Pumpkin Empanadas

(This was orginally a recipe for Sweet Potatoe Empanadas, but I made a few changes and made it my own!  I think they turned out GREAT!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin  (just pumpkin, not a pie mix)
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• salt
• 1 tube refrigerated ready-made cresent roll dough
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin with the cream cheese, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt until creamy.  Remove the dough from the tube and separate into 4 rectangles.  Working with one rectangle at a time, squish the perforated seam to seal the two large triangles together.  Cut the rectangle in half, making two smaller rectangles/squares.  Place a heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin filling in the center of the two small rectangles.  Fold the dough in half, and pinch the endges to seal.  (If the dough has gotten too dry to seal, use a tiny bit of water on the edges to seal)

Make all 8 empanadas with the rest of the dough.  Place the rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and put into the preheated oven.  Bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nugmeg, and a pinch of salt.  While still warm, brush the empanadas with melted butter, and then gently toss in the sugar mixture.

Here is a picture of the finished empanada, along side a pumpkin bar...

Posted By: Megan

Fool-Proof Pop-Overs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk, warmed for 30 seconds in the microwave (should be lukewarm to warm)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Special equipment: muffin tin
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a pastry brush, coat 8-12 muffin cups with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and put the tin in the oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the eggs in a blender, or with a hand-held mixer until light yellow. Add the warmed milk and blend. Add the flour, salt and remaining melted butter, and blend until smooth. Pour the batter into the warmed muffin tin and return it to the oven to bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

(I've made them without buttering the pan, just spraying with cooking spray, and it worked no problem.  Just cut the butter that's added to the mix down to 2 Tbsp)

Posted By: Megan

Black Bean Brownies

Ingrdients

• Butter, for greasing pan
• 3/4 cup cooked black beans 
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil 
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan.
In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. Add the eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee (if using), and vanilla. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Posted By: Megan

Red Velvet Ooey Gooey

1 box red velvet cake mix
1/2 c butter
3 eggs
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 box (16oz) powdered sugar

Mix the cake, butter, and one egg together and pat into a greased 9x13 pan. Beat the cream cheese until it's fluffy, then add in the remaining eggs and powdered sugar. Pour over the cake. Bake at 350 for 3-45 minutes until the top is set. Cool completely before serving.

Posted by: Erika

Monkey Bread

I was in the mood for something sweet, but I didn't have everything I needed for any of my usual favorites. So I sort of cobbled a few recipes together to make monkey bread.

1 can biscuits (I think I had an 8ct. of Pillsbury Grands)
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
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1 c sugar
6 tbsp butter
1/2 c heavy cream, half & half, or milk (the higher the fat content, the thicker the caramel)

Mix the 1/2 c sugar with the cinnamon on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Cut the biscuits into quarters and dredge each piece in the cinnamon sugar. Place the biscuit pieces in a well-greased (I lined mine with foil and greased that, just to cut down on clean-up) 8" cake pan.
Put the sugar in a heavy sauce-pot (at least 3 quart size because the caramel will foam up as it cooks), and cook at moderately high heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and starts to boil. Once it's dark brown, add the butter and whisk until it's combined. Remove from the heat and add the cream, stirring well to combine. Pour this over the biscuits and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until the biscuit pieces are no longer gooey. Cool for about 15-20 minutes, then turn out onto a platter to serve.

Posted by: Erika

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 325. Grease two loaf pans. Beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, soda, powder, salt, and nuts. Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Divide into pans and bake 60-75 minutes.

Posted by: Erika

Caramel Rolls

1 pkg Rhodes Rolls (thawed for 2 hours)
cinnamon-sugar mixrture (1 c. sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon)

Caramel Sauce:
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c light corn syrup
1/2 c chopped pecans

Heat brown sugar and butter to boiling-stirring constantly). Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup and pecans. Pour into greased tube pan.
Roll thawed rolls in sugar mixture and place evenly in pan.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins, or until golden brown.  Let stand 1-2 mins and then invert to plate.

By: Tonya