fall Archives - Ari's Menu

Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Ice Cream

November 23, 2014 · by Ari · 12 Comments

With all the flavor of classic sweet potato casserole, this Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Ice Cream is the perfect Thanksgiving or any time dessert. Perfectly spiced, made with sweet potato puree and torched marshmallows.

It’s my favorite week of the year!! I go absolutely nuts for Thanksgiving. It’s my second favorite holiday (my birthday is my favorite because I love to be the center of attention 😉 ), and it’s my holiday to host. The first year I hosted, I made Thanksgiving brunch and dinner. It was exhausting, and it never happened again. Now I just put all my effort into the one meal, which is eaten as dinner, like a normal person, at 6pm. I don’t understand eating Thanksgiving “dinner” at noon. That is Thanksgiving lunch.

My favorite dish has always been my mom’s sweet potatoes. The recipe came from her mom, and she has made it for Thanksgiving every year for as long as I can remember. I just die over those perfectly browned, gooey marshmallows sitting on top of my favorite food. I still refuse to make them because they will never taste as good as hers.

This year I set out to make my favorite side dish into an ice cream, and oh my gosh…you guys. I can’t even handle it. I can’t go a single day without dipping my little spoon into that container. In fact, I knew I had to make a whole other batch to have enough for Thanksgiving! The good news? The recipe is super hands off. It has a lot of components, but the most time consuming part is toasting the marshmallows, and if you want to do that more quickly, you can broil them in the oven. I prefer to use a brulee torch for even toasting, but that is me being type A, and you certainly don’t have to be that meticulous. 😉

Now before you go writing this off as super indulgent, I have to tell you that each serving has only 5.1 grams of fat and 155 calories. I usually don’t count these things, but I was curious because I figured the sweet potato, marshmallows and lower ratio of heavy cream (most ice cream recipes call for 2 parts heavy cream to 1 part whole milk, and I reversed that) would lighten it up a little. Those are the same nutrition figures as many varieties of frozen yogurt! The marshmallows do hike up the sugar content a bit, but this is dessert after all. And it is a Thanksgiving (or any time!) dessert that you can enjoy in moderation any time!

Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Ice Cream

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 16 hours

Yield: about 6 cups

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato
1 x 10 ounce bag of marshmallows (mini or regular)
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar (dark brown sugar preferred)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon, optional

Instructions

Pierce sweet potato several times with a fork. Roast at 400 degrees until very soft (you should easily be able to slide a fork right into the sweet potato), about 60-80 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes until it is easy to handle, then remove skins.
Place marshmallows on a large cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper. Either torch with a brulee torch, or broil until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Once marshmallows are well browned all around, place them and peeled sweet potatoes in a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth and combined.
In a small sauce pan, combine 1 cup whole milk with brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and stir constantly until brown sugar is fully melted and combined. Transfer to blender/food processor and add remaining milk, heavy cream, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Blend/process to combine for about 15-30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl or tupperware. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. Add vanilla and bourbon (if desired) in the last 2 minutes of freezing. Transfer to a freezer safe container to finish freezing completely.

Notes

Before serving, let the ice cream soften for about 10 minutes at room temperature for optimal scooping.

http://www.arismenu.com/toasted-marshmallow-sweet-potato-ice-cream/

Roasted Butternut Bourbon

November 12, 2014 · by Ari · 5 Comments

This Roasted Butternut Bourbon is the perfect fall beverage–infused with roasted butternut squash and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and vanilla. So much flavor, it will take any drink you make to the next level!

So I don’t know exactly when I became grown up enough to drink things like bourbon. It’s like, at some point in your 20’s you all the sudden realize that whipped cream vodka may no longer be your drink of choice and you enter old man drinking status sipping on straight bourbon over ice. Just me?

Infusing liquor is still pretty new to me, but after trying Nicole’s Pumpkin Pie Vodka last year (OMG it is AMAZING), I knew I wanted to experiment this year. Sometimes I feel like butternut squash is the redheaded step child of fall produce. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are always stealing the show, but I love butternut squash too! It ends up being the perfect thing to kick this bourbon up to the next level!

