Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream

I always knew it was Halloween morning, when I would wake up to the smell of pumpkin cupcakes cooking in the oven. Every year my mom would make them, and it was one of the only times that I was allowed to have cake for breakfast! It almost felt like Christmas, because we would even get a Halloween basket to open. So between the cake for breakfast, the gift basket and getting a huge bag of candy later on in the day, Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. 

If you’re looking for a last minute cupcake idea for tonight’s festivities, try these cupcakes. A pumpkin spice cupcake is topped with maple buttercream frosting, which gives it the perfect fall flavor. Top with simple sprinkles and Halloween candies for an easy Halloween treat.  Make this a family tradition in your house, i'm sure no one will complain! 

Ingredients:

Cake

Use your favorite pumpkin cake recipe. Martha Stewart and Ina Garten have great ones. You can also use boxed cake.

Frosting (I doubled this recipe, because I piped my frosting)

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar


4 tablespoons maple syrup


¼ teaspoon of maple extract

Directions:

1. Cook cake according to directions. Allow to cool. Make the frosting. 
2. Place softened butter in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until whipped. Scrape sides of bowl. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until incorporated, into the bowl. Beat with mixer for 30-40 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and add maple syrup and maple extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until mixture is fluffy. 

Madaket Cranberry Apple Bread

With the holidays just around the corner, this cranberry apple bread, filled with cranberries, apples and walnuts, will soon become a family favorite. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, this bread is easy to put together, and the batter can be prepared the night before and then baked the morning of. It also can make a wonderful last minute gift; just bake in a disposable pan and then wrap with decorative tissue paper.

 Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

3/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch baking pan.
2. Stir together apples, sugar and oil. Add egg; mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moist. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Cool Blue Cheese

Looking for an easy dinner to put together before work or an easy game day recipe? These sliders require very little effort, and since they are made in a slow cooker the dish cooks itself on the counter. Top off these spicy sandwiches with lettuce, blue cheese dressing and blue cheese crumbles. My friends were raving after they tried these, and I think yours will too!

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

17.5 fl. oz. buffalo wing sauce

½ package dry ranch salad dressing mix (1 ounce)

12 slider rolls

Lettuce

Blue Cheese Dressing

Crumbled Blue cheese

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour entire bottle of wing sauce and ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for about 6 hours.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, shred the meat finely with two forks. Place the meat on top of slider buns and add lettuce, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing. 

Bloody Knife Cupcakes

One of the greatest things my mom taught me, was how to cook. Growing up, we would always cook together and I remember the first time she let me cook something myself. I made chocolate chip cookies, and instead of ½ teaspoon of salt, I added half a cup!  Let’s just say, I’ve came a long way since then. My mom is a great cook  and has taught me everything I know about cooking.

 She made these incredible cupcakes over the weekend for a friend's Halloween party. A chocolate cake is topped with a white chocolate frosting and raspberry pie filling is used for the “blood”. Top these chilling cakes with a candy knife, and you’ll have a bloody treat that will be almost too frightening to eat!

Ingredients:

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Frosting

6 ounces white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

A small jar of raspberry pie filling

Candy knives

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line cupcake tin with cupcake papers and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves; then pour into a large bowl. Add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until melted and slightly cooled. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture at medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat at medium speed until smooth. Pour the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a cake tester comes out clean.
4. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Quickly stir the cooled white chocolate so that it is smooth and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until combined and creamy. Add the cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat for 1 minute until combined. Frost the cupcakes and top with raspberry pie filling and candy knife. 

Fear the Beard Franks

Not your typical Fenway Frank, but a close second. Many of my New England followers have probably tried the famous Fenway Frank at one time or another, and although these aren’t the same, they are wicked good. They make a great appetizer, and are perfect to serve at your next World Series viewing party. So if you can’t make it to the Green Monstah, have one of these, and don’t forget to sing Sweet Caroline in the middle of the eighth! Go Sahx!

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup white sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 (16 oz package of beef hotdogs, each cut crosswise into three pieces

40 (6 inch) wooden skewers

 Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk.
2. Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into hotdogs. Roll hotdogs into flour and then coat with batter.
3. Fry 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Walnut Streusel

I’m not sure whether these muffins are more appropriate for breakfast or for dessert, but whatever meal you choose, these are delicious. A spicy pumpkin muffin is topped with a Maple Walnut Streusel. The streusel on top of these muffins takes them to the next level, and makes them more delicious than your typical pumpkin muffin.

