Coconut Waffles

I've been wanting to make these for months, and I finally got around to it on Saturday. We're a bunch of waffle/pancake/crepe lovers so this recipe was a refreshing switch from the norm. I'm not a huge coconut fan, but they weren't overly coconutty; they were just right. These were moist and delicious; make them and you won't regret it!

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light kind because coconut milk is pretty much pure fat. Oh, and look for it in the Asian food section)
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 C. coconut
1/2 C. chocolate syrup
1/2 C. chopped toasted almonds
Whipped cream or powdered sugar

1) In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. In another medium bowl lightly beat eggs; stir in coconut milk and melted butter. Stir in coconut. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).
2) Pour 1/2 C. batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer's directions (about 3 minutes or until golden brown). When done, use fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle baked waffles with chocolate, sprinkle with almonds, and top with whipped cream or dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes 8 waffles.

Pizza Salad

Alot of these are already in one UOP cookbook or another, but I figured posting again wouldn't hurt anyone. This recipe is from a Kraft "Salads" booklet. And it's almost as yummy as pizza itself. :)

Pizza Salad
(for four)

1 bag romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 can olives, halved
1/2 a small package of sliced pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella (or little balls of mozzarella, called 'ciliegine')
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (or however much you like) Italian dressing

Brown the pepperoni, on a baking sheet, in a 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss lettuce with desired amount of dressing, then top with tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, pepperoni, and cheeses. Serve with Italian cheese bread.

Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

Ok, once again, look beyond this crappy picture (note to self: photographing a yellowish food in a green bowl, not a good idea) and try these! I am a firm believer that there aren't many better things in this world than a homemade, hot from the oven roll. So when I came across this recipe in the November Family Fun mag., I knew I had to make these. They are a great addition to a fall meal, and would also be really yummy for a brunch since they have a buttery sweetness to them. The recipe only makes 12, but they are 12 monster rolls. Yum!

3 3/4 C. flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 pkg or 2 1/4 tsp instant or bread machine yeast (I used regular yeast)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. canned or frozen and thawed pureed pumpkin or squash
1 large egg
1/2 C. warm water
8 fresh sage leaves, slivered (or 1 1/3 tsp. dried leaves)
1 stick butter

1) In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, and salt, and set it aside. (Since I didn't use instant yeast, I proofed my yeast in the warm water with a little sugar in a separate cup first)
2) Pour the milk into a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Whisk in the honey, squash, egg, and water (or the yeast water if you do it my way).
3) Blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture until you have a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Again, I was worried my non-instant yeast wouldn't work as well, so I just put the bowl in a warm place to rise for an hour. They didn't roll into balls as well since the dough wasn't cold, but they raised really nicely.)
4) Two hours before baking, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6 sage leaves into the dough (I used the dried). Melt the butter and set aside. Divede dough in half, then divide each half into 6 portions. Divide each portion into 3 pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece into a ball and dip it into the melted butter. Place 3 balls in a muffin cup. Continue until 12 muffin cups are filled.
5) Drizzle each rolls with 1/2 tsp. of the leftover butter and then sprinkle them with the rest of the sage (or a shot of dried stuff from the jar). Let the rolls rise in a warm spot until they're double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (took just under an hour for me due to the first rising).
6) Heat oven to 350. Bake the rolls until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

Hashbrown Quiche

16 oz. frozen shredded potatoes
1/3 c. olive oil or butter
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. diced ham
1/4 c. whole milk
6 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 head of broccoli

Grease casserole dish. Mix potatoes and olive oil and press into dish to form a crust. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, steam and roughly chop the broccoli. Don't over cook the broccoli as it will continue cooking in the oven. On top of hashbrowns, layer on broccoli, cheese, and ham. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and pour over all. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or til set.

Perfect for conference weekend!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's definitely feeling like autumn here, so I say it's time to dig into all of the yummy pumpkin dessert recipes! I made these for a baptism on Saturday and they were so easy and good, I thought I'd post the recipe. Just look beyond the subpar picture- it was the only one left!

Cake
1 box spice cake mix
1 C. pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1 C. water

Heat oven to 350. Spray cake pans or line cupcake tins with liners. Beat ingredients in a large bowl on medium speed for two minutes. Pour batter into pans. Bake depending on pan size (about 18-22 minutes for cupcakes). Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. butter, softened
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 C. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 C. at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. You'll probably have leftovers, so don't be stingy with the frosting when icing your cupcakes. Besides, did you notice there was no oil in the cake? Another excuse to pile it on.