Sunday, September 29, 2013

Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte and a few other homemade Lattes

I created this Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe in 2011. We make it during Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's become a family favorite. My wife and I were just drinking a cup of Starbuck's Via Pumpkin Latte, she reminded me of this recipe and I had forgotten to post it on the blog.

Note: If you don't have an espresso machine, you can brew espresso strength coffee with your coffee maker. ( to brew espresso strength drip coffee) 1 C grounds to 4 C of water. It's not quite the same, but it will be a good substitute. I use a Bialeti stove top espresso maker.
I will start making this before Thanksgiving...... It would be great for Fall.


Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte:

This makes 14 cups.

4 C espresso coffee
1/2 gallon (8C) of Whole Milk
3/4 C canned 100% Pure Pumpkin ( not Pumpkin Pie Pumpin in a can) there is a difference! I make my own from a Sugar Pumpkin.
2 TBS vanilla
1 TBS + 1tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice ( the homemade recipe is on the blog under Tips, Hints, and More incase you don't have access to the spice) I make quite a bit and store it in a jar in the pantry.
3/4 C  pure Maple Syrup ( the best you can afford)

Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours.


Here's another homemade Pumpkin Latte recipe:
This recipe makes 1 serving.

1 C Whole Milk
2 TBS Pumpkin Puree
1 TBS Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice + additional for garnish.
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1/4 C Hot Espresso Coffee ( I use instant Medaglia d'Oro Espresso Coffee if I'm too lazy to use the Espresso Machine)

In a glass bowl or measuring cup:
Milk
Pumpkin
Sugar
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Vanilla
Whisk well.
Heat in  a microwave safe bowl covered with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole.
Heat 1 - 2 minutes.
Whisk vigorously until the milk is foamy, 30 seconds.
Add Espresso Coffee to a Coffee Mug, add foamed milk, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of Pumpkin Pie Spice.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Here's one more recipe for homemade Pumpkin Latte:

1 C unsweetened Almond Milk
2 TBS 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 TBS Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground Ginger
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Shots of Espresso Coffee ( I use instant Medaglia d'Oro Espresso Coffee if I'm too lazy to use the Espresso Machine)
In a saucepan:
Milk
Pumpkin
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Ginger
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Bring to a boil, whisking.
Remove from heat and whisk in the Vanilla.
Whisk vigorously by hand, to froth.
Add Coffee to a Mug and top it off with the Pumpkin Milk.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



Almond Mocha Latte:

1 C Silk Almond Milk
1/2 C Espresso Coffee (prepared)
1 TBS Chocolate Syrup
1/8 tsp almond extract

In a saucepan, on medium/low heat:
Simmer milk
Add coffee and syrup, continue to heat for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add almond extract.
Pour into a mug.
Serve hot!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Gingerbread Latte:

There are so many variations of homemade Gingerbread Lattes. I like this one the best. We have a local coffee company that makes all of their flavors from scratch for spiced lattes. I like the concept of a Gingerbread Syrup for a homemade Gingerbread Latte.


Gingerbread Syrup:
1 1/2 C Water
1 1/4 C granulated Sugar
1 TBS ground Ginger
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Vanilla

In a saucepan on medium heat:
Water
Sugar
Ginger
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Clove
Salt
Stir to combine and bring to a boil without stirring.
Reduce heat and simmer until it begins to thicken, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Swirl the pan without stirring the mixture.
Remove from heat and add Vanilla.
Cool completely.
Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

To make a Gingerbread Latte:
Add a desired amount of Gingerbread Syrup to a cup of hot Coffee.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


This makes a hot, instant, homemade Cappuccino drink.

2 C non dairy coffee creamer
1 C instant dry milk
1 1/2 TBS Chocolate Nesquik
2/3 C instant coffee ( I use Medaglia D'Oro instant espresso) ( Folger's or Nescafe)
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C Confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
a dash of vanilla

Mix all but the vanilla
Store in a sealed container

Use 3 rounded TBS of the mix per cup of hot water
Add a dash of Vanilla to each cup of Cappuccino.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



We had some amazing Chai Tea while on vacation in L.A.
Our son Taylor introduced us to Dirty Chai Latte.
Here's a great recipe to make your own mix.
It reminded me of Christmas  and I'll make this mix and have it available to serve during the Holidays.

