Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins

I noticed last night that it seems like I am posting a pumpkin recipe every week lately. This was not intentional, but see, when I kept hearing about pumpkin shortages, I got scared. I’m not sure why because I live in the South. But, that didn’t really matter to me. I HAD to get to the store to get as much pumpkin as possible. So, see, I have a lot of cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry and they need to be used to make way for my husband’s cans of Chef Boyardee….

I’ve been having a craving for a good muffin lately. But, at the same time, I’ve also been feeling pretty carb-heavy the past few days. Perhaps it was those gooey chocolate drop cookies I made over the weekend. I had to compromise. A muffin loaded with white flour and sugar was not an option. A low-carb muffin was the way to go. I actually attempted (yeah, attempted) to make these muffins earlier in the week. I tried to make them using flax seed meal as my “flour” and I added way, WAY too much pumpkin. And let me tell you folks, they were NOT good. I had an entire batch of yuck on my hands. I couldn’t eat them, so in the trash they went. Now, I’m not the type that likes to give up, no, not me.

I think the big issue with my first batch was that the batter was too wet. It needed something other than just the flax seeds, so I opted to use some almond flour. Almond flour is a wonderful alternative for low-carbers and it’s gluten-free! I had hoped that these muffins would have risen a little more than they did, but they were still pretty good and I would make them again. These muffins are not only tasty, but because of the almonds, flax seeds, and pumpkin, they are also really healthy so you can enjoy these little guys any time of the day! If you want to kick these up a bit, you can add nuts, raisins, or cranberries. Or enjoy them with some cream cheese spread on top! Either way, these are muffins you can feel good about eating!

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops

I hope y’all like chocolate because with these awesome gooey chocolate cookies, you are gonna get a lot of it! I am bringing you another recipe from my bridal shower cookbook! This amazing cookie recipe comes from my sister-in-law, Carrie! Carrie put a few delicious recipes in the book, but this cookie recipe just sounded too good to pass up! These cookies have lots of chocolate baked right into the dough and with the addition of the ooey gooey chocolate chunks, these are sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings and then some!

The only ONLY thing I might change next time is the cinnamon. I liked the flavor it added, but I’m not sure if I added too much accidentally or what, but I did feel it was a little much so next time I think I will cut the cinnamon in half or just leave it out.

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

– 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

– 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

– 1 cup packed light brown sugar

– 1 1/2 cups sugar

– 1 tsp. vanilla extract

– 4 large eggs

– 2 tbs. buttermilk

– 1 cup flour

– 1/2 cup cocoa

– 1 tsp. cinnamon

– 1/2 tsp. salt

– 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter, unsweetened, and semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl. Microwave until soft and mix together (or you can use a double boiler). Mix the light brown sugar, sugar, vanilla into the chocolate. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until the mixture is thick and glossy.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks. Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons on a lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 13 minutes or until cookies are soft and fudgey inside..

Spicy Cheddar Witch Fingers

As Halloween is rapidly approaching, I have had the urge to get in the kitchen to make festive treats! As I was flipping through the October issue of Food and Wine, I came across a spread on Halloween goodies. There were quite a few recipes that looked great to me, cute ghostie cake pops, little chocolate mice, but noooo, I just had to pick these creepy-ass witch fingers. I don’t know why these looked so appealing to me, but I think it was because of the word “cheddar”. Yeah, I think it was the cheese. These may not look cute, but believe me when I say they are tasty and super addicting!

These go over really well at parties and whenever I bring them, everyone always gobbles them right up and then asks for the recipe! The great thing about this recipe too is even though they are shaped into creepy witch fingers, you could easily form them into a different shape and make them any time of the year! These kind of remind me of a Cheezit, but they have a softer texture so they are like a soft biscuit-like cracker.

