Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Truffles

Pumpkin chocolate chip truffles, garnished with gingersnap crumbs!

I think I have made up my mind about something. My favorite homemade truffle would have to be these pumpkin chocolate chip truffles covered in dark chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE the cookie dough truffles, coconut truffles, and chocolate truffles, but the pumpkin truffles are my fave. As my coworker and I discussed, the pumpkin filling is a nice contrast to the chocolate. To me, the pumpkin truffles are kind of special since I really only make them during the autumn months. The filling kind of taste like pumpkin pie, with yummy flavors of gingersnap, cinnamon, pumpkin, orange zest & more. The pumpkin truffles were a huge hit at Carrie's shower the other weekend, and a couple friends asked for the recipe. So here it is - enjoy!

Recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Truffles 
INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces of white chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli baking bars)
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened at room temperature

3/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup of finely ground up gingersnaps
1/8 tsp. of grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
2 Tbsp. of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
1/3 cup of semisweet mini chocolate chips
16 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, chopped (I used Baker's chocolate)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the chopped white chocolate in a small saucepan. Put 1/2 cup of water in the pan of a double boiler and place the double boiler over medium high heat. Once the water begins to simmer, place the saucepan of white chocolate on top and stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Remove the chocolate from heat and set aside.
Place the softened cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, ground gingersnaps, orange zest, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and pumpkin in a large bowl. Once the chocolate has slightly cooled, stir in the chocolate. Use an electric hand mixer set on low to medium-low speed to incorporate all of the ingredients together. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with a lid and place in the fridge for several hours (I usually chill for at least 4 hours, sometimes overnight).
Line a couple of freezer-safe containers with parchment paper. Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop up the mixture and form into 1-inch to 1.5-inch balls. Cover the containers and chill in the freezer for several hours (I usually chill in freezer overnight).
When you are ready to dip the truffles, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the semisweet baking chocolate in a medium saucepan. Put about 1/2 cup of water in a double boiler and set it over medium-high heat. Once the water begins to simmer, set the saucepan with the chocolate over the boiler. Stir chocolate frequently until it is fully melted. Turn the heat off of the stovetop but keep the saucepan with chocolate over the double boiler. Drop a couple of the frozen pumpkin balls into the chocolate and use a spoon to fully coat. Use the spoon to carefully transfer the coated truffles onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the truffles are coated with the chocolate. Put the baking sheet in the fridge to allow the truffles to harden. They will be ready to eat within 20 minutes or so. Yum!

Recipe Adapted from: Annie's Eats

NOTE: I originally made the truffles using white chocolate as the coating, which is totally delicious. However, I prefer the dark chocolate since the white chocolate coating is very sweet. I'm sure milk chocolate as a coating would taste pretty good too.

Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Yes, I am a little obsessed with recipes that use pumpkin and apple these days - so of course I was very excited to see this recipe for pumpkin-apple soup that combined both! A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine emailed me this recipe - the subject was "a yummy fall soup," and that certainly got my attention. I tried out the recipe for dinner one night, and Greg & I both loved it. The other night Greg invited two friends over to help him with the upstairs, and he told the friends that I would be happy to make dinner (thanks, Greg)! Well, it turned out that one of the friends is gluten-intolerant, and the other is allergic to shellfish. There went my plan of making shrimp scampi! I decided upon making the pumpkin-apple soup for dinner and I served it with a fall kale salad. Everyone seemed to be fully satisfied with the meal! I love this soup - it's easy to make and it tastes like something you'd get at a fancy restaurant. Thank you to Carolyn for the amazing recipe!

Recipe for Pumpkin-Apple Soup

INGREDIENTS:
6 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 apples, peeled and chopped coarsely (any variety - I used one Braeburn & 1 Granny Smith)

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
3 cups of chicken broth
2 1/4 cups of apple cider
2 16-ounce cans of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream (or light cream)
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
Pecans or glazed pecans, for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Melt the butter in a large stockpot set over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the onion, apple, and garlic. Increase the heat to medium and saute, stirring frequently, until onions and apples have softened (about 5 - 6 minutes). Add in the salt and pepper, and cook for an additional minute.
Add in the broth and cider. Allow the soup to come to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, then add in the pumpkin and maple syrup. Cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the cream immediately before serving. Add a drizzle of cream & syrup to each serving. If desired, top each serving with candied pecans, such as Emerald glazed pecan pie pecans - so yummy!

Makes about 8 servings.

