Pumpkin Bread

There is nothing I love more than trying a recipe that I've scribbled on a scratch piece of paper laying on my desk. The recipe always screams, "Make Me!" but I always put it off to the side and end up forgetting about it. I became smarter and began storing these scratch pieces of paper in a folder so I can sift through it when I had an itch to bake. Needless to say, when I had the itch yesterday, I whipped out my folder and starting sifting through my recipes. Awhile back, I was searching for a healthy pumpkin bread recipe because quick breads like pumpkin bread tend to be high in sugar and fat. After a good search, I found a recipe than had just the right amount of healthiness!

This recipe calls for egg whites, plain yogurt, and pumpkin which all create a healthier version of pumpkin bread! I love pumpkin and one of the beauties of making pumpkin bread is not having to worry much about the end product being moist because pumpkin recipes tend to be moist.

I was very happy with how the bread turned out. If I could tweak this recipe slightly, I would add more spice to the bread to bump up the flavor. The recipe is good as is if you like pumpkin baked products to be more on the mild side. Next time, I plan on incorporating some pumpkin pie spice to enhance the pumpkin flavor. Each serving has 140 calories and 4 grams of fat. Not too shabby if you ask me!

S'mores Cookie Bar

I think it is safe to say that a childhood and adulthood favorite for most people are s'mores. Even though I didn't have my first s'more until I was nine (yes, I kept track), this snack always sounded delicious. While I love eating s'mores, I like it better when someone makes it for me because I just do not have the patience to wait for the marshmallows to roast. Needless to say, I am no marshmallow roasting connoisseur so s'mores bars is a great option for me when I have a craving for s'mores. How did I stumble upon this idea? 

Lately, I've been slightly obsessed with Pinterest. The great thing about Pinterest is that I discover things  I would have never discovered on my own. I can conveniently keep track and reflect on the things I find. It is because of Pinterest that I found this awesome recipe. I have consistently come across recipes for s'mores cupcakes and cookie bars which was only a sign for me to do one thing...

Since I always make cupcakes (I'm sure you've noticed), I opted for the cookie bar this time. What a great choice for my Sunday fun day project! I was surprised by how much this recipe tasted like s'mores. I might never make s'mores again, unless it's these s'mores bars. I made the bars about six hours ago and not much remains...oops. At least I know the recipe was a success! Thanks Pinterest!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

 
While I enjoy making cookies, sometimes I am too lazy to shape the cookies. That's why bar cookies are a great option on a lazy baking day. There are various types of bar cookies and one of my favorites are blondies, which is essentially a brownie without the cocoa. Blondies tend to a have a higher content of brown sugar to create a rich toffee flavor. Although a standard blondie recipe taste great on it's own, it is even better with mix-ins. This version incorporates coconut and chocolate chips. The final product was reminiscent of a seven layer bar. I found this recipe on Brown Eye Baker, which described these cookies to be similar to a Girl Scout Samoas cookie. As I sunk my teeth into these blondies, I could taste the flavors of a Samoas cookie. The blondies were chewy like the samoas cookie and the brown sugar helped to give the cookies an almost caramel flavor like the famous Girl Scout cookies. The coconut gives the blondies a greater than average chewiness which makes the blondies that more delicious. I have a weakness for anything with a chewy texture and this definitely satisfies my chewy obsession!

Recipes with Oreos: Classy, Versatile, and Y-U-M-M-Y!

I have been thinking about something lately that I want to share so indulge me a little. Let's talk about ice cream for a second. Blue Bell Ice Cream makes the greatest cookies n' cream ice cream ever. All of their flavors are amazing but nothing compares to the cookies n' cream flavor. While the concept of this flavor is so simple, the idea is an amazing one...at least in my opinion. Now, I must admit that I am not a huge fan of packaged cookies which is one reason why I created this blog. Having said that, if there is one packaged cookie I have always loved, love, and will always love, is the infamous Oreo. While the chocolate wafer and cream filling is a ingenious combination, Oreos are also a fun cookie to eat. My favorite way to eat an Oreo? I separate the cookie so all the filling is on one side. I take the non-filling cookie and scrap part of the filling onto the cookie, take a nib, and scrap a little more off. Then I just eat the other half. I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous but everyone has their one way of eating an Oreo.

Another great thing about Oreos is what you can do with them. There are so many creative and inventive ideas on how to use Oreos. Now tell me, how can Oreos not be the greatest cookies ever? I am going to share some of the most intriguing recipes I have come across. I have made some but there are some that are on my baking to-do list. Whether you eat an Oreo by itself, with a glass of milk, crushed into a ball with cream cheese, or in or with anything else, I don't think any other packaged cookie can compare. The next time you have one of those Oreo cravings, which I happen to have every minute of every day, give one of these recipes a try.


No Bake Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars
compliments of Picky Palate

 
Oreo Truffles
 compliments of Bakerella

Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecake
compliments of Inside BruCrew Life

Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes
compliments of Bakerella 

Oreo on a Stick
compliments of MaryJanes and Galoshes

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
compliments of Brown Eyed Baker

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

I know I just posted Healthy Blueberry Muffins but I have another recipe to share! While those muffins are great, I understand sometimes we all just want a muffin that does not "taste" or look healthy. Here is a version that is fairly healthy but does not look or taste like a "healthy" muffin. This recipe uses buttermilk and oil to keep the muffins moist. To make it healthier, I substituted half of the amount of oil with applesauce so the muffin does not lose any moisture. For another kick of flavor, I added orange zest. This made the muffins brighter in flavor and gives the blueberry muffin a minor makeover. Feel free to leave the zest out but I would give it a try first. If you want the fuller fat version of this muffin, use 1/2 cup of vegetable oil as opposed to 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/4 cup applesauce. That's the great thing about baking, I can make anything the way I want it to be. What's great about recipes, especially muffin recipes, are their versatility. Depending on what kind of blueberry muffin I want, I can make it!

Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake

I came across this recipe the other day and it just had a great appeal to it. While Oreos + cheesecake + pumpkin is a heavenly combination, the recipe also seemed simple to make. The original recipe used two Oreos per individual cheesecake but I did not have that many Oreos left at home…and I was too lazy to go to the store and pick some up. That would just leave more Oreos laying around for me to consume. I’m glad I had just enough Oreos because not only would the leftovers be stored in my pants, I think two Oreos would have overwhelmed the dessert. I wanted the pumpkin cheesecake to the be the focus of the dessert and to have the Oreo as a “crust” and an added layer of flavor that complemented the rest of the dessert. Additionally, the Oreos I had on hand were the holiday version, hence the red cream filling. I understand while these mini cheesecakes did not turn out to be cutest things ever, it sure tasted like the best things!

For those non-pumpkin eaters, this recipe has a pumpkin appeal. Even though you may not like pumpkin, it sounds more appealing in combination with cream cheese and Oreos. Since there are many other ingredients, the pumpkin flavor is not too overwhelming so it is a great introduction to the pumpkin flavor. The reason why I say this is because I use to be a non-pumpkin fan. I started being more receptive to the idea after I tried pumpkin cheesecake and I have not turned my back since! The recipe is rich, decadent, and more than sufficed my ever-persisting desire for cheesecake.

Facebook

Y-U-M-M-Y is expanding to Facebook so make sure to Like Y-U-M-M-Y on your next visit! The FB page will news and updates when new entries are posted. Feel free to leave a message on the wall! Love love, thanks for the support!