Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I actually have ancestors who came over on the Mayflower so I know all about this holiday.  The goal is to gain as much weight as possible, so the extra layer of fat will keep you warm during the cold New England winter. 

Winter Squash Tea Bread

I had a winter squash in my last CSA box.  I made half of it into a delicious risotto.  The rest of it I made into some squash tea bread, like zucchini bread.  I'm going to be honest with you, this was not my most successful recipe.  I wasn't very careful measuring (admittedly I'm never careful measuring) and I think I used too much squash which added too much water.  But it tasted good, even if it was a little too moist (sticky really) and collapsed as soon as I took it out of the oven.

Raspberry Muffins

In my real life, I work at a large software company.  This summer I switched from one software company where I did not write any code to a different one where I did.  It has been a really fun and hard transition and I've survived thanks in large part to the smart and helpful people on my team who do not mind if I ask stupid questions.  They also do not mind when I bring in baked goods I made for my blog.

Bread

This recipe is from The River Cottage Bread Handbook, which I just got and am very excited about.  First off it is a very detailed book on how to bake bread (with lots of pictures) by a baking instructor.  It has both a very detailed breakdown of how to make a basic bread recipe (which is what I made here) as well as a lot of other recipes to try.

Brownies

These brownies have about as high a ratio of chocolate to brownie as possible.  It is about as much chocolate as you can get without injecting it directly into your veins.  My point is, with over twice as much cocoa powder as flour, these brownies are rich, dense and delicious.

Rice and Egg Casserole

I like cereal as much as the next person but it can get a little old after a while.  It is easy to get into a bit of a rut with breakfast but this recipe will give shake things up.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I turned 25 last month.  I decided 25 is a pretty important number.  After all, it is a perfect square and I can now rent a car.  So I had a party and made these cupcakes.  They were a big hit.  It is hard to combine things like stout, chocolate, cupcakes and cream cheese and not have it be a big hit.  Rather than frost the cupcakes in advance, I made a cupcake decorating bar.  It may sound a little lame, but it was super fun.  To make it a little more sophisticated, instead of just food colors I put out some different flavorings (like vanilla, almond, Irish Cream and maple) and let people flavor their frosting too.  I sort of forgot to take any other pictures, though, as I was busy having a lot of fun.

Winter Squash Risotto

Risotto is a perfect combination of creamy and gooey and chewy and warm which makes it one of my favorite comfort foods.  It also scores major points in my book for it's versatility (it can be made with any number of vegetables and turn out delicious) and how pretty it looks.  Plus it reheats well, so I can make a bunch and have leftovers.  When I was a kid, I hated leftovers but then I started being responsible for feeding myself and I totally reversed my position on leftovers.

Plum Clafoutis

I have no idea how to describe this dish to you.  It is sort of like French toast crossed with a Dutch baby pancake.  With plums and powdered sugar on top.  Or like bread pudding but with no actual bread.  However it is described though, it is really really tasty.