Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

To keep in line with the fall spirit here, I have another pumpkin recipe for you today: Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze! If you are a fan of scones and like pumpkin, well, this is right up your alley then! They are very easy and fast to prepare and since they are not too sweet, they make the perfect breakfast or snack at any time of day. The spiced glaze lends an extra flavor dimension to them with the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves... Let's celebrate the season! :)

 

 

Pumpkin Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tbsp. half-n-half
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and cut it in using a pastry blender or in food processor. Combine wet ingredients and fold them into dry mix until just incorporated. Form into a ball. Do not knead!
* The key to flaky scones is to handle the dough as little as possible.* Pat the dough onto lightly floured surface to about 1 inch thick. Cut in triangles. Bake for about 14-16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Once cooled, drizzle with Spiced Glaze.

Spiced Glaze
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk or half-n-half
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
a pinch each of ground ginger and ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over cooled scones. Enjoy!!! :)



Recipe courtesy: browneyedbaker.com
 

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars :)

Long name for these bars, but they are so incredibly easy to put together, your kids can make them! In our case, my 9-year-old daughter was having a playdate with a friend and asked if they could bake something together. There wasn't enough time for them to bake, but I found this recipe through Pinterest and thought it may do the trick- it was super simple and as sweets go, quite healthy. The added bonus was: the bars turned out super yummy too! :) Everybody super happy!

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips (dark, milk, white chocolate- whatever you prefer)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roughly chopped peanuts (optional) 

Directions:
Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper.

In a medium size saucepan, over medium heat, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil, while stirring occasionally.

Once you have a hot, homogenous mixture, remove from heat and add oats, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and peanuts. Stir until combined and chocolate chips are melted.

Spread evenly into the prepared 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until hardened, about an hour. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from:  newnostalgia

Kettle Corn

This recipe for Kettle Corn is super easy and my family loves it! Perfect for snacking or for a Super Bowl party! :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 tbsp white granulated sugar
salt to taste

Directions:
Put the popcorn, oil and sugar into a large pot. Partially cover and cook over medium-high to high heat, sliding the pot back and forth constantly over the burner, until the popping stops. Remove the popcorn from the heat immediately and sprinkle it with salt to taste. Enjoy!

Recipe source: recipeboy.com

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

Not your typical roasted almonds, these have a little kick of chili powder and cayenne pepper and the depth of more cinnamon than most recipes. The spice level with just a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper is not too much (my 4-year-old daughter can eat them and actually loves them :), so if you are a "heat" lover, fell free to kick  things up a notch in this department. :) On the other hand, if you have more of a sweet tooth, you can certainly increase the amount of both sugars in the recipe to up to 1/2 cup each. And of course, if you fee like it, go ahead and play around with the endless variations of spices and herbs in the mix to suit your personal preferences. These almonds are great on their own as snack, but they are really good with fruit and cheese or tossed on salads. Here, my little artistic 4-year-old daughter arranged them with her favorite apricots and clementines and then enjoyed them as a snack. :)

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups whole almonds
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp if you like more heat :))

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan.

Combine egg white and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until frothy. Add almonds and toss to coat. Pour almonds into a mesh strainer to drain excess liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Return strained almonds to the bowl.

Stir white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over almonds and toss to coat evenly. Spread coated nuts evenly onto prepared jelly roll pan.

Bake for about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes, to avoid burning almonds. Allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Recipe adapted from: Sweet-and-Spicy-Roasted-Almonds

Green candied popcorn for St. Patrick's Day :)

This was another green-themed snack I made for my daughter's St. Patrick's Day party in school. It was funky looking and very yummy. :) Easy to make too.

Ingredients:
4 quarts popped corn
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, does make mixture slightly more creamy)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
green food coloring

 

Directions:

In heavy saucepan on medium heat melt butter then add sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt. Increase temperature to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Once mixture boils, add in food coloring and stop stirring. Boil for 5 minutes (Do not stir). Mixture should be about 250-260 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda. Working quickly and while mixture is foamy, pour mixture over popped corn and gently stir to coat popcorn. Place popcorn into a large roaster or rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray) and bake at 225° F for 15-20 minuted.

Special thanks for this yummy recipe to Skip to my lou