Mini Pumpkin Halloween Cheesecake

Halloween is such a fun holiday!

Although I am not hosting a party this year. It's always nice to bring a treat over to someone's house.  

                                                            

I got a delicious mini pumpkin recipe from 8Catering. These two bite cheesecakes are so creamy and velvety. You will definitely want to eat more than one!

Mini PumpkiN HalloWeen Cheesecake

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter. Press down flat into your 12 mini cheesecakes pan. Set aside.

Apple Crumble Muffins

My good friend Melanie and I often go out for dinners, drinks or movies but we decided to meet up to bake today since we are both passionate about sweets.  She recently visited her parents in Elliot Lake and came back home with one of her mom's famous recipes: Jane's Apple Crumble Muffins. 

These muffins are just heavenly, they  have a moist cake-like texture with a heartwarming buttery crumble topping and they taste just like apple pie. 

As you may know I am on a little diet so I only took one perfect bite (I managed to eat the whole thing in one bite!!! lol!!!), really I must of had two good bites which was soooooo hard because they were so satisfying and comforting on this rainy day.  I brought the rest home and  immediately froze them in a plastic bag so I can pop a couple in the oven when my hubby and I want a homemade treat!

                                                                

Jane's Apple Crumble Muffins

Topping: 

1/2 cup brown sugar

 6 tbsp. flour
 1/4 cup of butter (melted)
 1 tsp. cinnamon

Batter:  

1 1/2 cups firm packed brown sugar
 2/3 cup vegetable oil (or apple sauce is great substitute!)
 1 egg
 1 cup of buttermilk
 1 tsp. baking soda
 1 tsp. salt
 1 tsp. vanilla
  2 1/2 cups flour
  2 cups peeled, diced apples

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour tins or line with cups.  

Combine topping ingredients until crumbly.

To make batter, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil (or apple sauce) and egg in bowl.  

In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, baking soda, salt and vanilla. 

Blend flour into sugar and oil mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture.  

Stir just until combined.  Fold in diced apples.

Spoon batter into muffin tins and sprinkle generously! with topping.  

Bake regular sized muffins for 30 min. or until top springs back when touched. 

Makes 24 muffins.

Melanie hard at work!

                                                                         

*Thank you Jane for this wonderful recipe

Gorgeous Stuffed Peppers

Lately I've been wanting to freeze everything. So much that my freezer if full. I made 20 cups of turkey broth after thanksgiving (Canada) which I froze in small Ziplock bags and in an ice cube tray for when I just need a little. I made lamb burgers the other night and froze 4 uncooked patties.  I prepared Giada's asparagus soup, enjoyed two portions and froze the leftovers. I froze basil, whole tomatoes for sauce,  peeled and wedge-cut sweet potatoes, very ripe bananas to eventually make banana bread.  I don't know what's gotten into me!!!
Today I decided to make stuffed peppers. I made 6 of these delicious peppers with the intention to freeze 4 for next time! Bonus: they are low-crab !!!

Stuffed Peppers with beef, eggplant, spinach & mushroom

                                                      

INGREDIENTS:

6 orange bell peppers (slice of tops and clean the inside)

2 cups beef broth

In a large bowl mix:

1 pound ground beef

1 eggplant (dice it up, place in a separate bowl, add a good amount of salt, let sit for 30-60 minutes, squeeze out all the excess water)

1/2 onion finely chopped

2 cups chopped spinach. Wash, squeeze out excess water and chop

1 vessel of mushroom (diced and cooked with a little olive oil and salt)

1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or mild cheddar )

Chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano (anything you have on hand)

salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place all 6 stuffed peppers in an oven safe dish with or without tops

Poor the beef broth all around the peppers

and bake for 1 hour at 375'F

Baste the peppers with the broth every 20 minutes.

* Check out my FREEZING guide HERE

Low Carb Shepherds Pie

This Shepherds Pie is perfect for a fall dinner, you can make extra and freeze it. 

I made it with ground lamb (instead of beef)  and topped with mashed cauliflower (instead of potatoes). 

Lamb & Cauliflower Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound ground lamb

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, diced 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 can corn

1 can creamed corm

2 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet cook the meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. 

Add the onions and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately-high. Add the mushrooms and rosemary and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer being sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into a 12-cup shallow baking dish (about 11 by 9 inches).

Top with the corn mixture (creamed and bits).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Boil the cauliflower in beef broth (enough to cover)  and cook until the cauliflower are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher until smooth. 

Spread the cauliflower on top of the corn and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Then top with a little shredded mozzarella and broil for a couple of minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Recipe inspired from  Ellie Krieger' s at the food network

This post made it on Foodbuzz Top 9

Perfect Mini Leek Quiches

If you want your house to smell like you've just walked into the best french bakery make a leek quiche. The aroma of buttery pie crust and melted cheese will travel through your home leaving a sweet and savory scent trail.

Mini Leek Quiches

                                                         

These are perfect for brunch, lunch or to serve as an appetizer for your next dinner party.

The recipe is easy and is comprised of only a few delicious ingredients: 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. butter

4 leeks, coarsely chopped

Salt

Pepper

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. light cream

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. minced parsley 

24 mini pie crusts (store bought)

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In heavy saute pan, melt butter and add chopped leeks. Saute 5 minutes stirring constantly, do not let brown. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste and pour into pastry shells.

Beat eggs, mustard, cream and chopped parsley.  Pour over leeks and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for about  30 minutes or until the tops are golden.


THIS POST WAS FEATURED ON FOODBUZZ's DAILY TOP 9:

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

With all the pumpkin rage going on at the moment I decided turn my attention to an orange vegetable instead, you guessed it: the carrot! Although I absolutely love carrot cake,  I can't remember the last time I made one...Did I ever make one??? Maybe not!?!

                    

For this cake I used Donna Hay's recipe  which I modified slightly by removing the raisins and the pecans. I really like both those ingredients but unfortunately I didn't have pecans and  my husband is not a fan of raisins. Regardless of these modifications the cake turned out wonderfully; it was rich and moist.

INGREDIENTS:
1¼ cups (220g) brown sugar

¾ cup (185ml) vegetable oil

3 eggs

1½ cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking powder)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2½ cups grated carrot (about 5 carrots)

½ cup (60g) chopped pecan nuts (optional)

½ cup (80g) sultanas (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
250g cream cheese, softened

⅓ cup (110g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2–3 minutes. Add the eggs gradually and beat well. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger over the sugar mixture. Add the carrot, pecans and sultanas and mix until just combined. Pour into a greased 22cm-round cake tin (I used a square tin) lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 55–60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin.

For the cream cheese frosting, process the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice and process until smooth. Spread frosting on the cooled cake. Serves 8.

Enjoy!

Letizia xoxo