The spices are totally up to you. I used cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and a vanilla bean, but use more/less/different spices depending on what you like. OMG and the vanilla bean? Well the seeds stayed inside and they are now soaked with bourbon. You better believe I saved that baby.

Okay, so let’s talk about bourbon for a second. I did a lot of research about whether or not it is gluten-free. The answer is not technically. Although they say that the gluten goes away with distilling, most articles state that if you have Celiac or are very sensitive to cross contamination, it’s better to stay away. Steve is not super sensitive (and I only speculate that I actually feel better when I don’t eat it, but that is a subject for an other day), so it’s totally fine for us, but if you are more sensitive, you could definitely use Hudson Baby Bourbon which is made from corn instead of barley! Win!

Do keep in mind that you have to plan a little bit in advance with this baby. It needs 2-4 weeks to fully infuse, so just make sure you give yourself plenty of time. It’s really easy, and mostly hands off. In fact, you won’t believe just how easy it is to infuse your own liquors, and everyone you tell will be super impressed, and you can totally pretend it was lots of hard work, slaving over the stove, and all that. 😉

Roasted Butternut Bourbon

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: approximately 16 ounces

Serving Size: 1.5 ounces

Roasted Butternut Bourbon

This Roasted Butternut Bourbon is the perfect fall beverage--infused with roasted butternut squash and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and vanilla. So much flavor, it will take any drink you make to the next level!

Ingredients

1/2 large butternut squash, seeded and cut into 1-2" cubes
750 ml bourbon
6 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 nutmeg, smashed*
1 vanilla bean, sliced length-wise

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Roast butternut squash for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
Place roasted butternut squash and all remaining ingredients in a large jar or tupperware. Store in a cool, dry place for 2-4 weeks (longer if you want a LOT of butternut squash flavor, less if you just want a hint), swirling ingredients around every few days.
Once your infusion in complete, line a fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth and strain liquid through into a large bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout). Pour ingredients into an airtight storing jar or bottle (a funnel helps if the bottle is small, or your bowl doesn't have a pour spout).

Notes

*To smash nutmeg, take half a piece of nutmeg, place parchment paper (or even a thin dish towel) on top and hit with a meat tenderizer. You should only need to do this once, just to break it up a bit. Recipe inspired by The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie

http://www.arismenu.com/roasted-butternut-bourbon/

Pumpkin Spice Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

October 1, 2014 · by Ari · 16 Comments

Homemade sweetened condensed milk made with coconut milk, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and warm fall spices. Perfect as a coffee creamer, or to replace sweetened condensed milk in any recipe. Naturally sweetened, vegan, paleo & gluten-free.

Guess what, guess what, guess whaaaaaaatttttt? It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Phoenix! After months of running in nothing cooler than 80 degrees (even when you wake up at 4am) and insane humidity (ummm…that “dry heat” thing? it’s not), temperatures are finally dropping and there is a morning chill in the air! I FREAKING LOVE MORNING CHILL!!

In fact, yesterday I was cold at the beginning of my bike ride. Like, I thought about changing into long sleeves. I seriously could not be happier. Weather isn’t the biggest deal in the world normally, but when you’re training for a fall marathon and you live in Phoenix, you start to live and die by the weather forecast. I stalk it daily and check out the 10 day forecast every single day. In fact, today was the first day I was able to see far enough ahead for my 20 miler, and while it still will probably change before then, it’s crazy how close it is, and how close I am to being finished with training.

Marathon training is so weird. You finish your training (other than taper) 3 weeks before the race, so it still doesn’t even seem like the race is close, but then all of the sudden you’re done, and you wonder where all the time went. It feels like things just started to get real, and so soon they will be over, and even though I’ve insisted this whole training cycle that I will never run an other marathon after this, I’m already starting to feel sad about it ending.

One of my favorite things to do when I have an off day is spend the time I would be running creating something delicious / cool / unique / outside of what I would normally make on a daily basis. I love the extra time to be creative and try new things, and this time I returned to my homemade sweetened condensed milk obsession. The last time it came out so ridiculously good that I couldn’t wait to play with it, and make a flavored option.

The best part? This recipe is so, so, so easy, and you can use it tons of different ways. Have a recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk? Sub this seasonal, vegan & paleo version. Use it as creamer in iced coffee, drizzle some on your favorite fruit for dessert, make tres leches cake (<— umm, that is happening soon), or just eat it with a spoon because it’s that good.

