Sunday, December 20, 2009

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

This is a recipe my sister Fran posted on her Facebook page. It took me awhile to make it, but being cooped up in the house during the "Great Winter Storm of '09" inspired me to do some baking.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this recipe was how high in calories it was, so I made a few changes, reducing the fat and sugar content. The cake, which has a kind of custardy bottom and a crunchy top, turned out delicious - even with my attempts to lighten it up. Don't get me wrong, it still is very rich with a lot of calories (I don't even want to guess how many!), but it is heavenly. It called for whipped cream to top it but believe me, it doesn't need it. Here are the directions:

2 c. pumpkin puree
1 (12 oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. Splenda baking substitute
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 c. melted margarine
whipped cream (optional)

Directions- preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly grease one 9 x 13 baking pan

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Mix well and spread into prepared pan

Sprinkle yellow cake mix over top of pumpkin mixture and pat down. Sprinkle chopped pecans
over the top of the cake mix then drizzle the melted margarine all over the top.

Bake at 350 for about 1 hr. but no longer than 1 hr. 20 min. (insert a knife in the center, it should come out clean).
Top cooled cake with whipped cream when ready to serve, if desired.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

It's Soup Time!

Gingery Sweet Potato SoupImage by thebittenword.com via Flickr

It's been awhile since I've posted any recipes. Now that I'm working full-time it's hard to find the time to play in the kitchen these days. When I get home from work there are always a million things to do, which I ponder over while I'm vegging out in front of the TV or computer!

I've been trying to stay away from processed foods these days, as well as fast foods and foods that are high in fat and cholesterol. I'm not getting any younger; taking care of my body is getting more and more crucial as the years pass. The summer brought a bounty of fresh vegetables straight from the garden; now that those are nearly gone (there are still some greens to be picked out there), I'm actually going to have to buy stuff -- ouch!!

Since we're now into "soup weather," I've rediscovered some of my favorite soup recipes, one of which is Sweet Potato and Apple Soup. It's super easy and has very little fat. It goes great with some homemade croutons and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Try this soup; you'll be making it every winter.

Here are the ingredients:

  • 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 celery stalk sliced
  • 1 apple peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • (you may want to try substituting some winter squash or even pumpkin for the potatoes, or add some ginger to the mix, maybe a bit of cinnamon)

    Directions:

    Heat oven to 400 degrees, prick the potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet and roast until tender (45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes).

    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat--add the onion, celery and apple and cook, stirring occasionally until soft about 10-12 minutes.

    Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, then add to the saucepan, add 6 cups of water, the salt and pepper and other spices). Cook until heated through (8-10 minutes).

    Puree the soup in the saucepan using an immersion blender (or working in batches, use a standard blender). Add more water if needed to reach the desired consistency.

    Serve with croutons and a dollop of sour cream (and a garden salad, fresh from the back yard or the salad bar at Ingles, whichever is in season).

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