For even more flavor, lightly drizzle muffins with maple syrup before serving. It is important to use “authentic” maple syrup here and none of that artificial stuff. If any one knows me well, they know I refuse to eat artificial maple syrup. Growing up in the North Country we only used authentic maple syrup and I still hold true to that. There is quite a difference, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you use the “real” stuff.

Ingredients:

Muffin:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Authentic maple syrup, for topping (optional)

Maple Walnut Streusel:

1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar

¾ cup flour

½ cup melted butter

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with papers and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and combine.
2. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and eggs and mix until well until completely combined. Pour butter into mixture and mix. Slowly add oil and buttermilk to mixture and mix. Next add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and mix. Once combined add pumpkin puree to mixture and mix.
3. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into wet mixture, and fold the batter until combined.
4. For streusel: In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon with a work until crumbly. Add walnuts.
5. To assemble muffins, pour ¼ cup of batter into muffin tins. Top with 1 ½ tablespoons of streusel and bake for 17-20 minutes.

Glamorous and Glittered Pumpkins

Whether you are trying to dress up your doorstep, or add a bit of glam to your kitchen table, these glittery pumpkins are sure to do the trick. One of the benefits of these glam pumpkins, versus the traditional carved pumpkin, are they last much longer. A pumpkin can last 8-12 weeks, while a carved pumpkin will only last 5-10 days. Add a dash of sparkle to your home, because you can never have too much glitter!

Materials:

Medium sized paintbrushes

White glue

Pumpkins of various sizes

Paper plate

Glitter (colors of your choice)

Acrylic paint (colors of your choice)

Ribbon

Steps:

For dotted pumpkin: Take gold paint and paint circles on pumpkin. Once dry paint over the dots with white glue and sprinkle with gold glitter. Tie a burlap bow on top of stem. Let dry for about one hour; shake off excess glitter.

For white pumpkin: Paint pumpkin a solid white. Once dry take craft glue and brush just the top of the pumpkin. Sprinkle with glitter. Tie a burlap bow on top of stem. Let dry for about one hour; shake off excess glitter.

For gold pumpkin: Paint pumpkin a solid metallic gold. Once dry take craft glue and brush the entire pumpkin. Roll pumpkin in gold glitter. Let dry for about one hour; shake off excess glitter.

Feelin' Crunchy: Cranberry Nut Granola

I tend to be a creature of habit. Almost every morning for breakfast I have yogurt, granola and berries. One of my favorite granolas is from Bartlett’s Farm in Nantucket, because it’s filled with dried cranberries, it’s crunchy, and it has the perfect amount of sweetness.  Luckily, I recently stumbled upon this granola recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, which is filled with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and salted almonds.

This granola makes for a perfect breakfast, whether you serve it with yogurt, milk, fresh fruit, or just eat it plain. If you’re feeling extra creative, place granola in a mason jar, add a ribbon and attach a label for a cute gift for a relative or neighbor.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Nonstick cooking spray

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted almonds

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cranberry juice, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and salt.
6. Pour the maple mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Stir in the cranberries and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture begins to brown. Cool completely. Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.

North End Italian Pesto Sauce

Recently I have been trying to recreate the pesto sauce, from one of my favorite Italian restaurants, in the North End of Boston. After many trials and tribulations I think I finally did it, or at least came close. This recipe for Italian Pesto Sauce is so good, you'll be eating it by the spoonful... trust me. What I love about this recipe, is that it is so versatile and can be used on so many different things. It's quick and easy to make, but most importantly,  everyone loves it! 

Pesto is great because it can be used in so many different ways. I use it as a pasta sauce, a topping on soup, spread on sandwiches or a  pizza sauce. Not only is it great on anything, it freezes beautifully. Make a lot all at once, freeze it, then take out small amounts as needed.  Try this if you can't make it to the North End for dinner tonight. Buon appetito!

Ingredients:

1/2 bag baby spinach

1 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1 c. olive oil

1 c Romano cheese

2 garlic cloves

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup pinenuts or walnuts.