Pumpkin Spice Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: approximately 1 cup

Pumpkin Spice Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Ingredients

1 x 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

Instructions

Heat coconut milk, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup together in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat until it starts to lightly boil. Reduce heat to a medium to medium-low simmer whisking constantly until mixture thickens and reduces to about one half to one third of original. This takes about 30 minutes. When milk is finished, it will coat the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Whisk in pumpkin puree, then let cool completely, stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-spice-sweetened-condensed-coconut-milk/

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes {vegan + gluten-free}

September 24, 2014 · by Ari · 7 Comments

With all the flavor of your favorite fall beverage, these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes are the perfect treat! Vegan, gluten-free and lightened up but with 100% of the taste–they are a dessert everyone will love!

My husband is so weird. Every time I start baking he asks me what I’m making. Lately, the answer starts with pumpkin, then he groans and goes on and on about how he supposedly doesn’t like pumpkin.

Then as soon as whatever I’m making is ready, he’s digging in, and going on about how good it is! I don’t understand him. I think he just likes to say he hates pumpkin because he knows I’m obsessed with it. Sometimes I make pumpkin muffins in July. True story.

Even in my quest for new pumpkin recipes all year long, I always come back to these cupcakes every fall. I’ve made them over and over, and this year I wanted to make a version that was both vegan and gluten-free so that all of my friends could enjoy them with me. Even my silly pumpkin hating husband (who, btw, ate his fair share!).

Simple, easy pumpkin cupcakes spiked with a little espresso powder then brushed with coffee create the perfect pumpkin spice latte flavor and ultra soft texture. Topped with freshly whipped coconut cream (or regular whipped cream if you prefer) — they are just like your favorite fall coffee indulgence in cupcake form!

Also, if you want to make them even more dreamy, add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your whipped topping. You will thank me later. 😉

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes {vegan + gluten-free}

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 1 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes {vegan + gluten-free}

With all the flavor of your favorite fall beverage, these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes are the perfect treat! Vegan, gluten-free and lightened up but with 100% of the taste--they are a dessert everyone will love!

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
dash salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup strong coffee or espresso for brushing
whipped coconut cream (or regular whipped cream if not vegan) for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugars, and apple sauce. Add almond milk and dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fill lined muffin tin 3/4 full with batter and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. You want them to be fully cooked with no crumbs sticking to the toothpick, otherwise they will be mushy. Cool completely.
Pierce each cupcake 2-3 times with a fork, then brush cupcakes with fresh coffee. Top with whipped coconut cream or regular freshly whipped cream (add some cinnamon to it for an even more delicious topping). Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-spice-latte-cupcakes-vegan-gluten-free/

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

September 21, 2014 · by Ari · 21 Comments

This apple cinnamon snack mix comes together in seconds with just 4 ingredients and no cooking, chopping or prepping required! It’s also super addicting–put it out at your next party, and it will be gone in minutes!

I don’t know when I became 87 years old, but there is nothing I love more lately than a lazy Sunday. In fact, I won’t even make plans with people on Sunday anymore unless it involves them coming to my house, and even then, I’m ready for them to leave after an hour or two. It’s like I’m becoming an introvert, but only 1 day a week.

Also, have we discussed that my bedtime is approximately 8:30 pm? Three nights this week I was up past 10, and I was a zombie! I can’t do it. I seriously can’t wait for the weather to change so I can go back to getting up at some sort of normal hour, and then maybe I will only act 57 instead of 87. 😉

Anyway, this was the perfect recipe for a lazy Sunday. I literally had to do nothing but throw the ingredients in a bowl, and lightly toss it around. Then I spent a total of 10 minutes photographing it (again, WHO AM I??? I usually spend at least an hour), and left it out since my family was coming over for brunch. Ummm…it’s all gone. And I made a full on brunch. Even after eggs and waffles, they still kept reaching back into the bowl. It’s amazing how the simplest ideas can be the biggest crowd pleasers!

