Pecans |

Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Kaitlin

I love recipes that make it easy to serve a bunch of people with minimal effort. A slow cooker is usually a go-to for those types of recipes but I’ve never considered using it to make breakfast before. The Ninja Cooking System is the perfect tool for it though. They sent over this recipe for an Apple French Toast Casserole and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I could make it. This recipe makes 8 servings so it would be great for breakfast for a larger group but I also packed up the rest of my servings to reheat during the week. Ingredients: ½ cup butter 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 loaf challah bread (about 1 pound), cut into cubes 6 large eggs 2 cups vanilla almond milk (or normal milk) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Confectioners’ sugar

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Kaitlin

This year, I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.The Cookie Swap is in its second year and helps raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. I was assigned three food bloggers and made one dozen cookies for each of them. In return, I received three different boxes of cookies from other bloggers. I wanted to make a cookie that was a spin on a traditional cookie. This Cooking Light recipe was perfect: Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, AND Pecans! Ingredients 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces) 1 cup Steel Cut oats 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Gingerbread Chocolate Pumpkin Trifle

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Kaitlin

Every Christmas, my mom makes an absolutely delicious trifle to give to neighbors and have for dessert on Christmas day. This trifle is so engrained in our winter holidays that I’m pretty sure we aren’t allowed to show up to my aunt and uncle’s house without the trifle in hand. I’ve always loved the simplicity of trifles and wanted to try out a version using my favorite ingredient: pumpkin! I was given the opportunity to enter a contest with nine other bloggers. The challenge is to use Walkers Shortbread products to make a new dessert, and luckily one of the categories was trifle! It was a sign! My mom’s trifle has custard, chocolate pudding, and rum-soaked pound cake slices with whipped cream and fruit on top. So I wanted to keep the general concept the same with my recipe. I am actually I decided to keep the chocolate pudding because, well, who doesn’t love chocolate pudding? A thought a pumpkin mousse would just be fantastic.I decided to make it a bourbon pumpkin mousse to add an extra layer of flavor. And of course instead of pound cake slices, I used Walkers’ Stem Ginger Biscuits and Pure Butter Shortbread.The … Continue reading →

Pecan-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Kaitlin

I have a confession. Despite cooking most nights a week (and making leaps and bounds over the past year and a half as to what I am able to cook) I still struggle to pull an entire meal together at one time, i.e. a protein and two sides. Unless it is a one-pot kind of meal, I tend to just make the protein and be done with it, or I make a huge batch of the side and have that as my dinner. So with Cooking Light’s April issue including 40 Meals Under 40 Minutes, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to tackle making an entire meal. I used their Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Red Potatoesas a base for this meal. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skin still on 1 egg white, lightly beaten Salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 pound asparagus, trimmed Cooking spray 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 2 lemon wedges 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 2 shallots, thinly sliced 2 handfuls of small potatoes (I used red, fingerling, and purple) … Continue reading →

Banana Berry Pecan Granola Bars

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Kaitlin

There are so many fantastic food bloggers out there. One food blog I regularly check is Cookin’ Canuck. Dara makes the most appealing looking recipes and her photos are always stunning. She has also cooked her way healthy and has a wonderful post about her journey. Dara has a great recipe for Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans that I just had to try. I switched it ever so slightly, but you can find the original recipe here. Ingredients: 3 1/2 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup pecan pieces 3 ripe bananas 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 tablespoons honey 3/4 cup dried berries (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Blend) 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3 tbsp whole flax seeds 1/2 tsp salt Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. You want the parchment paper to go up at least an inch on the sides of the pan. Spread the oats and pecans on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring half way through. Add the flax seed to a food processor or a magic bullet to grind the seeds. Ground flax … Continue reading →

Black and Tan Brownies

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Kaitlin

I mentioned these delicious brownies in my “A Taste of Ireland” post over the weekend. They were so yummy that I thought they deserved their own post. Also, because it’s technically two brownie recipes together, I thought step-by-step photos might prove helpful. Enjoy! Ingredients: Tan Brownies: 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped pecans Cooking spray Black Brownies: 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup Guinness Stout 4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) 1/4 teaspoon salt So, I finally got a stand mixer! Which made this recipe a snap. I am so excited about my new toy, so expect to see that red beauty in a few upcoming posts. I will still write the preparation as if I was using a hand mixer. If you have a stand mixer, you add all the ingredients straight to the mixer bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make, begin by preparing the tan brownies. Add … Continue reading →

My First Guest Post – at A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Kaitlin

Today I wrote my first guest post over at A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis. His page is truly stunning so I am honored to be the guest post this week. Stop on by Chef Dennis’ blog to see my post on Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Caramel-Pecan drizzle! I think you are well aware of my pumpkin obsession by now (I have twelve other posts on here using pumpkin!) so I really wanted to do something special to round out my bakers dozen of pumpkin recipes. The recipe does take some time, so this would definitely be a weekend choice. But you can refrigerate the dough or even freeze it once it is shaped into the sticky buns. I hope you enjoy my post!

Stuffed Pumpkin with Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Kaitlin

When I came across the title of this recipe, I was intrigued. I wasn’t sure if this would actually be a success, but it sounded so interesting I had to give it a try. So behold, Stuffed Pumpkin Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding. Ingredients: 1 pie pumpkin, about the size of your hand 1 stick of butter (1/4 cup) plus 1 teaspoon butter, melted and divided 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 large egg 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup half and half 1/3 chopped pecans 1/2 a raisin bread loaf, cut into smaller pieces 1/4 cup fresh cranberries Lemon-Vanilla Sauce, to taste 1 vanilla bean, split 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon butter or margarine 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the butter to a pot over low heat to melt. Cut off the top of the pumpkin. Reserve the lid. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and pulp. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with 1 teaspoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Cut the bread into similar sized pieces. Top with the … Continue reading →

Godiva Coffee – Pumpkin Spice & Caramel Pecan Bark

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Kaitlin

I am in love with fall, it is by far my favorite time of year. It is the only time of year I can give into my love of all things pumpkins and not get funny looks. Sadly, I feel like the autumn season seems to be getting shorter and shorter, so I need to get as much “fall” food and drinks as I can. As a member of Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program, I was lucky enough to receive two different limited edition fall coffees from Godiva: Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark. The coffees are based off of Godiva’s Pumpkin Spice Truffles and their signature Caramel Pecan Bark. The Pumpkin Spice coffee has a wonderful pumpkin pie taste, with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. The Caramel Pecan Bark has notes of toasted pecan and caramel. I couldn’t wait to try them! I decided to make two different recipes for each coffee to really test out their flavor. The weather in Philadelphia has continued to be pretty darn humid, so I made a few chilled coffee drinks. I also decided to use some of the coffee grounds to make my own Caramel Pecan Bark. First to make the Caramel Pecan Bark. … Continue reading →

Green Beans with Garlic and Pecans

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Kaitlin

Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables. When I found out they were going to be a part of my CSA share I was really excited to have my first of the season. Green beans are delicious on their own so you really don’t have to do much to them. Here is a simple side that can be made in 15 minutes. Ingredients: 1 pound green beans 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped pecans Salt and pepper to taste Bring a pot of water to boil. While waiting for it to boil, prepare your garlic and pecans and wash your green beans. When the water is boiling, add the green beans. Cook for 5 minutes and drain. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside. Add the butter and olive oil to a saute pan. Add the chopped pecans and cook for 3 minutes. Add the green beans, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve. As I’ve said before, garlic makes everything … Continue reading →