Saturday, October 31, 2015

Barbecue Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

The last version I decided to try with pepitas was a smoky barbecue version that makes me think of southern barbecue-style meat, but much more pleasant to the figure.  It's got the taste you love without all the animal fat, sugary sauces and calorie-laden sides that come with it!












Barbecue Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

The first version I wanted to try was a no-brainer.  Coming from pumpkins, I wanted to sweeten my pepitas with some pumpkin spice.  It's sweet and a little spicy.  It tastes like fall, like the harvest season.  It tastes like Thanksgiving, like family and togetherness at the holidays!












Pumpkin Spice Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Mochaccino Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

This is a good version to try if you want a sweet snack that also provides a little go-go caffeine energy courtesy of the espresso powder.  It has a coffee flavor that gives your a sweet tooth a little kick along with your energy levels!












Mochaccino Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coffee
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Maple Dijon Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

I love the maple dijon flavor, and even though I'm using mustard powder in place of "dijon" mustard, I think it still has a close enough flavor to nickname it maple dijon.  It's sweet and tangy and gives a much more distinct flavor to the pepitas than other recipes.  If you're looking for something a little stronger than other pepita recipes, this is a good one to try!












Maple Dijon Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Coconut Curry Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

These Thai-inspired pepitas incorporate a flavor I've really grown to love this year - coconut and curry.  It's a little spicy, a little sweet and colored a beautiful yellow for an added layer of interest.  If you want to try this flavor combination, but your nervous, this is a great way to ease yourself into it.  It's mild enough to snack on while still giving you a taste of Thai flavor!












Coconut Curry Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Soy Ginger Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

This is a savory version that has a little Asian flavor with the soy and ginger flavors.  It's a very interesting take on pepitas that has a little sweetness with a little savory flavor that will satisfy your craving for chinese take-out in a pinch!












Soy Ginger Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

I originally tried these with toasted coconut flakes and melted chocolate, but I didn't want to go overboard with the flavor.  To me, pepitas are meant to be mildly flavored without a whole lot of bells and whistles.  The coconut milk imparts a very mild coconut flavor with a hint of chocolatey goodness from the dutch-processed cocoa powder.  It's not a dessert, but it's a sweet little snack to keep you energetic while still satisfying your sweet tooth!












Chocolate Coconut Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Buffalo & Bleu Cheese Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

These spicy version of pumpkin seeds incorporates hot cayenne, smoky paprika and tangy bleu cheese.  It's a savory variation that looks and tastes like chicken wings, but way healthier!












Buffalo & Bleu Cheese Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup bleu cheese dressing
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Apple Pie Spice Pepitas

It's like being a kid again.

This year, I went out and bought Halloween decorations, pumpkins and a costume.  I love dressing up for Halloween, but that's usually where it ends for celebrating for me.

I've got spiderwebs on my porch, and harvest-themed decorations all over the front of my house.  I've got six pumpkins on my front steps that are hollowed out and carved.  I'm hoping that they will be in jars as pumpkin puree next week.  I've also got some pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, that I collected up and roasted with a few different flavors.

Since I had already done pumpkin spice, I decided to go along the same fall season route and try apple pie with a little cider and some apple pie spice.  It's sweet and a little spicy.  It tastes like fall, like the harvest season.  It tastes like Thanksgiving, like family and togetherness at the holidays!












Apple Pie Spice Pepitas

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp apple pie spice


Preheat oven 350F.

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Sour Cream Apple Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust

I got rid of cable this week.

I thought it would be an easy transition since I don't really watch television.  Turns out, though, I use the television to provide background noise when I'm doing things around my house.  As I started writing on my computer, or cleaning my house, I instantly became concerned with the silence in my house.

I broke down and subscribed to not one, but two streaming services.

Now, I feel like I watch even more television.

Now, I have to pick out options for my "background noise"; things that I turn out actually want to watch anyway.

Long story short, my homework isn't done and neither is my housework.

I did manage to make this pie yesterday.

I was watching Anchorman 2 at the time.

I didn't even know I wanted to watch Anchorman 2.

Anyway, when I'm not zoning in on silly television shows, I'm trying to be a productive member of society by reading up on recipes and trying to do some of my own baking and cooking.

Since I'd gone apple picking recently, I wanted to make some apple pie.  My grandmother makes a killer apple pie every fall for Thanksgiving, but I'd really wanted to try a different variety.  I found several recipes for alternative apple pies, and I decided to mix a few recipes together to see how they worked in unison.

So, I'm presenting you with this out of the ordinary apple pie.

It boasts a crust made of smushed cinnamon rolls, a slew of apples drowned in a custard of sweetened sour cream and a dutch apple pie-style streusel.  I know you may scoff at the use of store-bought cinnamon rolls, but I thought it would be easier than going full homemade with cinnamon rolls from scratch.

It's the best of a couple different apple pie recipes.  If you're looking to make an apple pie that is unlike your typical pie, this is it!













Sour Cream Apple Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust
(loosely adapted from Taste of Home)

1 can of store-bought cinnamon rolls
2 eggs

Apple filling:
6 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Streusel:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 stick cold butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar



Preheat oven 375F.

Cut the cinnamon rolls into thin slices.  Place them in a greased pie pan and press them together to make a thin crust, making sure that all of the slices are firmly connected with no holes in the crust.

Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl and use a brush to apply a thin layer of egg wash to the top of the crust.

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients of the apple filling, adding the apples last to a smooth batter.  Pour the filling into the crust.

In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredient together until it forms small balls or clumps.  Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the pie filling.

Bake for 50-60 minutes.

If the cinnamon rolls come with icing, you could consider warming the icing and pouring it over the top of the pie.