I have to admit, I was didn’t exactly get excited about this month’s theme of dehydrated foods for The Recipe ReDux. It’s just not something I really do, but I do loooove me some dried apple chips. In fact, I could snack on them all day long, so I threw this baby together in seconds, and it has instantly become a household favorite. Crunchy cinnamon almonds, Apple Cinnamon Chex (I’m obsessed with that stuff), pecans, apple chips and extra cinnamon–it’s the perfect, simple fall snack!

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

Prep Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 1 minute

Yield: 2 cups

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

This apple cinnamon snack mix comes together in seconds with just 4 ingredients and no cooking, chopping or prepping required! It's also super addicting--put it out at your next party, and it will be gone in minutes!

Ingredients

2 cups Apple Cinnamon Chex
1 cup dehydrated apple chips, broken into pieces
1/2 cup cinnamon roasted almonds
1/2 cup pecans (roasted or raw)
extra cinnamon, if desired

Instructions

Gently toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.

http://www.arismenu.com/apple-cinnamon-snack-mix/

Pumpkin Irish Cream

September 10, 2014 · by Ari · 13 Comments

Rich and creamy homemade Irish cream with a fall kick! Pureed pumpkin + pumpkin pie spice make this taste like pumpkin pie in cocktail form! Shhh it’s secretly lightened up and vegan.

Youuuuu guuuyyyyys! I have been waiting almost an entire year to share this recipe with you! For the last two weeks, I’ve been asking my husband if it’s “fall enough” yet to post it, and his response, as someone who could care less about pumpkin, and could care even less about when I post things on my blog, is to shrug his shoulders and hardly reply. So, I’ve decided. It’s fall enough. Here we go.

Last year, I started experimenting more with homemade liqueurs and cocktails thanks to my drink-spiration, and I made a huge batch of this baby for Thanksgiving. I couldn’t believe what a huge hit it became! My family couldn’t get enough, and even my family members who don’t generally drink kept coming back for more.

I even had a signature Thanksgiving drink where I mixed the Pumpkin Irish Cream with Pumpkin Pie Vodka (<– OMG a MUST try!) and a spiced simple syrup (<–not that exact one, but similar). There are seriously no words. Everyone thought I was super fancy, but the truth is, the recipe is so so easy. In fact, it takes less time than going to the store to buy a bottle of Irish cream!

One thing I love about making Irish cream at home is that I can control what goes into it. This stuff has just a handful of ingredients including pure pumpkin puree and a homemade vegan sweetened condensed milk.

The result is strong, rich, creamy and filled with pumpkin flavor without overwhelming the non pumpkin lovers (why do these people exist??) in your life. You will want to drink it all ~~fall~~ year long, and I’m pretty certain it will become a staple at your Thanksgiving also!

Pumpkin Irish Cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: approx 3 1/2 cups

Pumpkin Irish Cream

Rich and creamy homemade Irish cream with a fall kick! Pureed pumpkin + pumpkin pie spice make this taste like pumpkin pie in cocktail form! Shhh it's secretly lightened up and vegan.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Store refrigerated in an airtight contain for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Adapted from this DIY Mint Chocolate Bailey's Irish Cream

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-irish-cream/

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

November 17, 2013 · by Ari · 31 Comments

Vegan & gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin cookies filled with chunks of bold dark chocolate. Perfect cookie (not cakey) texture without a single ounce of butter–something even I thought was impossible!

I get a little sad every year around this time. The end of pumpkin season. The day after Thanksgiving, I spend the next 10 months waiting for September 1st so I can start posting pumpkin recipes again. Every year, without fail, I’m left with a handful of recipes that never made it to the blog before the season ended.

I had just about given up on pumpkin cookies. I loooove pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes–anything that is supposed to be light and cakey, the pumpkin basically works like a dream, but cookies? I don’t like my cookies cakey, and especially while trying to avoid using butter, I just thought that pumpkin cookies were an impossible task.

After seeing my girl Sally’s recipe for her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, I was inspired to try again. It was the first pumpkin cookie recipe I’d seen where you could see just from the photos that the texture was perfect. I did a little more research and saw this recipe on Baked by Rachel. They also looked ridiculously good–and again, with that perfect cookie texture.

