Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

How cute are these individual cakes!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Cake Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 C white sugar
4 Tbsp pineapple juice
2/3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp)
2/3 C brown sugar
1-can pineapple rings
6-maraschino cherries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
BAKE TIME 10-15 min
In a mixing bowl, add eggs, white sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and turn mixer back on for 2 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir on low heat for one minute.

Spoon a layer of the warm brown sugar mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, then place a pineapple ring on top. Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. If you are using regular muffin tins, you will need to cut down the rings to fit or just use pineapple tidbits.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin fans will love this easy to fix, moist cake.

Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans (walnuts are good too)
1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
Pour into your prepared pan.
Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Notes
serve with ice cream or whipped cream

Recipe adapted from: cookiesandcups.com

Rosie's Apple Pie

My kind of recipe . . . easy and delicious.

Karen Swanson made her Mom's Apple Pie recipe to the October Historical League meeting. It was gone very quickly!

Rosie's Apple Pie

Ingredients:
6 peeled apples (medium)
1 small package raspberry jello
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
Slice apples in pie shell and sprinkle jello over apples.
Combine sugar and flour and butter. Crumble over apples.

Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin - fruit or vegetable? Enjoy all the wonderful recipes you can make while you decide because pumpkin time is here. Great Pumpkin Cookies recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook is delicious. This pumpkin recipe below is also worth it.

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze


• Ingredients for Bread
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (warm)
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Buttered Rum Glaze 
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum * or vanilla extract
• 
  
• 
Directions
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add warm milk, return to stove and heat through.Pour the milk and butter mixture into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool to warm (about 100-110 degrees F). Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
• While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.** Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
• When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.*** Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 37 exactly) or until top is a very deep golden brown.
• To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.*** If dough is difficult to roll out, cover with a towel and allow to relax for a few minutes then try again.
  
  Thanks to www.sunnysideupsd.com

Jack-O-Lanterns Stay Fresh

Here's a little trick to keep your Halloween Carved Pumpkins looking great for weeks. Not sure if it

works in the Arizona heat but will try it this year!

Don't forget to save the pulp of your pumpkin (or buy canned pumpkin) for Great Pumpkin Cookies. Recipe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

After you scoop out and carve your pumpkin, dip it in a large container of bleach and water (use a 1 tsp:1 gal mix). The bleach will kill bacteria and help your pumpkin stay fresh longer. Once completely dry, (drain upside down), add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Brush this solution onto your pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for weeks.”

Orzo Salad becomes Main Dish

Barbara Cardinal created her own version of Orzo Salad from page 159 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook. We love creativity in the kitchen!
Her comments, "My husband and I had it for dinner  - I added some cooked chicken I had on hand.  It makes a great main dish salad too.  Very versatile.
Here are my changes:
- Did not saute the mushrooms.  Just chunked them and added them raw.
- Eliminated the garlic (I am not a garlic fan in salads)
- The asparagus was the very very thin stalks.
- Put in some green as well as red bell pepper.
- Doubled the amount of dressing, added some sugar and some more salt.
- Eliminated the feta cheese, since I did not have it on hand." 


Orzo Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Ingredients Dijon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Ingredients for Salad:
1 pound asparagus, blanched
16 ounces orzo
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup drained oil-pack sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions for the Vinaigrette:
Whisk the lemon juice, shallot, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Add the olive oil gradually, whisking constantly until the olive oil is incorporated.

Directions for the Salad:
    Slice the asparagus spears diagonally into 1 inch pieces. Cook the pasta using the package directions until al dente and drain. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl and cool to room temperature. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the shallots and garlic. Sute for 5 minutes. Toss the mushroom mixture with the pasta.
    Add the asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, feta cheese, mint, Parmesan cheese, olives and basil to the pasta mixture and mix gently. Add the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Garnish with teardrop or pear tomatoes and sprigs of Italian parsley. Serve at room temperature. You may prepare up to 1 day in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves 8 or more.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

October means pumpkins - all shapes and sizes and in every dessert! This cake is easy and delicious. If you want pumpkin cookies, try Great Pumpkin Cookies from Historical League member Kay Holcombe in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Pumpkin Pie Cake
1 - 18oz can pumpkin (or fresh equivalent)
1 box yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1 cup sugar
1/2 c. melted margarine or butter
1 - 13oz can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts or coconut
3 eggs
3 tsp cinnamon

Beat eggs and milk together; add pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well blended. Pour into a 9x13 greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over mixture. Drizzle with melted margarine. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min or until done.

Serve (warm or cold) with topping or whipped cream.

Thanks to  chellascommoncents.com