Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

There is this lovely bakery in Indianapolis, Indiana called Rene's. Albert, the owner, is a great guy with some amazing desserts. I fell in love with his fruit tarts a few years ago and he gifted a few hundred of them to us for our wedding reception! They were perfect little treats tucked in between the large cupcake and orchid centerpieces....mmmmm. Well once I moved past the fruit tarts, I found that just about everything he makes is as delicious as the fruit tarts. But by far my favorite item in his kitchen are the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. I have never asked him for the recipe, but here is my own attempt.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegan cane sugar
1/4 cup organic canola oil
2 free range eggs
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 - 1 tsp ground ginger
1 -2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
( I didn't have clove, but that might be a great addition 1/2 -1 tsp of ground clove)


Preheat the oven to 350. Grease large muffin tin. Whisk sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl whisk together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture to dry mixture (like you would when making Chocolate Chip Cookies). Do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill large muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (should yeild 6 muffins). Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Let cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn out and eat!

Bejeezus 12 Tease: Spooktacular Pumpkin Roll

So, the theme of 12 is "Ghosts". My PacMan Ghost Iced Sugar Cookie is coming soon, but for now you are left with the Spooktacular Pumpkin Roll (adding a make-believe adjective qualifies this sweet treat for the ghost category, right)? I'd like to give you the recipe, but you sorta need to just buy Bejeezus 12 when it hits the stands. And you know I'll let you know when it hits the stands!




This particular roll is not vegan, but the vegan version of this recipe will be posted soon. Since I am not including the vegan recipe in Bejeezus 12, I feel no obligation to hold it back. I just need a little time to perfect it. Hold those horses!

Homemade Cookies 'N Cream Ice Cream

J, my radd husband, just turned 31 and he wanted some Cookies 'N Cream Ice Cream made by his lovely. So, I attempted home made ice cream. I had made Raspberry Sorbet this past summer with much success so I thought Ice Cream would be a breeze. Honestly, this stuff is super easy (if you have an electric ice cream maker)! The best thing about making this delicious stuff at home is that it is softer than store bought ice cream and it is completely perfect to share.

Recipe:
1 cup organic heavy cream
3/4 cup vegan cane sugar sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean (sliced lengthwise and scrape those beans into pan)

Simmer above ingredients until sugar melts into mixture. Stir it out while simmering. Add above mixture to bowl with:

2 cups organic heavy cream
1 cup organic whole milk
(and throw the skin of the vanilla bean in the bowl)

Refrigerate overnight (or until cold). Pour mixture into electric ice cream maker. Let it get to the consistency of a Frosty and add as many crushed Newman O's to the mix as you can! At this point my ice cream maker overflowed (too many cookies) so I had to run down the street with the over flowing ice cream and share with friends. Next I'm going to try Strawberry Sorbet and Chocolate Ice Cream.

C is for Cookie

Hillary,
I totally lied. Those delicious chocolate chips were from Lotsa Pasta. They are like $4.00 a half pint so I only use them for special occasions (like every other batch...hehe). I forgot that I used those when you asked, oops! But, if you are not too biased, lookie lookie what I have here.

Cornelius Chocolate Chip Cookie, UPDATE!

Andy Cornelius Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe COMING SOON! Andy and Alicia live a few blocks down the street from us in ol' Butchertown. We frequently share meals and time with these two folks. And we love 'em soooo much that that we don't wanna leave this city.

Cookie Above. Andy Below.



Recipe:
(typed by Brooke from Andy's chicken scratch on wine soaked notebook paper)

In one Bowl:
2 cups of flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup pureed quick oats (in food processor)

In another Bowl:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks of room temp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix both bowls together, but don't over mix.
Add 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate bar, shaved
Add 1 bag whole foods semi-sweet chips
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts

Refrigerate for 30 minutes

Make a ball (larger than a golf ball, smaller than a lime) and place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet

Bake @ 350 for 15-23 minutes

His always turn out better than mine :(