I was pretty sure once I got rid of the butter, there was no way I’d be satisfied, but it turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. The texture was absolutely spot on. The edges got ever so slightly crisp, and the middle was soft, gooey, and everything I’ve ever wanted in a cookie. The pumpkin flavor shines through, and the huge chunks of dark chocolate are the perfect finishing touch. I used a sea salt dark chocolate which I would highly recommend, but any good quality dark chocolate will do. I also made a batch with bits of Heath toffee thrown in, and let me tell you, that was magnificent. You could use white chocolate, add cranberries, anything really–the dough is the perfect container for all your favorite add ins!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: approx 2 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Vegan & gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin cookies filled with chunks of bold dark chocolate. Perfect cookie (not cakey) texture without a single ounce of butter--something even I thought was impossible!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
6 tbsp apple butter
6 tbsp pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugars, coconut oil, apple butter, pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Gently, stir in chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. If you leave it in longer (ie: several hours to overnight), you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping and baking.
Preheat oven to 350. Line two large baking sheets with silpat of parchment papers. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer dough to baking sheet.
Bake until edges are lightly golden and cookies are just set, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Baked by Rachel and Sally's Baking Addiction

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chunk-cookies/

Cranberry Pistachio Cinnamon Chip Cookies

November 12, 2013 · by Ari · 20 Comments

Soft, nutty pumpkin spiced oatmeal cookies stuffed with dried cranberries, pistachios and sweet cinnamon chip. These are the perfect combination fall cookie.

So somehow it became mid November? I don’t even know. Today my mom had to remind me that I was hosting a birthday party on Sunday. I legitimately forgot. Who does that? It’s also the day I had double booked myself to volunteer for Ironman AZ (so bummed that I ended up having to miss it), and yet I found myself thinking “it’s my last open weekend!” Wrong.

So turns out I’m birthday party-ing this weekend, and oh just riding 111 miles with thousands of my new BFFs the following weekend. I can’t even believe the century is finally here. I don’t know what I was thinking, but when I signed up it didn’t seem nearly as scary as running a marathon. I just assumed I’d do a few long rides, and I’d be good. Of course, it’s that time in training where I start to seriously doubt every single thing I’ve ever done, and all the sudden decide I am incapable of riding 111 miles. Even though I already rode 100. Mostly by myself.

Oh, and then it’s Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. I could talk about that forever, but today I’d rather talk to you about cookies. Fall cookies. Since, ya know, fall is almost over even though it seems like it just began 5 minutes ago? Is it shorter than all of the other seasons or something? Figures the best season would be short.

So I threw every fall weapon you could imagine into these babies. Pumpkin spice, cranberry, cinnamon, the whole 9 yards, and they are totally magical. Soft and chewy, but with that hearty, nutty texture that only the best oatmeal cookies provide. And pistachios are a totally superior nut, in my opinion. They just have a little something extra special. 😉

Cranberry Pistachio Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 3 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Cranberry Pistachio Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Soft, nutty pumpkin spiced oatmeal cookies stuffed with dried cranberries, pistachios and sweet cinnamon chip. These are the perfect combination fall cookie.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup apple butter
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, coconut oil, sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Slowly beat in dry ingredients, then fold in oats, followed by cinnamon chips, pistachios and cranberries.
Line a baking sheet with silpat parchment paper, and drop cookies onto the sheet using a small cookie scoop.
Bake for 12 minutes until golden.Let stand until fully cooled. Store in a loosely covered container for 5-7 days.

Notes

*Tested with white whole wheat, but gluten-free baking blend may be substituted. If dough is too sticky, simply add a bit more flour.

http://www.arismenu.com/cranberry-pistachio-cinnamon-chip-cookies/

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

October 21, 2013 · by Ari · 21 Comments

Vegan and gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin banana muffins overflowing with melty dark chocolate chips. The perfect treat for a crisp fall morning.

Good morning! Is it morning where you are? It’s totally not here, but these muffins make me feel like morning. That probably sounds weird. Not just because they’re muffins. Muffins are more an afternoon snack than breakfast for me. They just make me feel like morning. Like cool, crisp autumn morning on the porch. I wish I had a table and chairs on my porch. A table and chairs just for muffins.

Perfectly imperfect muffins. Not at all smooth like your normally think of, but with a little character and personality, and a whole lot of flavor. You see pumpkin and banana are known for making perfectly *gross word*, soft, and tender baked goods. Put them together, and it only gets better. Add some melty dark chocolate, and you’ve got the stuff dreams are made of.

