Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cake

"Oh how we love pumpkin season.  You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right?  Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin...We anxiously anticipate it every year."

- Unknown

It is fast approaching pumpkin season.  Yesterday was the first day that we have had a break from bizarre summer weather.  The leaves were rustling under foot, the air was crisp and noticeably cooler, bon-fires of all sizes were blazing all over the county - including my parents back patio where we toasted marshmallows in the fire pit.  With fall in the air, pumpkin season will soon be here, and everyone has jumped on the pumpkin-as-an-ingredient bandwagon.  This cake came into existence because I kept seeing all these "Pumpkin Better Than Sex Cake" recipes posted on Facebook and pinned on Pinterest.  Man, they looked delicious.  The chocolate version of that cake, which I grew up calling a Twix Cake, is one of my all-time favorites.  It is so easy to make and delicious from the first forkful to the last gooey crumb left in the pan.  So I set out to make what I had seen posted online.  I looked in my mom's kitchen pantry.  Lo-and-behold there was a can of pumpkin and a can of sweetened condensed milk.  There was Cool Whip in the freezer.  "Mom, do you have any caramel sauce?"  Darn it!  No caramel sauce.  Oh well, that's easy enough to make...I guess.  *Opens freezer*  "Mom, you're out of Heath Bits!"  At that point I placed the unopened cans of pumpkin and Eagle Brand milk on the counter and forlornly pulled a box of white cake mix from the dining room pantry.  As my kids settled in to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I put on my thinking cap.  What goes good with pumpkin?  Hmmm...Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans.  That would be tasty.  Pecans...pecans...pecans.  Toasted pecans would be better.  That's easy to take care of.  Sugar and spice pecans.  Hold it!  That's it!  I sent my daughter to fetch my phone, and I quickly Googled recipes for all the components I would need to pull off the feat of turning a "Darn it" moment into cake bliss.  I made a slight change to the cake part of the original idea...well, ok, a significant change.  Everything I'd seen pinned and posted just called for the cake mix and pumpkin, no eggs, no oil, no spices.  I've had chocolate cake made with nothing but pumpkin puree, and it is not a texture I ever wish to put in my mouth again.  Blech!  So, I kept the oil and eggs and added a small dose of extra flavor.  Sure, the pumpkin-only version has fewer calories and fat grams, but who am I kidding?  When it comes to dessert, I want it to taste good not to be good for me.  On a side note, this would be great as a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting.  You could also top it with spiced/sweetened whipped cream -or- Cool Whip, white chocolate pieces, semi-sweet chocolate morsels, and toasted pecans.

Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cake

For the Cake:

*Certain spice ratios borrowed from Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Filling from Food Network Magazine*

1 Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix

1-15 oz can Libby 100% Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 cup oil

3 whole eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1-8oz tub Cool Whip (if you like more, use 1 1/2 - 2 tubs)

For the Sugared Pecans:

*This recipe is from Simply Recipes*

1 egg white

1 Tbs water

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 cups pecans

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

For the Easy Caramel Sauce:

*This recipe is from FoodNetwork.com, courtesy of Ree Drummond*

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half (I used whipping cream)
4 Tbs butter
Pinch salt
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Cake:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, blend together cake mix and spices.

2.  In a 4 cup measuring glass or bowl (I used a 2 cup, and it was barely enough room to stir it), mix oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree together.

3.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4.  Pour into a lightly greased 9"x13" pan.  Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, the cake is done.  *Mine took 28 minutes* 

5.  When cake is done, let cool approximately 5 minutes.  Poke holes in top with a round-handled wooden spoon (see technique description HERE).  Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake and spread to cover surface.  Let sit on counter until completely cooled.

Pecans:

1.  While cake is cooling, move on to pecans.

2.  In a medium bowl, with a fork or wire whisk beat together egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy.

3.  Add pecans and stir to coat.

4.  Mix sugar, salt, and spices together in a zipper bag.

5.  Using a slotted spoon, remove pecans from egg whites into bag.  Seal bag and shake or smush to coat nuts.

6.  Turn nuts out onto a lightly greased, foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet (I used a jelly roll pan).  Spread them out so they are not touching.