Directions: 

In food processor, chop garlic fine, add nuts and continue to chop.   Add rest of ingredients and puree until well chopped but not smooth.  Store in freezer until ready to use. 

Vampire Blood Martini

Are you brave enough to try this Vampire Blood Martini? This haunting cocktail will be a great addition to your upcoming Halloween party, especially since the “blood” and “fangs” make this cocktail extra eerie. Just like your costume, the drinks you serve should be equally as festive. So give your bloodthirsty guests something to sip on, and try this Vampire Blood Martini.

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz vodka

¾ oz dry vermouth

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Red food coloring

Gummy fangs

Directions:

Shake vodka and vermouth together with several ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass. In a small bowl mix together corn syrup and 2-3 drops of red food coloring. Dip a small spoon in red mixture and carefully drizzle mixture around the edge of the glass. Use very little as it will drip down the sides after a few minutes. Place gummy teeth in cocktail or on the side for garnish. 

Creepy Crawly Cocktail

This witches brew concoction is spooktastic and sure to frighten and delight your guests! A green cocktail, filled with sour worms and rimmed with green sugar, is the perfect cocktail to serve at your upcoming Halloween party. This brightly colored potion looks like witches slime, yet tastes sweet and refreshing,thanks to sugar and lemon-lime soda.

 

 

Ingredients:

Green sugar for rimming glass

5 tablespoons vodka

5 tablespoons sour-apple schnapps

5 tablespoons lemonade

5 tablespoons lemon-lime soda

Sour gummy worms for garnish

 

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, schnapps, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Cover and shake. Dip rim edge of martini glasses in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch water, then in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch of green sugar. Pour shaken mixture into glass. Place five sour gummy worms in glass.

Indian Corn Candle

So I admit it, I am a bit of a candle junkie. I can’t seem to buy enough candles, especially this time of year, when all of the Fall scents are out. Apple Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, Autumn Leaves… they are all great. An easy way to dress up a Fall candle is to glue Indian corn around the outside, and then finish it off with a twine bow. This is a great addition to your fall décor, and everyone will be asking where you bought this beautiful candle. If you’re looking for a great homemade hostess gift, this is a wonderful gift to bring to your next party!

Supplies:

18 small ears of Indian corn

Hot glue gun

Twine

Large round candle (4” to 5” in diameter)

Directions:

1. Glue Indian corn around candle so the outside of the candle is no longer showing
2. Wrap twine around candle three times and then tie in a bow.
3. Light candle, and enjoy your new fall decoration. 

Meatball Sub Sliders

After a football filled Sunday and an exciting win for the Patriots over the weekend, I am feeling inspired to create the perfect game day dishes. It is so easy to improve typical game day food, by adding just a few simple ingredients.

This dish does require a little more effort than throwing burgers on the grill, but it’s that much better. And remember, based on my research, guys will notice the difference! You’ll be irresistible, wearing your favorite team jersey and serving these delicious sandwiches.

The best part about these Meatball Sub Sliders is you can make the meatballs and sauce in advanced, and then assemble right before serving. Perfect for a party and great for a crowd these sandwiches are easy to make, and since most of the work can be done earlier you’ll have more time to mingle with guests!

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

2 tbsp. olive oil


1 large yellow onion, chopped


1 ½ tsp. garlic, minced


2 (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp. dried basil


1/2 tsp. dried oregano


2 tsp. salt


For the meatballs:

½ cup breadcrumbs, divided

¼ cup milk


8 oz. ground beef


8 oz. ground pork

1 egg


2 cloves garlic, minced


1 tsp. kosher salt


½ tsp. black pepper


1 tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried basil

For the sandwiches:

2 dozen white dinner rolls

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt. If sauce seems to thick, you can thin it to desired consistency by adding water. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 1-2 hours.

To make the meatballs, combine ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs with the milk in a mixing bowl.  Let the breadcrumbs absorb the milk, about 15 minutes.  Add the remaining breadcrumbs, ground beef, ground pork, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil to the bowl.  Mix well until thoroughly combined. Form into meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet, on medium-high heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until done, approximately 10 minutes. Once cooked, add meatballs to sauce.

Make the sandwiches, Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange rolls, cut side up on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and place 1 meatball, and a spoonful of sauce on each roll. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, approximately 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.