Pumpkin-Apple Soup Recipe Source: Emailed to me from my friend Carolyn

Baked Apple Oatmeal with Homemade Applesauce

I had a great time co-hosting my friend's baby shower last weekend. My friend Carrie is having her first baby girl in a few weeks, and we threw her a baby shower brunch on Saturday. I made some baked pumpkin oatmeal and quiche lorraine for the brunch. For dessert, I made some pretzel M & M treats and dark chocolate and white chocolate covered pumpkin truffles. My friend Emma also made an amazing cookies and cream sheet cake for the shower - the frosting was to die for. It was so much fun & we're all so excited for Carrie!

Since we all loved the baked pumpkin oatmeal so much, I decided that I wanted to try out another baked oatmeal recipe. For Sunday breakfast, I made this delicious baked apple oatmeal for me and Greg. The original recipe calls for jarred applesauce, but since I didn't have any on hand, I decided to make some homemade applesauce. The baked apple oatmeal was quite tasty. Greg loves the baked pumpkin oatmeal, but he said he liked the apple one even better. The apple oatmeal really tastes like fall because of the combo of apples and cinnamon. Greg and I ate the oatmeal for dinner a couple times this week since we liked it so much, and I can't wait to make it again! Enjoy.

Recipes for quiche lorraine (with bacon) and pumpkin truffles will be coming soon!

Recipe for Baked Apple Oatmeal with Homemade Applesauce 

For the applesauce 
2 - 3 apples (any kind), peeled, cored, & chopped coarsely
3/4 cup of water
1 1/2 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: Put the chopped apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture cook for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to cool, then mash the apples with a potato masher until they are at your desired consistency.
The applesauce can be made the night before you make the oatmeal. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the caramelized apples
2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
3 - 4 apples (any kind), peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
3 Tbsp. of light or dark brown sugar
DIRECTIONS: Put the butter in a large skillet and melt it over medium heat. Once it has melted, add the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are caramelized (about 15 minutes). Remove mixture from heat and set aside.

For the oatmeal 

1 cup of steel cut oats
2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
4 cups of very hot water
3 cups of old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker oats)
2/3 cup of light or dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. of nutmeg
1/4 cup of raisins
2/3 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of whole milk (or 2% or 1%)
1/3 - 1/2 cup of the homemade applesauce
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
2 tsp. of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the apples are caramelizing, put the steel cut oats and unsalted butter in a large bowl. Pour the very hot water over the oats and butter, and cover the bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add in the old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and walnuts. Stir mixture together and mix well.

In a smallish bowl, mix together the milk, homemade applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add it into the oatmeal mixture and stir.

Spread the caramelized apples evenly over the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture over the apples. Bake the oatmeal for 40 minutes, then remove from oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with a little bit of milk or cream, if desired.

Baked Apple Oatmeal Recipe Adapted from: Annie's Eats

Homemade Applesauce Recipe Source: All Recipes

That's Carrie in the background! My friend Tiffany did those adorable decorations.
 Carrie is having a baby girl named Aspen - so cute! 

Tuscan Baked Beans

First, I'd like to express how much I LOVE the fall season. I wish I had more time to enjoy the beautiful weather - if it were up to me, I'd change the school calendar so there was less time off in the summer and more time off in the fall! But, it's not up to me, so I'll just enjoy when I can. I love the clear blue sky, colorful leaves, and crisp cool air. It's invigorating. Cooler weather means warmer meals - I'm excited to make some of my favorite soup recipes soon. I recently made this warm and comforting meal of tuscan baked beans. The first night I made it Greg and I ate the beans as a main course. We had leftovers, so the next night we ate it as a side dish with baked chicken. This meal is very flavorful - it is filled with herbs like rosemary and thyme. What I like best about the meal though is that it has a crunchy topping made of Panko bread crumbs and Romano cheese - mmm! This meal is fairly easy to make & it's delicious! Enjoy.

Recipe for Tuscan Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. of kosher salt
1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
12 sprigs of thyme
1 large sprig of rosemary
2 cans of great northern beans, drained
For the crunchy topping:
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup of grated Romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 5 minutes (or until onions are tender). Add in the thyme and rosemary to the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from heat.

Pour the beans into a 2-quart oven safe dish. Discard the sprig of rosemary and half of the thyme leaves from the tomato and herb mixture. Add in the tomato and herb mixture to the beans, and mix together. Drizzle the mixture with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

After the beans have been in the oven for about 30 minutes, make the crunchy topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the tablespoon of olive oil, Panko bread crumbs, and Romano cheese. When the 30 minute timer goes off, carefully remove the beans from the oven and then evenly spread the topping over the beans. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Put the beans back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until the topping is browned. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve alone as a meal, or serve as a side dish with meat.

Recipe Adapted from: Wegmans