Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cake

So delicious!!! 

Thanks to Sally's Baking Addiction

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-pumpkin-cake/#tasty-recipes-67484

Ingredients

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*

1 cup (240ml) canola or vegetable oil*

4 large eggs

1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree*

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. I always use this glass pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place the cake in the refrigerator to speed things up.

Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier. 

Diane’s Dad’s Bread and Butter Pickles

6 lbs medium cucumbers

1 ½ cups sliced onions

2 large garlic cloves kept whole

1/3 cup salt

2 trays ice cubes

4 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsp celery seed

2 Tbs mustard seed

3 cups white vinegar

Wash cucumbers. Cut into ¼ inch slices. In large bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, garlic and salt. Add ice cubes and mix. Let stand 3 hours.

Drain liquid and remove garlic. In saucepan, combine sugar, spices and vinegar. Heat just to boil. Add cucumber slices and onions and heat 10 minutes.

Pack into pint jars leaving ½ inch headroom. Process in boiling water. 

Makes 7 pints

Quick refrigerated method:

Follow instructions above but don’t boil cucumbers in brine. Just pour boiling brine over cucumbers and onions in a heat proof bowl. Cool. Add to containers. Store in refrigerator. I’m not sure how long they last in the fridge. Keep what you can use for the next few weeks or so and give away the rest ;)

French Country Vegetable Soup - family favorite

This was in an old illustrated french cookbook for families. Our kids loved this soup while growing up

INGREDIENTS:

7 Tbs butter

1 small white cabbage chopped finely

2 leeks thinly sliced

2 carrots diced

1-2 heads celeriac diced (I use celery)

1 onion finely chopped

1 medium potato diced

6 cups chicken stock

S&P

1/2 baguette in thin slices

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

METHOD:

Melt 2 T butter, add cabbage, leeks and onion. Cover and cook over low heat until soft. Add rest of vegetable, pour in chicken stock and add seasonings. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 hour. Spread butter on baguette slices and toast. Remove 2-3 spoonfulls of veggies, spread on baguette slice, sprinkle with Gruyere and bake 425 for 5-10 minutes until browned. Puree soup, wisk in remaining butter and serve with toasted bread on top.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Au Siegfried - a family favorite!

Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Butter

1/2 cup  (31g / 1.1oz)  Chopped onion

1 cup  (110g / 3.9oz)Chopped celery

1  Carrot - thinly sliced

1  Cauliflower - cut into bite-sized florets

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Chopped parsley

8 cups (1896 ml) Chicken stock

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dried tarragon (or 1 tbs if you have fresh)

1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) Whole peppercorns

1  Bay leaf

4 tablespoons (60 ml) Butter

1/2 cup (31 g / 1.1oz) Flour

2 cups (474 ml) Milk

1 cup (237ml) Light cream

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Salt - or more to taste 

Garnish

Toasted cheese croutons - or 1/2 cup Goldfish Cheddar Cheese crackers

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven, toss in onion, and saute until transparent. Add the celery and carrot, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflowerettes and parsley, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Tie the tarragon, peppercorns, and bay into cheesecloth or perforated tin foil, and plunge into the soup. Reduce heat and let simmer.

In another saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour, cooking into a roux for a minute or two. Whisk the milk in gradually. Bring just to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Stir in the cream.

When the sauce is done, pour it with the salt into the soup, and simmer for 20 minutes.

When the soup is ready, remove the herb packet. Jeanne recommends pureeing the whole thing, but the colors and textures are so nice that I prefer either pureeing only half, or just mashing the vegetables in the pot to the desired consistency. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons or crackers.

Serve hot to 8 to 10 people as a first course.

Spice Cake - best cake I've ever made

 This amazing recipe is from Butternut Bakery Blog

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INGREDIENTS

SPICE CAKE

• 2 3/4 cups (350g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 cups (380g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup (200ml) vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup (235g) unsweetened apple sauce
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (200g) sour cream, room temperature

BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter
• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DECORATIONS

• Cinnamon sticks
• Candied nuts (half the recipe)

INSTRUCTIONS

SPICE CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and prep (2) 8″ round cake pans. Coat them with a thin layer of nonstick spray and line the bottoms with a round sheet of parchment paper. Wrap in damp cake strips if you have them. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, either mixing by hand with a whisk or an electric mixer, mix together the sugar, oil, and apple sauce until the sugar is evenly moistened.
4. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
5. Once smooth, mix in half of the dry ingredients until combined. Then mix in the sour cream, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients.
6. The batter should be fairly thin. Pour it into the two cake pans, filling each about 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. While the cake bakes, make the brown butter.

BROWN BUTTER

1. Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Melt it down and continue to stir until it bubbles, foams, and turns a rich amber color (for more details on how to brown butter, click here). Pour the brown butter into a shallow glass dish and chill while the cakes bake.
2. Once the cakes have baked, allow them to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Then, flip out on to a cooling rack. If you plan on decorating the cake that same day, transfer the cakes to the refrigerator uncovered to chill completely before frosting. If you are decorating the next day, allow the cakes to cool completely at room temperature. Then wrap each layer in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1. Once the cakes are chilled, make the frosting. But first, test the butter. It should now be opaque and firm, but not hard. It should be the consistency of softened butter to where you can easy dig into it with a butter knife. If it’s not there yet, continue to chill.
2. When it’s ready, add the butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, either using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
3. Mix in 1 cup of powered sugar at a time, followed by the vanilla. If it’s still too thin, add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time to thicken. Or, if your home is a bit warm, transfer the frosting to the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes to thicken.

