Gingerbread Muffins

These are really good - not super sweet, just enough spice to make 'em interesting.  But if you dare to toast one and add some butter, just prepare yourself right now to double the recipe!  Seriously delicious.

1 egg
1/3c molasses
1/3c brown sugar
1 1/4c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 stick butter, melted
1/3c hot water
+ allspice, cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 20+ minutes

Gingerbread Pancakes

1.5c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4c molasses
1.5c water

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon in medium bowl
Beat egg in large bowl, with vanilla and molasses, then add water
Add flour mixture to liquid until just combined
Heat on griddle on medium-high heat

Chocolate Chip "Muffins"

Defining a "muffin" is tricky.  If it's essentially chocolate cake, sans frosting, does it really count as a muffin?  But lacking frosting, you can't really call it a cupcake.  Either way I love them.

Ingredients:

2c flour
1c sugar
3/4c choc chips
1/4c choc chips for topping
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1c plain yogurt
1/2c milk
1/2c veg oil

Combine flour, sugar, 3/4c chips, cocoa powder, baking soda in large bowl
Combine remaining ingredients in smaller bowl, whisk thoroughly
Pour liquid mixture into dry and mix until just blended
Pour into a dozen+ baking cups, sprinkle with remaining choc chips
Bake at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 can garbanzo beans (drain, rinse)
- 1 c chicken broth
- 1/3 c raisin
- 2 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 pounds chicken thighs
- 1 box couscous

Combine first 7 ingredients in crock pot, combine spices in ziplock bag and shake with chicken thighs.  Add chicken thighs to slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours
Serve with couscous

Brownies

Smitten Kitchen's best brownies

8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, sprayed with cooking spray
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
2/3 c flour

In microwave, melt chopped chocolate and butter together in 30 second increments, stirring at each break, until smooth
Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt one at a time
Stir in flour
Scrape into pan, spread
Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (see other Kee Kitchen recipe from Smitten Kitchen - prebake it completely)
(Use 1/2 of pie dough recipe, press chilled dough into pie plate, refrigerate 15 minutes, fold under sides of pan, place on baking sheet, cover with sheet of foil and pie weights or pennies.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove foil/weights, rotate, and bake another 5-10 minutes.)

2 8" "pie" pumpkins -  use 3 cups of the finished product
1 c. sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon - actually do less
1 tsp ground cloves - actually do less
1 tsp allspice - actually do less
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1.5 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk

This pie came out delicious but it definitely has serious spice to it!  Next time I'll probably dial back the cinnamon to just 1 tsp, and possibly a bit less on the cloves and allspice as well.

Directions:
- Use serrated knife to saw pumpkins in half (or very large slices) - scoop out all seeds and stringy parts in center of pumpkin
- Steam pumpkin on stovetop for around 10 minutes, until pumpkin flesh is soft enough to scoop out easily
- Puree pumpkin using blender or immersion blender
- Mix pureed pumpkin (3 cups of it) with all other ingredients, pour into crust (not more than 1/4" from top)
- Wrap pre-baked crust edges in some aluminum foil to prevent burning
- Bake at 425 for first 15 minutes, then at 350 for 45-60 more minutes, until clean knife in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread/Cake

2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) butter

2 c. sugar (or Splenda)

4 eggs

2 c. (16 oz can) pumpkin

2/3 c. water      

3 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. Baking soda

½ tsp. Baking powder

¾ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Nutmeg

1 c. (or more) dried cranberries

Melt butter, add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and water gradually

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

Fold in cranberries

Grease/flour 2 or 3 loaf pans (9 x 5 x 3)

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

HALF-RECIPE

1/3 c (5 tbsp) butter

1c sugar

2 eggs

1c pumpkin

1/3 c water

1 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dried cranberries as desired

I baked this in 2 mini-muffin pans for about 25 minutes