Brown Butter Walnut Pie

Ah pie.

Oh yeah, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay, so for me Thanksgiving dinner has nothing to do with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, or gravy. Sure, they're okay. And stuffing can be quite tasty. But truth be told, I could live without it.

And yes, I really am talking about the dinner part of Thanksgiving and not the family let's-all-come-and-be-thankful part. So I'm not leading up to an obvious "All I need for Thanksgiving dinner is togetherness." Of course I need my family. But this is a food blog after all.

So just give me some pie.

"There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy when they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie...." It's so true they put it in a Christmas carol ("Sleigh Ride," composed by Leroy Anderson with lyrics by Mitchell Parish).

I've raved about pie before, and posted several versions of pumpkin pies (here and here) as well. So I'll leave pumpkin out of it for a minute (though that is a Thanksgiving staple not to be missed).

But I always make two different kinds of pies for Thanksgiving. Typically, pumpkin and then pecan. It's a southern thing and I'm originally from Texas. Besides, pecans plus sugar plus pie crust equal divinity that few foods can reach (if you're from the south, you know what I'm talking about).

However, holidays don't always go according to plan. Such as this year when my mom ordered our first ever "deep fried" turkey from a restaurant that shall remain nameless that undercooked our turkey and threw in "time saving" sides that we had to buy extra ingredients for and assemble ourselves.... But that's another story. Even before all that, I was scrambling on the day before Thanksgiving to take care of all my errands and responsibilities for the week including the making of the two Thanksgiving pies to bring to dinner the next day. I'd had everything I needed for pumpkin pie well in advance, but then my eggs went bad and I forgot to buy pecans. Not a complete disaster--my mom met up with me Wednesday night to deliver a few groceries including those quite necessary eggs. The only problem? She forgot the pecans too.

Exhausted by the end of the day, I decided I would just make a pumpkin pie, and perhaps come to Thanksgiving a little early to make a pecan pie at my mom's house first thing in the morning. And then I had an inspiration. Why not try something just a little different? That's what this baking blog is all about, and it's been quite a while since I've done some real experimenting.

I remembered seeing (and saving) an article on "Yahoo! Shine" earlier in the week for Brown Butter Walnut Pie, a concoction described with "earthy walnuts" that "replace pecans in this version of the classic pie." I knew I had walnuts. I love "earthy walnuts" and have often used them for toppings on frozen yogurt. The question was, would my family go for such a drastic switch?

It couldn't hurt to try.

My first change in the original Yahoo recipe was cutting the amount of ingredients in half (Six eggs? 13 Tablespoons of butter? That's a little too rich for my blood and certainly too much for my pie shells). I changed the amount of butter to a more comfortable 5 Tablespoons and then replaced the "whole walnut halves" with what I had on hand--chopped walnuts and tiny pieces of walnut topping. The cook time also had to be adjusted since I was making it at the same time as the pumpkin pie, which was already in a 350 degree oven instead of one at 375. No problem, I would just cook it for longer. Well, longer than the halved recipe would equal, which ended up being about the same length of time as the original recipe anyway (though I was just waiting until the pie started smelling really good).

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Less than 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 + 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons sea salt
3 eggs
2 cup pack of chopped walnuts
3/4 cup walnut topping (tiny pieces)
1 pie shell

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large glass bowl, melt your butter and set it aside to cool slightly before adding in the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.

2.) Slowly beat in the eggs and keep stirring to avoid curdling the butter. Then fold in both the chopped walnuts and the walnut topping (basically, whatever walnut pieces you can find).

3.) Pour the filling into your pie shell and bake for approximately 42 minutes or until the walnuts begin to brown but not burn.

Was the recipe a success? Let's just say no one asked me to make a pecan pie too. While the words "experiment" scared the family just a little ahead of time, everyone who tried the pie complimented it, and my own taste buds immediately told me that this new holiday recipe was a keeper.

Now pass around the coffee and we can all do that togetherness thing. I'm thankful for experiments that turn out well and wonderful family willing to eat the end results.  =)

Caramel Apples Just Because

Sad to say, I have not baked anything as of late. A shame given that November is the month of Thanksgiving and I should be testing pie recipes (oh trust me, they're coming). But this morning I had the opportunity to make caramel apples for a potluck at work, which is not exactly baking but is most certainly fall inspired.