The muffins practically melt in your mouth. No dry, cakey-ness (Okay, serious how do you spell that word?? I get a red squiggly line every time with no suggestion. Rude.) that you would expect from a health(ier) muffin. Sometimes I don’t like pumpkin in cookies because it makes them taste like, well, muffins–which is why pumpkin muffins are just perfect!

These are super simple and easy to make, and a perfect fall treat to have around on Thanksgiving or any get together. That is if you don’t eat them all before your family and friends arrive. 😉

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Vegan and gluten-free ultra soft pumpkin banana muffins overflowing with melty dark chocolate chips. The perfect treat for a crisp fall morning.

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free baking blend
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking powder
dash salt
2 extra ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I a combination of mini and full size)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425. Line muffin tins with paper liners and spray liners with nonstick spray. Do not skip this step--lower fat items will stick if you don't use spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, pumpkin pie spice, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl mix together banana, pumpkin, brown sugar and vanilla until combined. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Evenly divide batter between prepared muffin tins. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 350. Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs, about 12-15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

http://www.arismenu.com/pumpkin-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Drink & Dish: Pumpkin Waffle French Toast

October 16, 2013 · by Ari · 15 Comments

Light and fluffy gluten-free pumpkin waffles turned into sweet, pumpkin french toast for the best of all breakfast worlds. Do you love pumpkin as much as I do? Check out my other pumpkin recipes.

You know what I don’t really understand? When people eat brunch at 2 pm. I mean isn’t the entire point that it’s supposed to be between breakfast and lunch? You know, because you sleep past breakfast. Well, I don’t. I have an internal clock and 6:30 is considered sleeping in for me. When I say brunch, I mean 10am and that’s like…we’re eating at 10am because I’ve been up for 4 hours and could have already eaten, and then been hungry again by now. I’ve always had a big appetite.

And I’m not one of those easy going hungry people either. Nope. Cranky, irritable, and hangry (hungry/angry) is more my style. Not to mention dramatic. I can’t even tell you how many times I have told Steve that I was “literally starving to death” or that “I have never been so hungry!”

10am really is the right time. Wake up, drink coffee, start cooking, and by the time you’ve become a fully developed human being (it takes me a workout, or at least an hour), people start arriving, and you’ve become at least mildly pleasant.

So let me explain this french toast to you. It’s really pretty simple. You take a waffle–any waffle, but preferably this pumpkin one–and you soak it in some French toast batter (do you call it batter? it’s not really a batter? you get the point…) for an hour or so, then you just pan fry it up like regular french toast. It truly is the best of all breakfast worlds. A couple things to note: If you use homemade waffles, you want them to be cooked crispy, and 1-2 days old, otherwise they will get soggy. If you’re using a frozen waffle, toast it first.

For our final fall episode of Drink & Dish, Nicole and I went with a harvest brunch (in case my entirely too long rant about brunch time wasn’t an indication…). Nicole makes a delicious pumpkin chai latte that is so warm and comforting, it will knock your socks off! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to Drink & Dish on YouTube!

In addition, I have an important announcement! After hearing that many of you were worried about completing the Drink & Dish video challenge in the time allotted, we have decided to extend it all the way to New Years! We really want to see as many people as possible succeed with their videos, so you still have plenty of time to enter!

Drink & Dish: Pumpkin Waffle French Toast

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Serving Size: 1 waffle

Drink & Dish: Pumpkin Waffle French Toast

Light and fluffy gluten-free pumpkin waffles turned into sweet, pumpkin french toast for the best of all breakfast worlds.

Ingredients

For the pumpkin waffles:

2 cups gluten-free baking blend
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Dash salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 3/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the french toast:

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs + 8 egg whites
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

To make the waffles, in a large bowl whisk together baking blend, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined. A few small lumps are fine--you do not want to overmix. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat waffle heater. Spray with nonstick spray. Once batter has rested, cook until lightly browned and edges are crisp, about 10 minutes.
To make the french toast, in a large bowl beat together pumpkin, eggs, almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Place waffles in a large shallow dish and cover with pumpkin/egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray. Cook each waffle until browned and edges crisp, about 5-7 minutes per side. Serve immediately with maple syrup and fresh berries if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Best with crisp-cooked day old waffles. You may use frozen waffles or any waffle you'd like. This is a huge recipe that can easily be halved or quartered.

http://www.arismenu.com/drink-dish-pumpkin-waffle-french-toast/

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

October 15, 2013 · by Ari · 23 Comments

Easy & smooth cold-brewed iced coffee spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cloves.

