Mini Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecakes

Ever since I've been trying to make the kids' lunches healthier by avoiding preservatives and dyes and including mostly homemade items, I've been on the lookout for recipes to create my own convenience foods.  Foods that  store well, are easy to make,  and  not too messy. This fun little creation is one that I came up with one day when we were in the mood for something pumpkiny, but didn't want the standard pumpkin muffins. With an Oreo as a bottom crust and a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips scattered throughout, these were high on the fun and taste factors! Additionally, they were easy as can be to make and freeze well, which meant they were perfect for the kids' lunches!

You just beat the cream cheese, then add sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and cinnamon...

Toss 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips with a teaspoon of flour and add to the batter.  The flour keeps them all from sinking to the bottom.  I made these twice--once without the flour and once with--and was surprised at what a difference it made. 

Place an Oreo cookie into the bottom of each lined cupcake tin.  (don't laugh at my very, very well used muffin pan.  It's almost 20-years-old and with daughter selling cupcakes as her business, it gets used an awful lot!)

Pour the batter over the Oreos and fill almost to the top of the papers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until set. 

Allow to cool, peel off the papers and enjoy a deliciously easy fall treat!  You can store them  in the fridge or freezer and they are perfect sized for a little lunch treat!  Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.

Recipe by Lara at Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:


1 pkg (8-ounces) cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs 

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips + 1 tsp flour

12 Oreos 

Directions: 
In a medium size bowl, beat* the cream cheese 1-2 minutes or until softened and smooth.   Add sugar and beat until combined.  Add eggs, pumpkin, and cinnamon and beat together until smooth. 

In a small bowl, toss together mini chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour, then gently stir into batter.   (the flour helps keep the chocolate chips more evenly distributed in the batter)

Place a whole Oreo cookie into the bottom of each paper lined cupcake pan, then pour batter directly over the Oreo, filling it almost to the top of the cupcake paper. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until set.   Allow to cool before eating.  Store leftovers in a tightly covered container  in the fridge or freezer. 

Enjoy! 

*NOTE:  Don't skip beating the cream cheese by itself.  If you start adding ingredients to it unbeaten, you'll probably get a lumpy batter with chunks of cream cheese that won't mix in.  If it does happen, you can blend it in the blender to smooth it out.

*  These freeze very well!   Just place the whole muffin pan (or line them up on a cookie sheet) into the freezer until they're frozen, then remove and place into freezer bags.  You can eat them frozen or thawed!  I put them frozen into the kids' lunches and they're perfect by lunch time!

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Apple and Pear Green Salad with Honey Poppy Seed Dressing

Last week, we kicked off autumn here at Recipe Shoebox by posting a new apple recipe a day.   WE made sweet and savory dishes....some duds (that we didn't post) and some new family favorites.  This salad recipe is most likely the last of our apple series and was another delicious addition to the collection.  My family loved the sweet and salty combination in this hearty salad and with how easy it was to throw together I envision this one being one that we make on a regular basis. 

Recipe from Southern Living.

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

SALAD
1 package (16-oz) Romaine lettuce, thoroughly washed, dried, and chopped
1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, cut into strips
1 cup roasted, salted cashews
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 large apple, thinly sliced
1 large pear, thinly sliced

HONEY POPPY SEED DRESSING


3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. poppy seeds
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
Makes 6-8 hearty servings. 

For salad, divide lettuce up among the serving plates.  Top with cheese, cashews, craisins, apple, and pear.  Drizzle with dressing.  Or if you prefer combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl, then drizzle with dressing. 

For dressing, combine all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. 

Enjoy! 

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Apple, Pear, and Gorgonzola Chicken Pasta

When I was searching for apple recipes to try for this week, I was determined that I would branch out of the apple/cinnamon genre of recipe and go for some fun, new combinations.  I tried a few others along the way, but this autumn-inspired pasta dish rose to the top and has become a new family favorite.   There's just something about the way the sweetness of the apples, the sharpness of the Gorgonzola, and the tanginess of the craisins came together that worked so deliciously well.   Enjoy!