Yes, I've made them before, so I won't post the recipe again here (you can always check out the above link for detailed instructions), but I did want to share a few photos of this latest attempt just because caramel apples make me happy. And I didn't want to go too long without posting something. And I did make them in my own kitchen so that counts, right?

In this variation I also tried pecan "chips" (easier to find at the grocery store) instead of just chopped peanuts and almonds (difficult to chop yourself if you're a small person who does not own a food processor). I think they turned out quite tasty, and my coworkers called them "works of art."

Pro tip--when your caramel gets down to the bottom and isn't enough to cover a whole apple, throw the rest of your nuts in the pot, stir, and spoon out onto parchment paper to make little candies! (Refrigerate for at least an hour so they firm up nicely, but take out of the fridge to thaw a few minutes before biting. Trust me, you don't want to hurt your teeth).

Now to prep for plenty of pies!

Pumpkin Pie Au Naturale

Some treats will just naturally cause a mess in your kitchen. It's sadly unavoidable. This fact may deter you from making certain delicious baked goods in your future. Don't let it. Every kitchen can be cleaned. And some treats are worth it.

Like pumpkin pie.

"Hold on," you might be thinking. "You said pumpkin pie was easy. Only six ingredients. Only four steps. You've made it before. Don't torment us with words like 'mess'."

True. I have made pumpkin pie before, and it was easy. But "mess" doesn't have to equal "challenging". Before you run back to my Traditional Pumpkin Pie recipe just think how impressed your friends/relatives/guests might be when you tell them you made that pumpkin pie with a real, honest-to-gourd pumpkin.

While I've considered myself a baker for at least six years, I have had yet to make a pumpkin pie with anything but Libby's brand canned pumpkin or, occasionally, a jarred pumpkin butter. Then I was shopping at Trader Joe's and spotted some nice, small, round Pie Pumpkins (I think they may officially be called "Sugar Pumpkins") advertised up front. "Those might be nice for decorating my little place," I thought, and bought two of them. One I decorated with markers:

(He's a character from an online game I play. You probably won't recognize him...)

But I couldn't decide what to do with the other one. Carve? Draw another character? And then I saw the little Trader Joe's sticker stuck to the bottom of the pumpkin with a recipe for--you guessed it--pumpkin pie.

"I can do this," I thought.

Now the sticker recipe called for 1/2 to 1 cup whipping cream (which would probably kill me) as well as one stick of melted butter (which seemed like unnecessary fat given the fact that no other pumpkin pie recipe I've seen calls for butter and they still come out super delicious). It also called for more nutmeg, but I cut that in half because, even though I like it, that particular spice can be a tad overpowering. The substitutions are easy. It's the actual roasting of a real live (live?) pumpkin that can be intimidating. Yet that turned out surprisingly easy as well. Just make sure you have a sharp knife and:

Step 1: Wash pumpkin and cut pumpkin in half.

Step 2: Cut off stem with knife.

Step 3: Remove seeds and strings. Leave as much pumpkin "meat" as possible (Hint: this is the messy part).

Step 4: Place pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Step 5: Roast until soft at 350 degrees for about 1 hour (original recipe said 1.5 hours, but it started to brown after just one). Then scoop out all the meat into a bowl (not the little green strings) and save for the recipe that follows!

Ingredients:

1 "pie pumpkin" innards, thoroughly mashed
1 cup lite coconut milk (a nice substitution for those who are lactosely challenged. I had a handy can of Thai Kitchen brand in my pantry)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 empty pie shell/ready-made pie crust (I buy whole wheat pie crust from Whole Foods).

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (if it's not already there after roasting the pumpkin). In your bowl of pumpkin innards, add the milk and eggs. Stir together.

2.) Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar to the bowl and make sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour a smooth filling into your pie shell and bake about 40 minutes (place the pie on a cookie sheet while baking in case the filling overflows. Mine did not, but you can never be too careful). Then lower the temperature to 325 degrees, cover with foil to prevent burning, and bake for another 20 minutes (Be warned--if you position the foil directly above the pie it will stick to the pie and pie goop will stick to the foil. You can see the slightly cracked appearance that gives your pie in the photo below. Not the most professional look, but it has no affect on the flavor. In fact, you can lick up the pie goop while you wait for your pie to cool...).

