisco

banana nut muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins

2. In  a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.

4. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire wisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes.

5. Add the melted butter, eggs and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

6. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.

7. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and fill them about halfway. Give them a tap on the counter to get any bubbles out.

8. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the  muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Servings: 12 (large muffins) or 24 (small)

* Recipe Courtesy of Tyler Florence

pumpkin white chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups (12-ounce bag) white chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off and cool them on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 0unce) package of cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend cream cheese first until smooth. Add sugar and blend. Add vanilla and mix. Spread  frosting on cooled cookies and enjoy!


*Recipe adapted from foodnetwork