Pumpkin Bread with Frosting

Ingredients:

Bread:

• 3 1/3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 cups Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground Nutmeg
• 1 15 oz can Pumpkin
• 1 cup Vegetable oil
• 4 Eggs
• 2/3 cups Water

Frosting:

• 6 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 Tablespoons Butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

Bread:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 5/9/3 inch loaf pans with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. in a mixer combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, and water. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Spoon into loaf pans.
3. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan to wire rack.

Frosting:

1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until completely smooth. Spread on top of bread or use as a spread for each slice.

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 15 ounces can garbanzo beans (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas) (FYI: chickpeas & garbanzo beans are the same thing)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven  to 375°F.
2. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans, running them under cool water for several minutes to clean off the starch. You may remove the skins from the beans or you can leave them on - it's your personal preference. Dry off beans.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, cinnamon, and sugar. Place beans in bowl and stir until evenly coated. Spread the beans on a large baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until beans are crunchy and no longer soft in the middle. Test taste every few minutes until desired texture is reached.
4. Place hot, roasted beans in a small bowl and coat evenly with honey. Spread beans back out on baking sheet and allow to dry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

~Recipe from pastryaffair.com

Spinach Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (about one single serving cup)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Processes wet ingredients in a blender: applesauce, egg, vanilla, spinach, sugar and oil.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the wet spinach mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. You can use a spoon or spatula. The mixture will be very dense! On occasion, if it seems too dense, I'll add a splash of milk to loosen it up, but the mixture should resemble a thick cookie dough. It won't pour easily.
6. Scoop the batter into greased muffin tins. This recipe will make 8-9 large muffins or 24 mini-muffins.
7. Bake for 12 minutes for mini-muffins or 17 minutes for regular-sized muffins.
8. Let them cool on a rack and enjoy! 

~Recipe adapted from mamasaywhat.com

Cinnamon Apple Energy Balls

Total time: 10 mins
Yields: 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup dried apples (not freeze dried, you want the chewy ones)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste.
2. Using about a tablespoon of the mixture, roll into balls. If you want the little bites, use about 1/4 teaspoon.

~Recipe from thenymelrosefamily.com

Auntie Annes' Pretzels Copycat

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups milk
2. 1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
3. 6 Tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
4. 4 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5. 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an up to an additional 1/2 cup as needed
6. 2 teaspoons fine salt
7. 1/3 cup baking soda
8. 3 cups warm water
9. coarse salt, to taste
10. 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

• Warm milk in a microwave safe bowl in microwave (or alternately over stove top in a small saucepan) until temperature of milk reaches 110 degrees, about 1 1/2-2 minutes on HIGH power. Pour milk along with yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whisk together until yeast has dissolved, let rest 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, 4 teaspoons softened butter, 1 cup flour and 2 teaspoons fine salt to milk mixture and using the whisk attachment, stir until blended. Switch attachment to a dough hook, add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture on medium low speed until elastic. Mix in up to an additional 1/2 cup flour, as needed, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper (alternatley you could grease them). Punch dough down several times to release any air pockets. Divide dough 12 equal pieces (the easiest way to do this is to divide the dough in half, then divide the halves into halves then those into thirds). Cover divided dough loosely with plastic wrap (just to prevent a dry crust from forming on the outside) and roll each piece out into long, thin rope about 32-36 inches long (I found working on a non-floured to very very lightly floured surface worked best, I began with a lightly floured surface and realized it was much harder to get more stretch, plus it was much faster to roll them out when working on a less-no flour surface). Form dough rope into a pretzel shape.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk together baking soda and warm water then fully immerse pretzel into water mixture and allow excess water to drip off. Place on prepared baking sheet, reshape as needed and sprinkle to taste with coarse salt. Repeat this process with remaining dough. Bake pretzels in preheated oven 7-11 minutes until golden brown (note that you will likely only be able to cook 6 at a time among the two baking sheets) remove from oven and brush top and bottom of pretzel with melted butter. Serve warm. Reheat in microwave or in a warm oven once they've cooled, if desired.

~Recipe from cookingclassy.com

Black Bean Brownies

Total Time: 50 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:

• Butter, for greasing pan
• 3/4 cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. 
3. Add the eggs, cocoa sugar, coffee, and vanilla.
4. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated.
6. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan.
7. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes.
8. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan.
9. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

~Recipe by Melissa d'Arabian from foodnetwork.com

Lemon Yogurt and Chia Muffins

Ingredients:

• Muffins
• 2 cups flour
• 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
• For Glaze:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 12 cups muffin tin with non sick spray or liners.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla. Using a spatula mix in the flour and yogurt until just combined. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes, before removing to a wire rack.
3. While the muffins are cooling prepare the glaze. Whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle a little over the top of each muffin. Allow glaze to set before serving.

~Recipe from dinnersdishesanddesserts.com

Mango Travel Treats

Yields: ~20

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup Almonds
• 1 cup dried mango
• 8-10 dates
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (dried and unsweetened)

Directions:

1. Put nuts into the food processor and grind.
2. Add mango and blend some more, until mango is in smaller chucks.
3. Add dates and blend until the whole mixture is sort of gooey and sticks together well.
4. Form into bite sized bars. I got about 20 bars with this recipe.
5. Roll each bar in coconut to coat.
6. I refrigerated to firm up the bars and enjoy!

~Recipe from nourishpaleofoods.com

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (I used chia seeds)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Use a small scoop to  portion out ingredients and squeeze firmly to make a dense ball.
3. You can eat immediately but I choose to cool in the refrigerator, which helps the balls keep their shape.

~Recipe from Mikaila

Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 cup flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• a good pinch salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup blueberries (no need to thaw them if frozen)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (buttermilk can be substituted)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 360°F and line 2 12-muffin trays with paper liners. (You can do it in batches if you only have one muffin tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until no lumps remains. Add the blueberries and toss gently to combine.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold it in gently with a spatula until no trace of flour remains. The mixture will be lumpy, but resist over mixing.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin mold by about three quarters. Baking for 12 to 16 minutes, until set and golden. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from Stephanie M.and chocolateandzucchini.com