3.) Allow the pie to come to room temperature before serving, or refrigerate overnight and serve with your nondairy whipped topping of choice the next day (or marshmallows if you read my traditional pumpkin pie recipe). Yum. Super yum. And that's it.

Three steps? Only three steps? I told you it was still easy. If I were to make it again, I might leave the pie in just a little longer (the filling did hold together, but just barely, and you might want a little more solid of a pie).

Oh and BONUS: if you make a pie from real fresh pumpkins, you also get some lovely leftover seeds to roast, absolutely free (do NOT let these tasty snacks go to waste!). That's equally simple:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (you can actually do this while the pie is baking) and rinse your pumpkin seeds in a bowl until all pumpkin "gunk" comes off. Pat dry with paper towels.

2.) Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Spread your seeds out evenly in a single layer across the sheet and spray the seeds with nonstick cooking spray as well. Sprinkle with salt, garlic salt, or whichever seasoning you prefer.

3.) Bake on the top rack of the oven (this can be while your pie bakes in the center/lower rack) for 40 minutes or until crunchy to the taste.

My first pumpkin pie of the season was "au naturale" but I'm not opposed to going back to canned filling for the next one. Is the flavor superior? I'll let you be the judge. I'm too busy finding both of them in my stomach.

See, now you've already forgotten about the mess....

Crispy Rice Treats II: Strawberry!

Back in the fall of 2011 I posted about a Crispy Rice Treat experiment involving brown rice cereal and marshmallows that is definitely not trademarked (um, see original Kellogg's recipe here). I thought I had a solid go-to recipe any time I wanted a rice treat.

Then my Mom bought me some cereal.

It was on sale at Fresh & Easy, so she bought a little extra and let me try my own box. Now, I've certainly had rice cereal before and I can tell you they all pretty much taste the same. It's puffed rice. And that's it. But when you add strawberry to puffed rice you get something with the simple goodness of rice cereal and something even better: pink milk (edit: I should mention that this was almond milk for me, but I'm assuming the same thing would happen with dairy milk too). My first bowl tasted just like that Nestle childhood favorite: Strawberry Quik! Or, for those raised after 1997: Strawberry Nesquik!

That made me happy.

And then I had an idea.

Since I've seen crispy rice treat recipes with so many variations (mostly the amount of butter changes) and I didn't want to mess this experiment up, I went back to that classic Kellogg's recipe again and simply substituted the Goodness cereal in place of the Kellogg's brand. Unfortunately, my pan wasn't big enough to hold 40 large marshmallows plus 6 cups of cereal (I really should have halved the recipe). But once I transferred the mix to a pot it all turned out all right in the end.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon butter
40 regular marshmallows (the campfire kind rather than the mini)
6 cups Fresh & Easy brand Goodness Organic Cereal: Strawberry Crispy Rice (It's a mouthful to say, but it worked great! I haven't found another strawberry rice cereal but if you know a good brand feel free to share!)

Directions:

1.) In a very large nonstick frying pan (or just go with a nonstick pot if you have one), melt the butter on a low heat. Add in your marshmallows and let them sit a couple of minutes (while you monitor them) until they slowly start to melt too.

2.) With a wooden spoon (coated in nonstick cooking spray) stir the marshmallow mixture until marshmallow chunks are no longer visible and the mix is smooth. Then add in your rice cereal, stirring after every couple of cups so that the cereal is nice and evenly coated.

3.) Pour the treats into a 9-inch by 13-inch pan coated in nonstick cooking spray and press evenly into place with the spoon (or with your hands, which you can cover with plastic baggies coated with nonstick cooking spray). I didn't have the right size pan with me, so I used a cookie sheet pan with a lip to spread out the concoction and shape into a rectangle with my hands.

4.) Once the treats have cooled, cut them into rectangle pieces (the best you can with a large knife that won't scratch your pan) and separate the individual portions. Serve within a day or two so they don't get too hard from staleness.

I'm not gonna lie. These treats were messy. My rectangle-cutting skills leave a lot to be desired and the marshmallow in the treats kept sticking to everything (spoon, pan, fingers, each other)! But--also not a lie--they were so so good! Almost a little too rich (from the butter) but not quite. And very addicting (me and my taste tester nibbled on the little bits stuck to the spoon, measuring cup, pan, etc. and still went back for seconds...).

