Gluten Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I have to give credit where credit is due!  EmilyK has THE best bread recipe hands down.  It's even gluten free.  This recipe is soft, moist, sweet, and melt in your mouth good.  THIS is her GF Pumpkin Bread recipe that I drew inspiration from to make the coffee cake shown.

I doubled the recipe and used butter instead of shortening.  I added a yummy pecan topping, and my house smells like Fall.  Oh, cut the salt in half if you use regular butter.  It ended up taking just over an hour to cook, just test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.  I use Pamela's Gluten Free Artisan Flour.

Pecan Topping
1 heaping cup of chopped pecans
1/4 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbl. cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, diced

Cut all of the ingredients into a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or your hands.  Spread evenly on top of coffee cake batter.

Pear, Carrot, & Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup Egg Substitute or 4 Whole Large Eggs
1 cup Non-fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt(or plain)
1/3 cup Coconut Oil or Canola Oil
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbl. Gourmet Garden Ginger(or jarred)
1 Tbl. Vanilla

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Kosher Salt

3 medium size Pears, finely diced
2 cups Grated Carrot

Preheat oven to 350' and line 2 12 count cupcake pans with paper liners, or spray generously with non-stick spray.  Combine wet ingredients(first 6) in a medium bowl with wire whisk, set aside.  Combine dry ingredients(next 6) in a large bowl with another wire whisk.  Create a well in the center and add wet ingredients with large rubber spatula, just until mixed.  Add pears and carrots and combine gently.  Divide into 24 muffin liners and bake 18-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Serve warm with maple butter.

I love baking quick breads and muffins using the egg substitutes because they bake up higher and fluffier.  And the added benefits of being low or fat free and a much healthier choice.

Pumpkin Heath Coffee Cake

If I owned my own deli or restaurant, this would be on the menu.  I'd also top it off with a big dollop of maple whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  SO good!

Preheat oven to 375’

Combine wet ingredients with whisk attachment:

1 stick Nucoa margarine, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 whole eggs

½ cup liquid egg whites

1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree(not pie mix)

1 Tbl. Vanilla

½ tsp. maple flavoring

Whisk these wet ingredients together in large mixing bowl until combined well.  There will be little butter lumps, that’s okay.  This helps make an incredibly dense and rich cake.

Dry Ingredients:  Combine in a medium bowl with whisk.  

4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. kosher salt

Add half to cake mixture and mix until incorporated.  Add remaining dry ingredients and pour into very tall 9x13 greased pan.

Streusel Topping:

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar(white or brown)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup toffee or Heath pieces

Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add butter in slices and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork.   Fold in Heath pieces.  Spread topping evenly over cake.  Bake in a 375’ oven for 50-80 minutes.  It is done when a skewer comes out clean. 

Root Beer Float French Toast

A friend of mine mentioned a great little breakfast place in Colorado that serves Root Beer French Toast.  I've never eaten there, but I could only imagine.  So, I told the family about this and we all agreed I needed to come up with something too.  I think it was really funny that as I was cooking and taking pictures for my blog Julie & Julia was on in the background.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep tweaking this recipe here and there so check back!

The Root Beer Syrup

1 1/2 cups White Sugar, 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp. each butter extract and vanilla, 1 tsp. Root Beer Extract

I used this measuring cup only so you could see through it.  Use measuring cups and pour both sugars into a microwavable container.  Add 1 cup of very hot water and stir.  It will be cloudy.  You want to microwave it on high for 30 second intervals until it is clear and all sugar is dissolved like this....

Add 1 tsp. Root Beer extract, 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.  Stir and set aside.

Ingredients for the Root Beer French Toast

One Loaf French Bread

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Milk

1 tsp. Root Beer Extract

Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch of Salt

For Topping

Whipped Cream(in the can for the diner effect)

Maraschino Cherries

Butter

In a bowl or pie plate with at least 2" sides mix together eggs, milk, root beer extract and salt.  Oops, I forgot to take a picture of it, I also added about a tsp. of vanilla bean paste(or you could just use vanilla extract).  Not the prettiest color, huh.

Slice your French Bread into 1/2 inch slices.

Get your pan nice and hot.

Get your dipping station ready.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray(I use butter flavored).  When pan is very hot(water droplets should bounce off when sprinkled on the pan).  Dip bread in egg mixture, coating both sides, and add to pan.

When bottom of bread is brown and golden, spray the tops of the bread pieces with the non-stick spray.

Flip.

Mmmmmm.

Top with butter, syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry.