Lately I’ve been wondering if it’s time to start acting like a grown up. I can’t even tell you what that means, because I just act like, well, me. The other day someone thought I was wayyy younger than I am (this isn’t even including the almost daily basis in which I’m mistaken for a student), and although this should be a compliment (YAY!! You didn’t notice those lines decorating my forehead!), I immediately got into my head thinking “OMG do I need to start acting like I’m in my *gulp* late 20’s?”

Again, not that I could even tell you what that means. But sometimes I feel like maybe I need to stop talking like a teenager, getting upset when children beat me at games, and locking my husband out of our room so I can win at the who gets into bed first game. That’s a whole other story that I should probably be embarrassed of, but I’m not because I have the maturity of a 6 year old.

I find this whole “growing up” and “maturing” business incredibly confusing. I guess I just assumed it would happen naturally, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s something people make a conscious effort to do? You know, like washing dishes (something I find equally appalling).

But then on the other hand, I go to bed at 9 pm, I make my own coffee and I even pretend I’m fancy and call it toddy. That really is the name for cold brew, but I feel like it’s this secret coffee snob name that no one really knows about. I am totally a coffee snob, but in an all inclusive name. Feel free to join me in my snobbery and use words no one else knows. 😉

There are few DIY projects I love more than making a huge batch of toddy. It is ridiculously simple, and not a single drop ever goes to waste. It’s one less thing I have to worry about in the morning. My coffee routine is simply fill my glass with ice, pour in toddy, add some almond milk and grab a straw. Nothing to prep the night before, and I never have to worry about running out of time to feed my caffeine addiction.

Of course, sometimes I like to spice things up. One of my favorite local coffee shops offers spiced toddy this time of year (although I’ve never actually tried it there), and it always sounded so delicious. I am a huge fan of pumpkin spiced lattes, and pretty much any fall coffee drink you can imagine, so I wanted to incorporate my favorite flavors right into my cold brew.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to taste the spices over the bold flavor of the coffee, but they shine through without being over powering. You can always add more if you want a bolder spice flavor, but I like the nice hint that adds depth–it makes you wonder what’s different about this coffee, and why it tastes special.

Adding the spices doesn’t really take any extra time–just add them right into your batch while it sits. I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You could also add ground ginger, cardamom (for a chai flavor), or any other spices you want. If you want to see detailed instructions with step-by-step photos on how to make your iced coffee, check out this post!

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Simple & easy cold brewed iced coffee seasoned with warm, comforting fall spices.

Ingredients

1 lb good quality bold coffee, coarsely ground
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
2 gallons water

Instructions

Pour ground coffee into a 2.5 gallon airtight container. Add spices. Top with 2 gallons filtered water. Pat down the top to ensure all coffee is incorporated. Cover and store for 24-48 hours (the longer it brews, the stronger it will be).
Scoop out as much of the grounds as possible with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse strainer, then cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. Place covered strainer over a 1 gallon jug Use a measuring cup to pour coffee over your covered strainer to filter any remaining grounds. Repeat until jug is mostly full, then repeat with a second 1 gallon jug. If your coffee begins to have trouble filtering through, change your cheesecloth out for a fresh one.
To serve, fill glass with ice and add 1-2 inches of water. Add coffee, and any desired cream or sweetener.

http://www.arismenu.com/autumn-spiced-toddy-cold-brewed-iced-coffee/

Drink & Dish: Brussels Sprouts with Apple, Bacon & Dates

October 8, 2013 · by Ari · 21 Comments

Tender seared brussels sprouts with crispy bacon, soft and sweet dates, and crunchy chopped apples topped with a sweet balsamic glaze. Looking for more healthy side dishes? Check these out!