Easy to make, not too unhealthy for a "treat" (organic rice plus naturally nonfat marshmallows) and a unique flavor that's reminiscent of childhood. What more could you ask for? Maybe just a cup of coffee....

Not exactly a rectangle. Or a square. But not bad, right?

Cheddar Pear Pie!

Strange name. Serious pastry.

This recipe's been in the family for years. Or, at least, in my immediate family. My mom used to bake the delectable, surprising Cheddar Pear Pie ever since I was a kid. And unlike most picky eater children, I embraced the concept--strange as it might sound (I also happened to love zucchini bread, eggs with syrup, and pizza dipped in ranch dressing).

And yes, it does sound strange. When I found a jar of Trader Joe's Pear Halves in White Grape Juice, I was inspired to dig up the old familiar recipe and experiment a bit with pears that were already peeled (easy!) and wouldn't go bad as fast as fresh fruit (practical!). But every guy I mentioned this pie plan to was skeptical. "Cheese? In a pie? I'll...take your word for it."

Oh please. Guys eat cheesecake all the time and don't bat an eye at the fact that yes, you're actually eating cheese in your dessert. Probably because cheesecake is so gosh-darn delicious. Just like Cheddar Pear Pie. If you're willing to give it a chance.

Now you may remember that I'm lactose intolerant (I don't get to have gosh-darn delicious cheesecake all that often), but the amount of cheddar in this pie is actually pretty minimal--just enough to add a hint of sharpness to an otherwise sweet dish and give the topping a nice golden brown crumble crust on the top. I also use Whole Foods' whole wheat pie shells for the crust on the bottom so you get an extra little health benefit there.

With the jarred pears and pie shell shortcuts, this recipe is actually a piece of cake (er, easy as pie?) to put together for a quick and astounding dessert. After a little research I determined the original source of the family recipe was actually a 1998 Taste of Home Magazine (Mom, you didn't invent it yourself??), so that may also help lend some credibility to the CPP concept for any remaining cynics in your taste-testing audience (16 of 17 Taste of Home online reviewers gave it 5 stars, guys).

Thus, without further ado, I give you the recipe for one of my favorite fruit pies:

Ingredients:

3 pears, peeled (an entire 25-ounce jar. It won't fill the pie shell to the brim, but I only had one jar. The original recipe calls for at least 4 pears).
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 whole wheat pie shell

For topping:
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter, melted
1/2 cup flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour, as always)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spoon the pears into a large bowl and slice them into even pieces (I cut each half into about four slices). If you're using jarred pears, make sure to drain out all water from the jar and dab the pears in the bowl with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then add the cornstarch and salt, and mix until you can't see the white of the cornstarch anymore. Pour the pear mixture into the empty pie shell.

2). In a separate bowl, melt the butter and add in your flour, sugar, and salt in the same bowl. Stir the topping ingredients together, then fold in the cheddar cheese. Work into a dough with your fingers to blend everything thoroughly, then use your fingers to crumble the dough.

3.) Sprinkle the crumbled dough on top of the pears in the pie shell until they are completely covered. Then use foil to cover the pie and prevent burning of the cheese and crust edges. Bake approximately 40 minutes at 400 degrees (you might want to check the pie after 30 minutes to make sure your oven isn't browning it too much). Then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 5-10 minutes if it's not quite brown enough (I was going to go with 10 minutes but was so afraid of burning that I took it out after 5 and the pie still came out perfect).

4.) Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at least 10 minutes. Serve while still warm (Personally, I don't mind cold pie, but this one tastes so good when heated up!). Store any leftovers (as if) in the fridge to prevent the pie from going bad. I mention this now because I forgot to store my Pumpkin Nut Bread in the fridge after a couple days (I left it sitting out on display in my kitchen under a nice glass dome) and the next two pieces I ate upset my stomach (a problem that I couldn't immediately identify the source of--I mean, it wasn't a dairy-based dessert so why was it making me sick? And then I realized, oh yeah, no preservatives).

The original recipe from Taste of Home actually calls for a temperature of 425 degrees and baking for 25-35 minutes. I would recommend scrapping that and going with my experimental version instead as I have tried making Cheddar Pear Pie in years past only to have burnt cheese and watery filling. This latest pie, however, came out solid (held up well to each pie server slicing) and can be seen as anything but burnt in the pictures above and below. As for the taste--that still lived up to my expectations from childhood. After carving out pieces for myself, my mom, and leaving a little behind for my dad and brothers, I took a slice to one of my guy taste testers who (unlike my family) had never heard of Cheddar Pear Pie.

