Acorn Squash Spice Cake With Maple Frosting and Walnuts

I have been making at least one cake, if not 3, a week for the past month. Last week I did not have a cake that I needed.to make, so what did I do? I made a cake.

I might have an alternative motive here, I have started my winter squash stash, and already it is looking pretty impressive. I have delicata, acorn, kombucha, and sugar pumpkins littered all over the house. As of now I think I have a count of about 27. Some came fro the garden, some from (and still coming, all winter long) from farm share, and some came from when they went on sale at the grocery store and I filled the shopping cart up. The cashier checking me out thought I was crazy, but I get that a lot. (Like when I buy 20 heard os cabbage.. it’s like I scare them) The alternative motive is that some of the squashes don’t have the shelf life of some of the others so I need to get on to eating the ones that don’t last as long, like the delicata and pumpkins, which I am doing, gladly might I add. So while I am eating those, I figured I would use up an acorn squash for cake because well, I don’t want to have a million acorn squash laying around and I am just too busy eating the pumpkins to get the acorn. And this is why I made an acorn squash cake.

What does acorn squash cake tase like? Basically like pumpkin cake. Every time I make any sweet thing with any squash other then pumpkin, no one really seems to notice the difference, but that is not to say there isn't one. I would say that acorn has a slightly sweeter and nutter flavor then pumpkin so you might get a more flavorful flavor out of an acorn squash. And really, if you like pumpkin, your gonna like the acorn. And people love them some maple frosting so smothering that along with walnuts on this cake, well I know made some people really really happy.

That’s the real reason why I made this cake. To make some people happy. Jeeze, I am just so nice. Ha HA!

The stuff. A roasted acorn squash. flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices of cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of nutmeg, salt, oil, soy milk, brown sugar, white sugar, and a little apple cider vinegar.

Start by pureeing your squash If you haven’t already which basically involved removing seeds and skin (save seeds to rest, eat skin, it delicious) and blending the squash until smooth.

You are now ready to cake. Add squash puree and oil into bowl with the sugars and mix until completely combined. Whisk together all the dry ingredients then add in the sugar, squash, oil mixture to the wet along with the milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix until just combined then stop mixing so you don’t over mix.

Batter then gets poured evenly into two greased and lined cake pans.

And into the oven they go.

Golden brown and smelling all nice and cozy. A tester in the middle making sure that they are cooked completely.

Cakes get popped out of pans and and placed on a rack to cool completely. In the mean time, make the frosting. Powdered sugar, salt, vegan butter, maple syrup, and maybe a splash of soy milk (you might or might not need it). And don’t forget the walnuts.

Sugar, salt, butter, and maple get beaten together until creamy and smooth.

Toasted walnuts get chopped into bits.

And now it’s cake assembly time. Place one completely cooled layer on a cake plate and spread half the frosting on top. Sprinkle with half the chopped nuts. Place second layer on, spread rest of frosting on top, and sprinkle with the rest of the nut.

And done.

Now eat.

Enjoy the fall weekend and all the squash.

-C

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Acorn Squash Spice Cake With Maple Frosting and Walnuts

makes and 8 inch 2 layer cake

For the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup neutral oil

• 2 cups acorn squash puree*

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ginger

• pinch of nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups plant milk (I used soy)

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  For the frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup earth balance or any vegan butter

• 1/2 cup real maple syrup

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1-2 teaspoons plant milk (if needed)

• 1 cup toasted walnuts

Note. For acorn squash puree. roast an acorn squash by place entire squash into oven at 425 degree for about 1/2 hour or until fork tender. Once cooked, cut in half, let cool a few minutes, then scoop out all the seeds. Remove skin and blend the squash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350

Place brown and white sugar into bowl along with the oil and squash puree. Mix until completely incorporated. In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and spices. Pour wet mixture into dry almond with the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix until just completely incorporated then stop to prevent over mixing.

Grease and parchment line two 8 inch cake pans. Pour batter evenly between pans then place into oven for 30-35 minutes or until Depp golden brown and a tester stuck into middle of cakes comes out clean. When it’s done, remove from oven, let cook a few minutes, then remove from cake pans. Place on a wire rack o cool completely.