7.  Bake at 300° for 15 minutes, stir nuts, bake for an additional 15 minutes.

8.  Remove nuts from oven, let cool five minutes or so, then remove from foil to a plate or bowl.

Caramel:
1.  In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together brown sugar, butter, and cream.

2.  Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil (this will take a while) and cook for 7 minutes.

3.  Add vanilla extract. Cook an additional minute or two to thicken slightly.

4.  Set aside to cool.

Assembly:
1.  While caramel cools, spread Cool Whip over cake.
2.  Sprinkle pecans on top of Cool Whip.

3.  Cover with foil, and refrigerate until caramel sauce is cool.
4.  Once caramel sauce has cooled to room temperature, drizzle it over the pecans on top of the cake.

5.  Slice cake into 20 squares (four on short side, five on long side) and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Cake like this needs to be chilled before serving to allow all the flavors to soak in.

Sausage Balls

"The Pig, if I am not mistaken, supplies us sausage, ham, and bacon. Let others say his heart is big, I think it stupid of the Pig."
- Ogden Nash

Pork, as a whole, is not my favorite meat.  I do enjoy bacon (if prepared properly, especially over a campfire), and sausage (as long as it isn't full of gristle and stringy meat), and I love good pork barbecue (or Beerbecue).  I am not a fan of pork chops, though, because they seem to be too difficult to get done without overdoing it.  I did recently fry my first batch of Pork Chops, and I served them with homemade Biscuits and gravy, and they turned out pretty good.  I love me some ham, though!  My preferred way to eat sausage is disguised within something else:  gravy, meatloaf, on pizza, or in this recipe for sausage balls.

Sausage Balls

1 lb bulk sausage of your preference, I used regular but Sage is good

1 1/2 - 2 cups Bisquick baking mix (I used 1 3/4 cups)

1 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1 1/2 cups cheddar, shredded

Let all ingredients come to room temp before beginning.

1. Mix all ingredients together by hand or in a stand mixer.  Start with least amount of Bisquick.  If you need to add more, add it after you have mixed everything together.

2. Form into 1 TB balls - small walnut size (you should get 60).  Place on greased, foil-lined baking sheet with a rim (jelly roll pan).

3. Bake in 350° oven for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 165°.

I like to serve mine with Ranch salad dressing :)

Barbecue Vinaigrette Spinach Salad

“Salad is never more appetizing than when served in a large wooden bowl.”
- Dorothy Draper

I enjoy salads, but not any of the iceberg variety that has no taste.  I much prefer baby greens, spring mix, or baby spinach.  And as I think salad looks much nicer when served in a lovely bowl that everyone can fill their plate from, when I make them I like salads that make an impression - none of this open-a-bag-and-serve business.  I had a bag of baby spinach that was past its fresh date by a few days, a bag of carrots, a bag of celery, and a Granny Smith apple of unknown date-of-purchase.  I needed a side to go with Cranberry Barbecue Chicken Thighs, and I wanted to mimic the flavor of the main dish in the salad.  The chicken had celery, onions, and barbecue sauce, so that was my jumping off point.  This was taking a huge chance for me...I don't usually do salad.  However, a few years back I had made a couple of salads in the fall that paired Romaine and Spinach with Bosc Pears and Apples.  Apples and celery pair nicely, and as long as carrots are thinly sliced I like them raw.

Barbecue Vinaigrette Spinach Salad

1 bag baby spinach (approx. 3 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 stalks celery, tops trimmed
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored, top and bottom leveled
1/4 large white onion, diced
2 tsp butter/margarine
1/3 cup Hickory flavor barbecue sauce
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar

1. In a small pan, caramelize onions over medium-low heat in the butter.  They will look like they are burning, just keep stirring and they will brown and sweeten nicely.

2. Combine barbecue sauce and vinegar and set aside.

3. If you have a mandolin, use that on the 1/16-inch setting (1 on mine) to slice rounds from the apple and carrots. Use it on the 1/8-inch setting (2 on mine) to slice the celery. Please, please, please be careful if you choose not to use the guard. I have a nasty scar to show for what happens when you ignore the warnings of a sharp blade. In fact, last week was the first time I'd used mine since the incident last September 5. So, let my tale be a cautionary one. If you'd like to avoid stitches in your hand, use the guard whenever possible. I could not use it for the celery and carrots, but I stopped short of the large ends of each by about an inch to avoid losing any more blood.