I heated it up in the microwave, plated it, and waited. The piece was literally gone in seconds. Still, I needed a quote for all the skeptics out there.

"How was the pie?" I asked.

"Delicious!" was the response.

So now I have something to tell my disbelieving guy friends. They don't even have to take my word for it.

Toaster Pastries (Fake Pop-Tarts!)

Okay, so here's a quick dessert I put together with the exact criteria of: easy, fast, and possible with just the things I already have in my fridge and pantry (no time to grocery shop!). I was inviting a friend over after work (more like a request for computer tech support...) and wanted to make sure I not only had dinner to offer in thanks (teriyaki chicken rice bowls) but also some kind of dessert. My guest already sampled the previously posted Pumpkin Nut Bread, so I needed something new. However, I only had a few minutes to prep something before work and was already dealing with:

1. Computer breaking (of course)

2. Fridge leaking (after already being fixed once!)

3. Spilling hot water from the rice bowl vegetables on the floor

4. Spilling hot water from the rice bowl vegetables on my feet

5. Laundry buzzing

6. Dishes overflowing

7. Trash overflowing

8. The fact I still had to shower and change clothes for work

(Being an adult is such fun, isn't it?)

Luckily it was my evening shift at work, so I had a whole morning at least to handle these chores. But getting off work in the evening also meant no time to plan and bake an elaborate dessert or go grocery shopping before my guest arrived. It was time to look in the pantry. Time to look in the fridge. Time to get those creative juices flowing.

I had one leftover refrigerated pie crust and one unopened jar of jam ("Unopened" is a key word here because all my jars of peanut butter, for instance, were "open," which meant "eaten out of," which meant I'd double dipped in them at least once.... Otherwise I might have whipped up this quick peanut butter cookie recipe for dessert instead).

So, remembering that I saw a recipe involving jam-filled pastries online just the other day, I turned to my phone's Internet and quickly searched my go-to Allrecipes.com. I couldn't find the exact pastry I'd spotted before (it may have been some kind of kolacky?), but I did land on a page for the "Toaster Pastry" (fake Pop-Tart) kind. Called Top Tarts by recipe author "kellweeeeezy," this dessert uses only six ingredients if you follow it to the letter, and is easily customizable if you don't. Here's my take on Toaster Pastries:

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust (I used Pillsbury since that was what I'd found at the store previously)

8 teaspoons strawberry jam (I look for jars with reduced sugar and NO high-fructose corn syrup)

1 cup sugar (I didn't have confectioner's sugar)

5 Tablespoons (an estimate--this doesn't have to be exact) fat-free evaporated milk (I don't keep regular milk in my fridge but do have evaporated milk for pumpkin pies...)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkles (if you have them, it does make the pastries quite pretty. Unfortunately, the only ones I had were expired and somewhat anemic looking...).

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Let your pie crust sit out until it reaches room temperature, then roll the dough with a rolling pin until it forms close to a rectangle shape.

2.) With a pastry wheel (or a pizza wheel/knife/etc. will work), cut the dough into an even number of smaller rectangles of the same size (My pie crust allowed for 8 rectangles, which makes 4 pastries. The original recipe makes 8 pastries total). Place 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam in the center of half the rectangles and spread it with a spoon to reach about 1/4 an inch from the edge (It may be hard to get exactly 1/4 an inch, so just keep in mind that the closer the jam gets to the edge the more likely it will be to spill out during baking...).

3.) Top the jam-filled rectangles with the plain rectangles and crimp the pastries together with a fork. You can also prick them with the fork to form letters showing what kind of jam is inside or to claim which pastry will ultimately be yours! Then bake the pastries on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray for about 7-9 minutes (I couldn't bake them on parchment paper since my parchment paper is only oven safe up to 420 degrees. And yes, I've had parchment paper burn in my oven before).

4.) In a bowl, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until a thin icing forms. After the pastries have been removed from the oven (mine started to get golden brown at about 9 minutes), let them cool at least 5 minutes before drizzling with icing. If you have non-expired sprinkles, you can sprinkle them on at this stage too.

