pumpkin panna cotta

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pureed pumpkin, squash or sweet potato
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Nutritional Information





PREPARATION
Put 1/2 cup of the milk in a 6- or 8-cup saucepan, and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend together the remaining milk, cream, pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. The mixture should be perfectly smooth, so it is best to use a blender.
Turn the heat under the saucepan to low, and cook the milk, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin dissolves. Pour in the cream mixture, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until steam rises. Turn off the heat, and ladle or pour the mixture into 8 4-ounce ramekins or other containers.
Chill the panna cotta until firm, and serve, with creme fraiche or whipped cream if you like.

Oat Bran Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 Teaspoon(s) Sugar
2 Teaspoon(s) Baking Powder
1 Cup milk
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 egg white, slightly beaten

Preparation: 

 

Heat griddle over medium-high heat (375°F electric griddle); lightly spray with vegetable oil cooking spray or oil lightly. Combine dry ingredients. Add combined milk, oil and egg white; mix well.* Pour scant 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto prepared griddle. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn only once. 

NOTES: Batter will thicken upon standing. For best results, cook pancakes immediately after mixing

Serving Tips: Fruit Pancakes: Fold in 1 cup chopped fruit just before cooking.

COOK NOTE: TIP: To keep pancakes warm: Heat oven to 250°F. Place pancakes in single layer on ungreased cookie sheet; cover tightly with foil. Keep in warm oven up to 10 minutes. To freeze pancakes: Stack with waxed paper between each pancake. Wrap securely in foil or place in freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. To reheat frozen pancakes: Unwrap 3 pancakes; wrap in paper towel. Microwave at HIGH about 1 minute 30 seconds or until warm.

Strawberry Oat Bran Muffins

(Based on Ina Garten's recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup oat bran (Ina: 3 cups all-purpose flour)
me: Ground flax seed, approx 1/8 cup

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted b/c I used salted butter)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (I round up to two)
me: 2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk (I added a tiny bit extra)
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups diced fresh strawberries (Ina: 2 cups diced fresh strawberries )
1 cup sugar (Ina: 1 1/2 cups sugar)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir with your hand to be sure the ingredients are combined. In a 2-cup glass measure, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don't overmix the batter! Add the strawberries and sugar and stir gently to combine.

(Note: I added sugar to other dry ingredients and only mixed in the strawberries at the end.)

Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

2012, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/strawberry-muffins-recipe.html?oc=linkback

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NOTES: despite the whole wheat, oat bran and flax, these muffins turned out pretty fluffy. 

Cheerios Bars

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) bagminiature marshmallows(6 cups)
• 5 cups Cheerios toasted oat cereal

DIRECTIONS

• In large bowl, microwave butter and marshmallows uncovered until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir every minute.
• Immediately stir in cereal until evenly coated. Press mixture firmly into sprayed pan.
• Cut into 24 bars.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup (1 stick) of butter
• 1 cup of white sugar (I used a little less than 2/3 cup, which was just about right) 
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1½ cups flour (I used AP whole wheat, which worked fine) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add in the pumpkin and vanilla, beat all ingredients until light and airy.
• Whisk together all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, excepting chocolate chips until incorporated completely.
• Slowly, little by little, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly.
• Add in the chocolate chips and mix until they are spread evenly through the batter.
• Fill lined muffin tins to ⅔'s full. ** Mine resulted in approx 22 muffins, but since the batter doesn't rise much, fewer muffins, filled more would be a good idea next time. I estimate about 18.
• Bake at 350 degree for 17-20 minutes, until the muffin tops spring back to the touch or a tester inserted comes out clean.
• Cool on racks.