Be sure to check out all of our other yummy apple recipes and look out for a couple more still coming... 

Recipe adapted from my favorite new cookbook Savoring the Seasons With Our Best Bites

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara

The ingredients:
1-lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper
1 Tbs. oil
1 box (14.5-oz) bow tie pasta
2 medium pears, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch slices
3 Tbs. butter
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2/3 cup cream
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions: 
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then in a heavy duty skillet over high heat, cook the chicken in the oil for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, but not cooked through.   Remove from heat, reserving oil/juices.

Cook pasta according to package directions.


While pasta is cooking, cut up the chicken and place back in the skillet and cook on low for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through.  Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add apples and pears and saute for 1-2 minutes or until slightly tender. 

Use a slotted spoon to remove apples and pears from pan and set aside.  Leave any remaining butter and juices in pan.

Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper to pan and bring to a simmer.   Whisk cream and cornstarch together and add to pan.  Return to simmer and cook 1-2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add dried cranberries and simmer about 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and immediately add Gorgonzola cheese, apples/pears, chicken, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and pasta. 

Toss to coat. 

Immediately before serving, add pecans and top with additional cheese if desired. 

Makes 6 main dish servings. 

Enjoy! 

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Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Bread

Welcome to another delicious addition to our apple recipe collection here at Recipe Shoebox, where we are sharing an apple recipe a day!     Don't be fooled by the dark color of this bread into thinking that this is heavy or dense.  Nope!  This is whole wheat bread is soft crumbed, delicious,  and chock full of apples!  This recipe makes two loaves...one for you and one for a friend, although if you're like us you may want to keep them both for yourself after trying it!  Enjoy!   

Click here for printable recipe. 

Recipe by Lara.


The ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour* ( I like King Arthur brand)
1-1/3 cups all purpose flour*
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups chopped apples (we used 4 Granny Smith apples)

TOPPING:
3 Tbs. brown sugar
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
* NOTE:  If desired, you can substitute all purpose flour for the wheat flour.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves) together.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together well beaten eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir until flour mixture is barely combined. 

Gently fold in apple chunks and pour batter into two well-greased 8x4-inch loaf pans. 

In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the loaves. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow bread to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then running a knife gently around the edges, loosen sides and remove from pans.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy!   

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Apple Toffee Bars

School is in full swing, the weather is cooling down, and the leaves are starting to fall.  Autumn is here and I couldn't be happier about the changes that its arrival brings to our weekly menu.  Soups start sneaking back into our rotation and the aroma of fall baking fills the  air again.   And with that fall baking comes the reintroduction of one of my favorite seasonal ingredients to the menu.   APPLES!!

For as much as  I love crisp juicy apples all by themselves, I have to admit that I have a big soft spot (right on my belly) for apple goodies too, like these Apple Toffee Bars!  I had never tried apples and toffee togetherr before  but I tell you it's a winning match!!   I brought these to a party last fall and got asked for the recipe several times and took home an empty plate!

Stay tuned to Recipe Shoebox all week for more of our favorite  apple recipes! 

Recipe adapted from a long lost Costco magazine.

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara. 

The ingredients:
CRUST:



2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, cut into pieces

FILLING:


1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (I used a Granny Smith)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup toffee bits (in the baking aisle, next to chocolate chips)

GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs. strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature (I'm not a coffee drinker, so I substituted some prepared hot chocolate)



Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

FOR THE CRUST:  Combine flour and sugar in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (don't overdo it). 

NOTE:  The mixture will be very floury.  This is not a problem.   Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes (just before it's browned). 

FOR THE FILLING:  In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and egg and blend well.  Stir in remaining ingredients (chopped apple, pecans, and toffee bits).  Pour over baked crust. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen.  Cool for at least one hour before adding the glaze. 

FOR THE GLAZE:   Combine the glaze ingredients, adding enough coffee/hot chocolate to make a good drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over bars and allow to set for 10 minutes. 

Cut into bars and store in a loosely covered container. I think they're even better the second day.   Makes 24 bars.

Enjoy!


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