I couldn't understand the reviews as their mouths were quite full.  Something about mmmmhhhhuuuhhh whipped cream is mmmmhhhhuuuhhh so good with this mmmmhhhhuuuhhh.

By the way, the left over syrup was fantastic on some German Pancakes this morning!

PBB Muffins ('P'eanut 'B'utter 'B'anana)

Preheat oven to 375'. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray or use liners.

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flouor
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbl. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Wet Ingredients:
3 mashed, ripe bananas
1 Egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
Mash bananas and beat in egg, milk, and butter, will still be slightly lumpy.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to mix. Fold in 1 cup Peanut Butter Baking Chips. Batter should be slightly lumpy so don't overmix. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, and set aside.

Topping Ingredients:
1/3 cup softened/room temp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup crushed honey roasted peanuts

In a small mixing bowl cut the Topping ingredients together. Divide evenly and top the filled muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Breakfast Thin (WW=3.5 pts)

These are SO filling, you won't miss the fat at all!

1 Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin, Arnold or Orowheat(1)
1/8 cup Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided(1)
Dijonnaise Spread(0)
1 Tbl. Hormel 50% Less Fat Bacon Pieces(1)
1/4 cup Liquid Egg Whites(.5)
Open the Sandwich thin and spread bottom inside with about a teaspoon of Dijonnaise, sprinkle with half the cheese so it "sticks". Spray a small saucepan(I have a really small one, about 4" across, perfect for Egg McMuffins or 1 pancake) with non-stick butter spray and sprinkle with bacon pieces. When heated through add egg white. Stir slightly, you're making a patty, not scrambled eggs. Add salt & pepper if you like. Flip when bottom is set and top needs to be cooked. Top cooked through side with remaining cheese. Place on top of Dijonnaise & Cheese topped bottom when cooked through. Add top to sandwich and enjoy!

Revamped Fresh Spinach & Bacon Quiche

Revamped: Fresh Spinach and Bacon Quiche (EASY!)

2 9" deep pie crusts
1 large sweet or yellow onion chopped
1 pkg. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 package of 50% less fat real bacon pieces
olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 large bag of spinach, large stem pieces removed
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese(or reduced fat cheese)
8 large eggs(or 2 cups of Egg Beaters)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground thyme
1/8 tsp. ground sage
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 13 oz. can evaporated skim milk

Preheat oven to 375'. Sautee onions, mushrooms, and bacon in just enough olive oil to coat pan with lid on tight at a low temperature. Be careful not to let onions burn. Remove lid to let mushroom liquid cook off.

When onions are translucent add spinach and salt and pepper to taste and mix.

Top with lid, until spinach wilts down but stays bright green. Remove from heat.

Divide mixture and spread into bottom of two pie crusts.


Top spinach mixture in pie crusts with divided cheese.

In blender add eggs and spices and blend until mixed well. Add can of evaporated milk and blend well. Divide and pour mixture over spinach and cheese mixture in pie crusts.

Place pies on cookie sheet with lip to prevent burning the bottom of pie and protect bottom of oven from spillage. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until cheese is golden brown on top and eggs are set. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into.

This actually IS one of my kids favorites. Serve with grapes or fruit salad.

You can also bake this without the crust.

Better than Aunt Jemima's Butter Flavored Maple Syrup

1 c. water
1 c. white granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, loosely packed
1 tsp. Mapleine flavoring
1/2 tsp. Butter flavoring(liquid)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil on stove or in microwave(watch for boil over or it's a NASTAY mess to clean up), reduce heat and stir until sugar is completely disolved. Remove from heat and add flavorings and stir. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  It's also much easier to do this in a microwave.  Pour 1 cup boiling water over sugars in a glass container.  Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.

I can't stand buying syrup already made now because this is so stinkin' cheap to make. My husband's grandma taught me to make when were first married, seriously, pennies to make.

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

1 32 oz. pkg. frozen country style hash browns, thawed
1/2 c. butter or Nucoa margarine
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. cubed ham, sausage, or chopped bacon(I've also used a sm. jar of bacon bits)
6 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Spread hash browns in pan, pour butter or marg. over evenly and bake at 425' for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and turn down to 350'. Sprinkle cheeses and meat over potatoes. In a large bowl or blender mix eggs, evap. milk, salt, and pepper, and pour over top of casserole. Bake for 45-60 minutes until set.

This makes yummy leftovers(if you have any leftover). We served this to the girls that stayed with us during Youth Conference and when they came back from the service project they begged for leftovers and a few of them took the recipe home with them so their moms could also make it for them.