Yield: 2-3 dozen fingers

Spicy Cheddar Witch Fingers

Print

A spooky and delicious savory treat that adults and kids can enjoy!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
• sliced almonds (about 1/3 cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Grate the cheese in a food processor. Add the butter, salt, and cayenne pepper and process until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour and pulse until the flour is well-combined. Remove the dough and knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth.
2. Divide the dough into approximately 24-36 pieces (I only got 2 dozen out of this recipe because I made my fingers a little larger I think). Roll each piece into a 4-inch finger. Arrange the fingers on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a butter knife, make small lines in each finger to resemble the knuckles. Brush each finger with the egg wash. Place an almond at the tip of each nail to look like a finger nail. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. If using separate pans, bake fingers on top and lower thirds of the oven. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Rotate the pans halfway through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74 Total Fat: 6g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 50mg Carbohydrates: 4g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 2g

Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Crisp

Yesterday was a bad day at work. I lost some of my data I had been working on and I can’t get it back so now I have to re-do some of my work! Wahhhhhhh!! Why do computers have to be so darn complicated?! After having a bad day at work, I was really looking forward to coming home to this caramel apple crisp. I’ve been so into using pumpkin in my recipes lately that I realized I forgot one of my other favorite fall ingredients, apples! I wanted to make a good dessert this week, but without all the sugar. This apple crisp was so easy to throw together and it tasted really good for a sugar-free dessert! If you don’t mind the sugar, you could just swap out the Splenda for regular sugar. There is nothing better than apples baking away in the oven!

Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Crisp

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Apple Filling:

– 6 apples (I used McIntosh), peeled and sliced into small slices or cubes

– 1/2 cup Splenda granular

– 1 tbs. lemon juice

– 1 tsp. cinnamon

– 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

– pinch of salt

– 1 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Topping:

– 1 cup oat flour

– 1 cup quick oats

– 1/4 cup Splenda granular

– 3 tbs. butter, melted

– 1/4-1/2 cup sugar-free caramel topping

Optional toppings: Sugar-free/no sugar added vanilla ice cream, additional caramel, nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add diced apples to a bowl. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, splenda, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well. Add mixture into a small baking dish. Evenly distribute the small butter cubes around the dish. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, and splenda. Add melted butter and stir well into the mixture. If mixture still seems really dry and powdery, you may want to add some additional butter. Sprinkle the flour and oat mixture evenly over the apples. Drizzle with the caramel topping on top. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the topping has browned and apple mixture begins to slightly bubble over the topping. Serve with ice cream and additional caramel!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup

I’ve been on a total soup kick lately. I guess it’s the change in season, but really, I love soups year ’round. I hope you all aren’t getting sick of soup recipes because I’m gonna keep it going! I love soup because the possibilities for recipes are endless! I’ve actually never cooked with butternut squash until now (I know, for shame!!). I really didn’t know what I was doing with this soup, but it turned out really good. Since I made this on the fly and didn’t have a pumpkin handy, I used canned pumpkin, but you can roast your own pumpkin along with the squash if you wanted to. This soup is thick and filling, but without all the calories! I froze it in individual containers so I can take some to work every day this week!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash

– 1 can pumpkin puree

– 4 cups (2 cans) chicken broth

– 1/2 cup chopped onion

– 2 garlic cloves, minced

– 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for roasting)

– 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

– 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

– 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

– 1/2 tsp. cayenne (add more for more heat if you prefer)

– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel squash and remove seeds. Chop into smaller pieces. Add squash onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want, you can also sprinkle some cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves on top (I did, and it was yummy!). Roast squash for approximately 20-25 minutes or until tender.

2. In a food processor or blender (remove the top part of the lid if using a blender), puree the roasted butternut squash with the chicken broth. Add pumpkin and mix until well combined.

2. In a large pot, heat 2 tbs. of extra virgin olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add squash and pumpkin mixture. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer soup for 20 minutes before serving.

Notes:
– I like this soup to be on the thicker side. If you don’t want it to be as thick, add additional broth, water, or even some milk.
– If you would prefer this soup to not have a sweet taste to it, omit cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

Last night was a hot cocoa kind of night. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any more Swiss Miss. What I did have though, was a huge bag of chocolate chips. Time to make our own cocoa! I’ve seen recipes in the past for red velvet hot chocolate and I personally love love LOVE red velvet anything so I decided to give it a try! This hot chocolate definitely hit the spot! It was pretty rich so a small cup was all I needed! I didn’t feel the need to add any sugar to this, but you can sweeten it however you please and can use any kind of milk.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

Serves 2

Ingredients:

– 2 cups milk

– 1/4 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

– 1 tsp. red food coloring (add more for deeper red color)

– Optional: sugar to taste, marshmallows, whipped cream

Directions:

1. Heat milk on medium heat in a sauce pan. Whisk in sugar. Add chocolate chips and continue whisking until chocolate is completely melted. Add food coloring. Serve hot cocoa with whipped cream or marshmallows!