ASSEMBLE

1. When the cakes have completely cooled, level off the tops and slice each layer in half to make 4 thin layers. You don’t have to do this, but I like how it evenly distributes the frosting throughout the cake.
2. Add a thin layer of frosting between each layer. Once all layers have been stacked, cover the cake in a thin coating of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
3. Once chilled, cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Add any decorations you like, such as cinnamon sticks, crumbled cake scraps, or homemade candied nuts.
4. Place the cake back in the refrigerator to chill until serving. Enjoy!

NOTES

CAKE PANS – You can also make (3) 6″ cake layers or (2) 9″ cake layers. Just make sure to watch the cook times. It make take closer to 30-35 minutes to bake in larger or multiple pans. Although I haven’t tested it, this batter should make the right amount for a 9×13″ baking dish. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Then, only make half of the frosting recipe to spread on top.

SPICES – Cardamom isn’t a spice that’s in everyones kitchen. If you don’t have it on hand, you can leave it out and add 1/4 tsp extra of both cinnamon and ginger to the recipe, or swap it with pumpkin pie spice.

Our Favorite Potato Leek Soup

Seriously the best soup ever

From Tastes Better From Scratch

3 tablespoons butter

2 slices bacon , chopped

2 large leeks , (the white and light green part only), chopped

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes , peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock , or vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme , or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly cracked pepper and salt

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream (can substitute whole milk)

crushed red pepper flakes , optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp and the fat is rendered off into the pan. Add chopped leeks and potatoes to the pan and cook until the leeks are soft.

Stir in white wine to deglaze the pan. Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme then season generously with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the potatoes are very soft. Remove bay leaves. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until creamy with just a few chunks. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding the cream. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper or hot sauce, if desired.

Soup will thicken slightly as it cools.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: This soup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the soup is overly thick when rewarmed, add a splash of milk or cream. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or thyme, as needed.

Freezing Instructions: You can freeze leek and potato soup for up to 3 months, but don't add the cream. Allow the soup to cool, then add to a freezer safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight or warm from frozen on the stovetop. Once warm, stir in the cream.

Variations:

Instant Pot: Turn instant pot to sauté. Add butter to the pot. Once melted, add bacon. Once cooked, add leaks and potatoes and cook until leaks are softened. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with wine, if using. Add stock, bay leaves and thyme.Cook on manual, high pressure, for 9 minutes. Quick release and turn pot off. Blend soup lightly with an emersion blender. Stir in cream.

Slow Cooker: Sauté bacon in butter. Add leeks and cook until tender. Deglaze pan with wine, if using. Add everything to slow cooker along with potatoes, stock, thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream. Taste and season if needed.

Vegan: Substitute plant butter or coconut oil for the butter, omit the bacon, and substitute the cream with cashew cream.

Vegetarian: This soup can be made vegetarian by simply omitting the bacon and substituting vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

Gluten Free: Unlike some potato leek soup that is made using flour, this dish is already gluten free :).

Dairy Free: Substitute plant butter or coconut oil for the butter and substitute the cream with cashew cream.

I just made the sauce and it's amazing - can't stop liking my spoon!

 From That's Delicious

Instant Pot Chicken Mole

4.76 from 57 votes

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Mole from scratch! Quick recipe that tastes authentic but is made fast in the Instant Pot. Use this delicious shredded chicken for Mexican enchiladas, tacos, rice, and more.

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PREP:15 mins

COOK:35 mins

TOTAL:50 mins

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SERVINGS: 4 –6 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce NOT two cans, just 2 peppers
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
• 1/4 cup toasted pepitas or toasted sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

FOR SERVING:

• Prepared brown rice or tortillas whole wheat or corn
• Your favorite toppings: freshly chopped cilantro, avocado, sliced radishes, chopped almonds or pepitas, cheese, etc!

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Instructions

 

• Set a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker to SAUTE. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot and scrape the onion and garlic into a blender. Return the insert to the pot and set back to SAUTE. Add a few splashes of water, scrape up any browned bits, and discard them. You want the bottom of the Instant Pot to be fairly clean so that it does not burn. Turn off the Instant Pot.
• To the blender with the onions, add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, pepitas, raisins, cocoa powder, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.
• Lightly coat the Instant Pot with nonstick spray and place the chicken in the Instant Pot. Pour the sauce over the top and do not stir. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for ***8 minutes (for chicken breasts) or 10 minutes (for chicken thighs). Vent immediately. ***NOTE - this timing was way off for me. But I used frozen chicken breasts. I just used the poultry option on the instant pot.
  
  
  
  
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and bring the sauce to a simmer. Let bubble, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is rich and thick, about 10 minutes. Place a layer of paper towels over the top as the sauce cooks to catch any splatters. While the sauce cooks, shred the chicken with two forks. Return the chicken to the pot and toss with the thickened sauce. Enjoy with any desired toppings over rice, as a filling for tacos or quesadillas, over nachos, or right out of the Instant Pot with a fork.

Notes

• To make in a slow cooker: I have not tried this method myself, but if you'd like to adapt the recipe for the crock pot, here's what I would recommend. Saute the onions and garlic in a skillet instead of the Instant Pot and proceed with the rest of step 1 and 2 to make the sauce. Place the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker as directed in step 3 and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high or 4 to 5 hours on low. After the chicken is cooked, transfer the sauce to a saucepan to reduce.