I want to tell you a story. A love story…of sorts. You see, I used to hate brussels sprouts. People all over the internet go crazy for them, and I never got it. I legit thought they were gross.

Then I tasted them in a big dish of roasted veggies, and decided I could tolerate them. They weren’t terrible, but I would still find a couple lingering on my plate after I had devoured every other vegetable on there. I’m a girl who loves my veggies–I eat them first, and I almost always finish them. I would be a great example for your children.

One day, I ordered a dish at True Foods that included brussels sprouts. I took a bite and immediately went back in for more thinking it must be a fluke. They were incredible! I find myself digging around on my plate searching, trying to find every last one. I usually only do that with goat cheese! 😉

Ever since that day, there has been a new veggie love in my life and I have never looked back. These quickly became my new favorite snack, and I began the process of convincing Steve that brussels sprouts really weren’t gross (he was not convinced). I figured out what made them work for me–they had to be well cooked. Soft, but not mushy. Definitely not hard and crunchy. They also had to have a beautiful browned sear for the most possible flavor. And they are always better with bacon.

In New Orleans I had them with bacon and dates–they came with this sweet sauce, and they were literally to die for. I gave Steve a bite and he changed his mind right then and there. He told me he would only ever eat them if they tasted like that. Challenge accepted. And I added some apples because, well, it’s fall and they just make it even better.

Funny story, when I made these the first time (for testing, photographing and…dinner), I chopped up the apples to throw in at the last second. You must throw them in at the last second. I despise mushy apples. Anyway, I also sliced some up for the photo. I plated everything, took the pictures, and then after I was finished Steve asks me “Are you doing anything with all these chopped apples in the kitchen?” *face-palm* I had them all chopped and ready to go and never actually put them in. So I added them right then–at the very, very last second. I do things like that all the time–get something ready for a photo then completely forget about it. Please tell me it’s not just me.

For this second fall episode of Drink & Dish, I wanted to share something savory with you. I always forget about fall veggies and get caught up on pumpkin desserts. Brussels sprouts (and apples!) are fall all-stars as well, and I figured it was time for them to take the front seat! This dish pairs perfectly with Nicole’s delicious apple cider cocktail! Make sure you check it out, and of course subscribe to D&D on YouTube!

Drink & Dish: Brussels Sprouts with Apple, Bacon & Dates

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: approx 4 servings

Drink & Dish: Brussels Sprouts with Apple, Bacon & Dates

A delicious, healthy, sweet and savory side dish perfect for fall.

Ingredients

1 cup brussels sprouts, halved and stems removed
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 slices center cut bacon, chopped
4 dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 apple (honeycrisp, gala, whatever you like)

For the balsamic glaze (optional):

1/2-1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Begin with the balsamic glaze by pouring balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-medium high to simmer. Stir occasionally until sauce has reached desired thickness. This took me about 30 minutes for a very syrupy glaze. 20-30 minutes should be all you need. Once desired consistency is reached, remove from heat immediately.
Fill a medium sauce pan half way with water. Bring to a boil. Add brussels sprouts and cook for just 2-3 minutes. Strain and remove. This step helps soften the brussels sprouts--if you like them crunchier, feel free to skip it.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Set aside any extra leaves that fall off your brussels sprouts--you'll use those later (they cook faster). Add brussels sprouts flat side down. Season with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until seared and brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip brussels sprouts and move them all to one side of your pan.
Add bacon to the other side of the pan and cook until it begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add dates and extra brussels sprouts leaves. Toss to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
At the very last moment, add chopped apple and give a quick toss. Remove from heat. Serve topped with balsamic vinegar if desired. This dish is best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

http://www.arismenu.com/drink-dish-brussels-sprouts-apple-bacon-dates/

Toasted Marshmallow Sweet Potato Ice Cream

Roasted Butternut Bourbon

Pumpkin Spice Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes {vegan + gluten-free}

Ridiculously Easy 4 Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Snack Mix

Pumpkin Irish Cream

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cranberry Pistachio Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Drink & Dish: Pumpkin Waffle French Toast

Autumn Spiced Toddy (Cold-brewed Iced Coffee)

Drink & Dish: Brussels Sprouts with Apple, Bacon & Dates

Featured Here

Member Of…

Archives