Homemade Chai Tea Mix.
This is my favorite mix.
I simply double the recipe for two of us.
When it's finished, I strain it into a 2 C Pyrex Measuring Cup. It' makes it easier to divide for two drinks.
I also use an espresso cup to measure the coffee for our individual Latte.

For each 8 oz. cup of Chai tea:
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C water
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp loose Black Tea Leaves. I buy my tea leaves at an Indian Market.
1/4 tsp Chai Massala Mix. (recipe to follow)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.
Heat until bubbles appear around the perimeter of the pan.
Stir often to avoid scalding the milk. Adjust the heat if necessary.
Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir well.
Return to heat and bring to boil again, turn off the heat, remove the pan and stir again.
Set aside and allow to steep for 3 minutes.
Strain into a mug and serve hot.
NOTE:
Enjoy it by itself as a Chai Tea Latte.
For a Dirty Chai Tea Latte, add 1 shot of espresso.
For a Filthy Chai Tea Latte, add 2 shots of espresso.


Chai Masala Mix:
1 C + 3 TBS roughly ground black pepper
3/4 C + 1 TBS ground ginger
1/4 C +2 TBS ground cinnamon
1/4 C + 2 TBS ground Cardamom
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground nutmeg.





Namaste!



Saturday, September 28, 2013

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies / Ree Drummond / The Pioneer Woman


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies:

I just saw these on an episode of The Pioneer Woman. It may not be new to some of you, I've never seen these before.
They are simple, quick and delicious.
I decided to simply re post her recipe.

Refrigerator Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Miniature Reeses Pieces Peanut Butter Cups



  • Refrigerator Cookie Dough
  • Miniature Chocolate Candies (Miniature Reeses Pieces Peanut Butter Cups)

Preparation Instructions

Slice the cookie dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices. Lay the slices on their side and cut them into quarters. Place each quarter into a greased mini-muffin tin. Peel the wrapper from as many pieces of candy as cookies you’re going to make. 
Bake the cookie dough in a 350-degree oven for just a few minutes, about 6 to 8 at the most. You’ll want to take them out just when they start to turn golden.
Almost as soon as you pull the warm cookies from the oven, begin lightly pressing one piece of candy into each cookie. The warmer the cookies, the better. They’ll grab onto the pieces of candy and work their magic, making the candy nice and soft and melty. 
When they’re all done, carefully remove from muffin tins with a spoon and arrange on a nice decorative platter.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Apple Cake / Thanksgiving 2013

This recipe was first published in 1973 by Jean Hewitt, former Home Economist at the New York Times.
It was shared by Food 52
The Tube pan is perfect for this cake. It maximizes the crust surface area and creates height.

Grease a Tube Pan ( I use my Pan Release Recipe on the blog under Tips, Hints and More)
I refer to this Pan Release often. It's the only mix I use to grease any sweet recipes I bake.

3 C flour
1 1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3 apples ( I prefer Jonagold  or Granny Smith, Honey Crips), peeled, cored and sliced
1 C coarsely chopped walnuts
1 C raisins ( can be soaked in Irish Whiskey as an option) Just enough to cover them, let them sit overnight, drain and drink the whiskey in a cup of coffee!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment:
oil
sugar
Beat for 5 minutes

Add eggs and continue to mix until creamy

In a separate bowl, whisk:
flour
salt
cinnamon
baking soda
Add to batter

Add:
vanilla
apples
walnuts
raisins
Mix well just until combined

Pour batter into prepared pan
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes
Cool before serving
Dust with confectioner's sugar to serve.




Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Ratatouille! Dallas Morning News Taste Section 9/25/2013

I was so excited when I saw the Taste section this morning. The title was" Crisp and Crunchy". Of course I was thinking about Fall, Apples, Apple Crisp, Crunchy topped Cobblers? No, it wasn't even close. It wasn't even Sweet or Vegetarian. I can't go into the story here.
So I kept reading. And then I saw it.... "Fresh Apples are piled high at local stores". I was thinking.... well,..... you know what I was thinking. Anyway, it wasn't about Fall, Apples, etc,
I kept reading. I was a little disappointed by now.
There was a recipe for Skillet Jalapeno Cornbread, blah, blah, blah, I've posted my Best of the Best Recipe for that.
By now I'm worried that I won't have a recipe for today. Then I saw, Jacques Pepin's Ratatouille.
How perfect is that? It's made with Eggplant and Zucchini,  they're Fall vegetables and it's Vegetarian.
It all made sense to me at this point. I'll post the Ratatouille Recipe.

I made this for dinner on September 29th. It is a favorite. It makes enough to feed a family of 4 - 6.
It's the best Ratatouille we've ever tasted. It is definitely considered a Best of the Best Recipe !
I wish the pictures were in order, I didn't want to take the time to shuffle them around.


Jacques Pepin's Ratatouille:

1/4 C olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 large gren bell pepper, chopped
1 large eggplant, trimmed at both ends. Cut into 1" pieces
4 small zucchini, trimmed at both ends and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 garlic cloves, sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 C shredded fresh basil
black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan:
heat oil
onion
green pepper
Saute 5 minutes on medium high heat

Add:
eggplant
zucchini
pepper flakes
salt
Reduce heat and cook covered for 25 minutes
Stir occasionally

Add:
garlic
tomatoes
cook for an additional 5 minutes

Remove from heat
Transfer to a serving bowl
Cool to room temperature

Just before serving:
Stir in 1/2 the basil
Sprinkle remaining basil on top
Garnish with a few TBS of olive oil and black pepper

Source:
The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook, 2007, St. Martin's Press / Akron Beacon Journal

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


This picture is deceiving. the bowl is 13" in diameter and 6" deep.
There's Ratatouille under the Rigatoni too.

This All Clad Saute Pan is 11" in diameter and 2 1/2 " deep.
This recipe made a lot.

Ratatouille !
I ended up topping it with Grated Parmesan Cheese.



Apple Pie Cookies

We have an annual Harvest Festival at our Church and it's this weekend.
We raise money for Mission Trips and other amazing community outreach programs.
Part of the events include a bake sale.
I'm working on a new recipe to take this Saturday.
If it turns out well, I'll post the recipe and pictures!
Otherwise, it's back to the recipe file to take something else.



They turned out well.
This is an original recipe.

Apple Pie Cookies:

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 TBS light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1egg
1 2/3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 C quick oats
1 TBS apple pie spice
1 C chopped dried apples

Stand Mixer:
butter
sugar
syrup
vanilla
Beat until creamy

Add egg
Mix well
Leave in the bowl of the mixer

In a small bowl:
flour
salt
baking soda
oats
apple pie spice
Mix well.
Add to batter, mix on low speed until incorporated

Fold in apples by hand
Refrigerate dough 1 hour

Line baking sheets with parchment paper
Use a 1 1/2" cookie scoop and place cookies 2" apart
Bake at 375 for 10 -12 minutes
Cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!





Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Mexican Minestrone Soup

1 (15oz.) can of kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 C prepared chunky salsa
1 C corn
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can of vegetable broth ( or 2 C vegetarian chicken broth or regular chicken broth for non vegetarians)
3/4 C elbow macaroni
1 C combined ( red and green bell pepper) diced
1 C sliced cabbage
1 TBS Adobo Seasoning

Combine all
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer until macaroni is tender

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Tomato Lentil Soup

Fall = Soup! Another simple equation!

I will try to list all of my soup recipes on this page at a later date.


1 TBS olive oil
2 C chopped red onion
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
3 C water
2 C dried lentils
3 ( 14oz.) cans vegetable broth
2 (14oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven
Saute onion 3 minutes
Add:
spices
water
lentils
broth
tomatoes with juice
Bring to a boil
Reduce , simmer on low for 45 minutes

Blend 1/2 of the soup in a blender and add it back to the pot
Stir well
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!