4. Toss onions/celery/carrots/apple in the barbecue vinaigrette and refrigerate until ready to serve.

  

5. Just before serving, wash and dry the spinach. If you have a salad spinner this will be a lot easier. I picked one up at Walmart for less than $15, and I use it for absolutely everything: grapes, strawberries, cherry/grape tomatoes, lettuce, anything that I don't want to dry individual pieces of.

6. Place the spinach in a large bowl (you need tossing room), and top with the dressing.  Toss gently to combine and distribute the sauce evenly.

Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes

"A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies." 
– Robert Paul

My kids love chocolate.  Plain and simple.  They inherited a few things from me:  blue eyes, petite stature, and the love of books, coffee, unsweetened tea, bread, and chocolate.  They also love breakfast foods at any time of the day - especially homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and buttermilk pancakes.  Hmmm, maybe they would like buttermilk?  Probably not.  I won't drink it, but I love to cook with it.  I don't necessarily dislike the taste of buttermilk, it tastes like plain yogurt to me, but the thick texture just about gags me.  That texture and tang, however, are what make buttermilk particularly fabulous for baking and coating meat (like Chicken) for frying.  This recipe is a smoosh.  I took a recipe for chocolate chip muffins and combined it with my hands-down favorite homemade pancake recipe and this was the result.  The pancakes come out perfectly every single time, and my kids ask for them before the first four are even halfway done.  I always tear one in half for them as an appetizer before all the pancakes are done.  This morning my son (almost 3) asked when the "flap cakes" would be done as soon as I had the first batch on the griddle.

Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk -OR- 2 Tb lemon juice + 1 1/8 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.

2.  Blend milk, oil, and egg together with a fork in a glass measuring cup.  If you do not have buttermilk, simply measure 2 Tb lemon juice into the cup and add enough milk to make 1 1/4 cups.  Milk with fat tends to do better than skim, but skim is all we buy now that our son is almost 3.

 3.  Stir the chocolate chips into the dry ingredients to coat them so they do not sink to the bottom of the batter.

 4.  Pour all the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients.

5.  Stir until there are no dry spots, but do not try to get the lumps out of the batter.  If you overmix the batter your pancakes will be flat, chewy, and dense instead of puffy, tender, and fluffy.

6.  Let the batter sit while you heat up your griddle or pan to medium (5).  This will allow the buttermilk to do its thang and create the perfect texture we're aiming for.

7.  When making pancakes, cooking spray, a medium width flipper, and a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop are my best friends.

8.  Once your griddle/pan is hot - just hold your hand above it and if it feels hot it's hot - spray it with cooking spray and dollop four pankey-doodle-all-the-days onto the surface.  Be sure to space them far enough apart that when they spread as they cook they still will not touch.  If you prefer smaller pancakes, you can use a 2 Tb scoop.

9.  Once the tops form bubbles and the sides have lost some of the sheen of wet batter, it is time to check them.  Very carefully test the edge of a pancake to see if you can get the flipper under it without smooshing it all up.  If you can get the flipper under it, carefully lift the edge to check the color on the cooked side.  If it is darker brown than the top, drier, and has some borderline blackish places it is definitely ready to flip.

10.  Flip them one at a time, in the order that you put them on the pan.  I work clockwise from the back left-hand side of the pan.  After you flip them, the second side will not take as long to cook.  Check it after a couple of minutes.  When the pancake is firm and browned on the second side, remove it to a plate.  Then turn down your pan 1/2 to 1 full mark (ie, from 5 to either 4 or 4 1/2), or the following batches will burn, baby, burn.

11. Continue this process until you have used all the batter.  I don't remember exactly how many pancakes I made, but I'm thinking it was somewhere in the range of 14-18 pancakes.  You can also place a cookie sheet in the oven and turn it on WARM, place finished pancakes on the cookie sheet and tent a piece of foil on top until you get them all done.

12.  An alternative is to use Reese's Peanut Butter Chips and White Chocolate Morsels in place of the mini chocolate chips.