Pumpkin Granola

As you may know, I really like food made with pumpkin. So, when I saw a version of this pumpkin granola recipe a number of years ago, I knew I had to try it. This granola is now a household standard. We often have some on hand for snacking. It keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. We most often just eat it plain, but it is also terrific on yogurt or eaten with milk in a cereal bowl.

I don't recall where I found the recipe, and my recipe card does not give any clues. I have adjusted the recipe over time and I often do not precisely measure the ingredients that I add. So sometimes, a particular batch might have more nutmeg than most batches or other variations. Usually the resulting granola is in cluster form, rather than bars, but the clusters vary quite a bit in size. If you wanted to, you could add some nuts or dried fruit to the granola about halfway through the baking process. I think hazelnuts and dried cranberries could be a good addition to this granola.

Pumpkin Granola 

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cardamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats and puffed rice. In a medium bowl, whisk together the spices, sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, syrup and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then carefully turn over granola with large spatula. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate. Enjoy!

Applesauce Brownies

Mom's recipe box has many brownie recipes. I have made Brownies Americana, Best-Ever Brownies, and Double Fudge Brownies. Like the Brownies Americana and Best-Ever Brownies, these Applesauce Brownies are cake-like brownies. So far, all the brownie recipes have been delicious. It seems that the only way that I would be able to determine which brownie recipe is my favorite is to make them all at once and do a side-by-side taste testing. Instead, I think I will just keep trying out new brownie recipes from Mom's recipe box. It will take some time to get through all the recipes.

Perhaps the use of applesauce is intended to make these brownies a little healthier. But these brownies are too delicious to be considered healthy in any way. So if you are looking for a tasty treat, give these brownies a try. I especially like to eat them when they are cold from being in the refrigerator. And, I think that they would be delicious with ice cream. As with any brownie recipe, you could add some chopped nuts to the recipe, but I usually leave them out.

Applesauce Brownies 

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat; remove from heat and beat in the sugar, eggs, applesauce and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

MDS does not like bananas. In fact, he refuses to eat anything with bananas. Or, I should say that he used to refuse to eat anything with bananas. But I got him to eat banana bread by spiking the bread with chocolate chips. Now, he will eat banana bread even if the bread does not have chocolate chips. Maybe I will eventually get MDS to eat actual bananas. When I brought some of the bread to a Saturday night at Mom's, it was a hit with all of the nieces and nephews there.

This recipe is just a basic banana bread recipe. You could use any recipe that you would like and just add chocolate chips.  When baking, I prefer to use Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips. You could also add nuts, if you want. I like making a cinnamon banana bread, which can be done by just adding some cinnamon to the batter or swirling it into the batter as you pour it into the pan. Next time I make banana bread, I might try cinnamon banana bread with chocolate chips.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips 

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 3/4 cup flour

In a large bowl, mix the butter, bananas, eggs, and milk. Blend in the sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Blend in the flour. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes. Allow to thoroughly cool before cutting. Enjoy!