5 Minute Apple Crisp for One

What I am about to share with you is very dangerous.




But not as dangerous as my brownie for one…not to be mistaken by the brownie in a mug, gross.

I think that for those of us who love Fall, we can excitedly say we love cinnamon. Maybe that’s just me. So when I found myself craving a warm cinnamon dessert this evening, I headed for the pantry. I cheat a little with a can of apple pie filling I already had on hand, but you can certainly use fresh apples (see below). This recipe was just a spur of the moment dish and is no culinary art by any means…but it gets the job done.

5 Minute Apple Crisp for One

Prep: 5 minutes (duh!)
Makes: One serving of apple crisp

1/4 cup apple pie filling or

Fresh Filling:

1 apple, peeled and thickly sliced

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cornstarch

Crisp Topping:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon




In a microwave safe bowl, add canned pie filling and cover with a paper towel before microwaving for one minute. Or if you would like to make the filling from scratch follow these directions-In a small mixing bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Add sliced apples and with your hand, massage the dry ingredients into the slices until all the dry mix is used up.  Place apple mixture in a microwavable cereal bowl, cover with plastic wrap (folding some of it back to vent it), and microwave for 4 minutes



Meanwhile, in a small pan melt the butter and add remaining ingredients. Stirring continuously for 3 minutes until fully cooked/fried. Watch the pan carefully as this crumble topping will burn easily!

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week! 

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze {recipe}

Wow. Say that 3 times fast.

I know, I know…the pumpkin bandwagon is on its last wheel, but this cake is good. REALLY GOOD. I’m not trying to hold out on you guys, but I saved the best for last. This got the husband, child, and dog seal of approval. It is dangerously good.
 
I’m sure I will get a few email about how includes a few “sketchy” ingredients. And yes, I know. I also know I have never claimed to eat nothing but twigs and berries. 85% of the time I am a very conscious eater and educated consumer. The other 15% of the time, I’m eating this cake.
Now, go get your sweat pants and let’s do this!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1/2 cup sour cream
15 ounce can pumpkin
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 package cream cheese
Here is the line up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
Let’s start with the cake batter. Add dry boxed cake mix to a large bowl.
 
Add vanilla pudding mix.
  
Time for the eggs, milk, and oil.

Then, add the sour cream and pumpkin.

Time to mix!

Pour cake batter into jelly roll pan. Smooth the batter out into an even layer. Pretty!
 
Time for the cinnamon swirl. In a medium bowl, melt butter in the microwave, 30-40 seconds should do. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, whisk until combined.

Drizzle over cake and using a butter knife, swirl throughout the pumpkin batter.

  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean!

Once your cake is out of the oven, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cream. I played around with the ingredients a bit to achieve the glaze consistency rather than a frosting. You want it thin enough to almost see through when put on the warm cake.

Again, make sure you add the glaze while the cake is warm. Let the cake and glaze cool  for about 30 minutes before refrigerating for a few hours. This is the best served chilled.

  Cut into squares and store remainder in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

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Mini Pumpkin Pies with Gingersnap Crust {recipe}

Ah yes, the pumpkin dessert posts continue. Everyone in our house really enjoyed these mini versions of our favorite holiday pie! Something about mini desserts just make them taste better. I have a soft spot for mini cheesecakes (thanks, mom!) and combined with a little Dashing Dish inspiration, I knew I had to make these!


  
Mini Pumpkin Pies with Ginger Snap Crust
makes 18-24 mini pies
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 box/bag of gingersnaps
Whipped cream (optional) I use Redi-Whip (because the tv told me Cool Whip is made of chemicals) or if I’m feeling extra domesticated I will whip my own from the cow I milk out back before dawn.


Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin tin with cupcake wrappers (I would recommend the foil kind) and fill each wrapper with one ginger snap.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in a small bowl (you can use pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves like I did. The conversion is on the back of the spice jar.) Beat eggs in a large bowl then stir in the sugar spice mixture. Gradually add pumpkin until well combined. Slowly add evaporated milk.


Distribute pumpkin mixture evenly among cupcake wrappers. Fill each enough to cover the ginger snap generously. Just like pumpkin pie, these will not rise, so its really up to you how thick or thin you want your mini pies. Mine ended up being about 1 1/2-2 inches tall. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firmly set. Remove from oven and allow pies to cool before refrigerating for at least 2-3 hours.  Top with whipped cream and crushed ginger snaps before serving. ENJOY!

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

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Pumpkin Topiary {DIY}

This


....is why I am ridiculed for my eating style.

Pictsweet Deluxe Sides baby vegetables, Morningstar Farms black bean burger, brown rice, and Babybel  Sharp Cheddar cheese...all at work...recipe for disaster. 

....is why we have Boston Terriers.

Ok, enough of that. I wanted to share a little DIY project I finished last weekend. Inspired by:

This was a really easy project and I am very happy with the way it turned out. 

Supplies needed:

2 large flower pots (the older the better)

Spray paint (one color to paint your pots with and a clear coat)

Various pumpkins

Coarse or extra course sandpaper

Steel Wool

Here is what I started with, 2 gray pots. Exciting, huh? 

 And of course, the best help you can find.

I chose a metallic, almost bronze color paint. I covered it two coats of spray paint. The coats don't have be perfectly even, as you will be using the sandpaper and steel wool to distress the pots once dry.

I know the can says it dries in 10 minutes or less, but I let mine dry for a few hours (aka I totally forgot about them because our house becomes a circus around dinner time.)

Once dry, I distressed them with really, not a lot of effort. I totally forgot to grab some pictures during the day, but here is how they turned out and what I did with them!

Halloween Dog.

I added these to the front porch with my Fall Wreath.

And Pottery Barn Pumpkins...

And spider welcome mat from Crate and Barrel.

 Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week! 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting {recipe}

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe from Skinnytaste

Friends, these cupcakes will change your life. I promise. I am a known lover of all things pumpkin and cream cheese. Combine the two and its just over for me. 

Pardon the poor frosting job, I thought it was a good time to practice my piping skills. This is a very simple recipe that is full of flavor. I think I ate four..ok, maybe five of them over the weekend. I brought the rest to work and got great reviews. Best of all, the recipe came from Gina at Skinnytaste. She has a wonderful gift of creating lighter versions of the foods we love, without loosing any flavor. 

I filled my cupcake pans up a little less than what the recipe indicates, and got 26 cupcakes. I also doubled my frosting ingredients so I had enough frosting for them all. The measurements below are for 24 cupcakes and 1 batch of frosting. I have to add that they cupcakes are great without frosting. They are incredibly moist and have all the yummy flavors of fall. Gina estimated the cupcakes alone (just 1 cupcake, no frosting) have 84.2 calories. With frosting? ONLY 121.1 calories. Yes, you read right. 

Ingredients:

• 18.25 oz Betty Crocker Golden Vanilla Super Moist Cake Mix
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers.

Look who's excited about cupcakes. 

Combine cake mix and pumpkin spice in a large bowl. 

Add pumpkin puree and water, mix about 2 minutes.

mmmmmmm....

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. My oven is weird in that it always takes the longest of the suggested range. 

You can watch them bake if you like...

If you aren't sure if they are ready to come out, insert a toothpick into the middle of one. If it comes out clean, take them out! 

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 5 tbsp packed brown sugar

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until smooth. Again, I thought I would be cool and pipe my frosting on. Its a bit thin for piping, so I suggest just spreading it on if you don't have the patience to wait to eat one  want to mess with it.