5.) Refrigerate your pastries for later toasting or enjoy at any temperature. If you eat them while still warm (or if you reheat them) just keep in mind that the jam will get a lot hotter than the pastry. Tongue-burning hot. But oh so gooey good.

I taste-tested a pastry during my lunch at work and was pleased with the result as well as with the break in my day from crazy adulthood. Nothing like fake Pop-Tarts to take you back to a time before broken electronics, leaking fridges, vegetable cooking, laundry, dishes, trash, and work were your responsibility. Let's all take a moment to savor the sweetness of childhood and offer up thanks for quick and easy desserts.

Pumpkin Nut Bread

It's dangerous this time of year.... Not because of upcoming ghosts, goblins, and T.P. house pranks that next month will ultimately bring, but because on August 29, before the last full month of summer was even over, my dad texted me seven precious words--and one smiley: "Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks. =)"

Dangerous words.

I don't care if the high is 100 degrees (though this week's rain has brought the outside temperature down a few notches). I don't even actually order Starbucks lattes and frappuccinos all that often (quite a bit of sugar, sadly, because the coffee addict in me wants them bad). But if Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks, that means it's officially fall.

It's OFFICIALLY FALL. 

And my hands are rubbing together with pumpkin scheming already....

If you know me, you probably remember that fall and winter are my favorite times of year (baking for Halloween, baking for Thanksgiving, baking for Christmas, baking for Valentine's Day...). So naturally I am more than thrilled that stores are starting to pull out their Halloween decor (giving me ideas for upcoming costume parties) magazines are offering autumn themed recipes and Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin is showing up on the shelves of grocery stores in a variety of forms. Canned, of course, (will need that for baking, thank you), in coffee (OMG, my favorite in K-cup form), as candy and even in granola (I miss this one, please let me know if you see it on the shelves of Trader Joe's).

And naturally, I must write an obligatory Pumpkin blog post to remind you just how Pumpkin crazy (you get the idea) I really am.

My first pumpkin dish of the year (don't worry, pies will come soon enough) was brought to me by my mom from her friend who offered up a recipe for Pumpkin Date Bread, promising that golden raisins could be substituted for the dates if I didn't have any (I don't).

While I'm typically not inclined to corrupt my pumpkin products with nuts, fruit, or even chocolate chips, I thought I'd try something different and keep the recipe's additions (though I did cut the original recipe in half to make one loaf instead of two). I call it Pumpkin Nut Bread so when friends try it they'll expect to bite into something more than just pumpkin. The original recipe comes from a Taste of Home magazine of unknown origin (though I can see the original page number was 42...spooky).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup canola oil
1 and 1/2 eggs (accomplished with one whole egg and one egg yolk)

1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk (original recipe just calls for milk but this was all I had on hand--ready for pies)
Half of 1/3 cup (I estimated) molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 plus 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I broke them into pieces with my hands)

For topping:
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup chopped pecans (also with hands)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl (the largest mixing bowl you have), combine the applesauce, pumpkin, oil, eggs, milk, molasses, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.

2.) Slowly (in batches) add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir after each addition to combine. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Then pour the batter into a loaf pan greased with nonstick cooking spray.

3.) In a new bowl (or you can wipe out the dry ingredient bowl), combine the brown sugar, extra chopped pecans, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake for about 55 minutes (check with a toothpick after 45 minutes, just in case your oven is more powerful than mine). I also covered mine with foil for the first 35 minutes to prevent the pecans in the topping from burning.

4.) Let the bread cool about 15 minutes before serving.

My resulting loaf baked high, was fluffy soft with an occasional pecan crunch, and was rated highly by my taste-tester football-watching crowd (yes, I brought the bread to a Monday-night game. It's the most I have to contribute to the sport of football). Even a friend who claimed to dislike pumpkin bread took two (three?) slices and asked for the recipe to boot.

So this one's definitely a winner by itself, though if I were to recreate the recipe, I might adjust the topping--1/8 cup of pecans is just not very much. Or I may try a topping/nut/raisin-free version that's just for butter and jam spreaders.

While some Americans are hiding away this season in football hibernation "man caves," I'll be hiding away in my kitchen concocting fall recipes and planning crazy pumpkin spice purchases like an out-of-her-"gourd" mad scientist. Bwa ha ha--let's laugh in the face of danger.