While cake is cooling, make the frosting. Beat together the powdered sugar, salt, maple, and earth balance until nice and creamy. If the frosting seems to thick, add a splash of milk, to thin, add a 1/4 cup more of powdered sugar.

Chop walnuts into small bits if they are not already.

Once cakes are completely cooled, assemble. Place first layer on cake plate and spread 1/2 the frosting onto first layer and sprinkle on half of the chopped walnuts. Place on second layer, spread the rest of the frosting on top, and sprinkle on the rest of the nut. And that is it. Now you just need to eat it.

Store any left overs in for a day on the counter, but any longer place in an airtight container in the fridge. I even froze a few pieces and the mr loved them frozen to if you like frozen cake…..

Apple Walnut Brownies

Well happy first day of fall to you! Are you as excited as I am? I am very very excited because well, cooler weather, shorter days, pretty trees, pumpkins, sweaters, and of course apples. All the apples!!

I am not going to lie, I was going to wait to do a big apple pick to start with my apple baking but this week the grocery store was selling apples form the orchard I am going to go picking from for a 77cents a pound!! I mean, I couldn’t not buy 20 lbs right? Sure I felt a little guilty that they were not hand picked by me, but in a way they were because I did hand pick them form the store so that kind of counts? Plus I am still going apple picking, today in fact so not harm in having a shit ton of apples.

Anyway, so apple brownies. Why, because why not. Slightly chewy but soft, dense, full of all the cinnamon and apple walnut flavor one could want or need to feel all the feels of the apple season. Made them and fed them to the people and they were gone within a minute. Huge success in flavor and texture. and best part, it was slightly chilly out when I made them so the oven on was extra nice, and my house smelled amazing. Oh gosh, I am just so excited that it’s fall, it’s the best time of year!

And now I am for real going apple picking! I’ll probably make these brownies again, just because you know, apples and I'll probably come home with another 100 lbs or more so you know, I’ll have the apples to do it.

The stuff. Apples. sugar, applesauce, cinnamon, and walnuts. Also some vegan butter, flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

FIrst, chop up the apples. And no, don’t peel them, just chop, into little 1/2 inch cubes.

Butter and sugar get a good beat until light and fluffy (I read somewhere that when you beat the sugar with butter in brownies, it helps make that crisp, crackly top)

Fold in the apple sauce and cinnamon .

Like a galaxy of cinnamon goodness.

Then all the rest of the stuff: flour, baking soda and powder, salt, apples, walnuts, get folded in too until just incorporated.

Batter gets spread evenly in a greased and parchment lined pan. (There is parchment there, I was running low so it only covers the bottom of the pan. Better if it goes up the sides though.)

Then into the hot oven they go.

Popped out at just the right moment. See the top? A bit crisped crinkly, kind of like a brownie! Now pop them out of the pan and let cool completely. Or cool enough to cut. Or, cool enough to handle and eat…..

There you go, apple walnut brownies.

And now you can officially enjoy the first day of fall because there is a lot of apple goodness in these brownies and what is fall without apples?!!

Have the best day.

-C

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Apple Walnut Brownies

makes a 9x9 pan of apple goodness

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup vegan butter

• 1/2 cup applesauce

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 2 large Macintosh apples (about 2 cups chopped)

Preheat oven to 350

Core and dice apples into about 1/2 inch cubes . Measure out 2 cups ans eat any left over apple chunks. In a large bowl, beat together vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the applesauce and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Dump into wet mixture, along with the apples and walnuts and fold together until just evenly incorporated. Grease and parchment line a 9x9 baking sheet. Dump the batter into the pan and spread evenly then pop into oven and bake for 40- 45 minutes or until browned and a tester stuck in the middle comes out clean. Check after 35 minutes… you don’t want to over bake! Once cooked all the way through, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the brownies from the pan (you really need to line the pan with parchment to do this) and let cool completely on a wire rack. When they are cool (if you can wait that long because really, these are great eaten warm too.), cut and eat.

Store left overs in a airtight container for a day or two or freeze any extra. Great warmed and serves with a scoop of some ice cream or a yogurt situation.

Strawberry Zucchini Bread

I am a glutton for punishment. 91 degrees, super humid, and what do I do, I turn on the oven to make bread. And this is after I drag the poor mr to the middle of a field on the hottest most humid day to pick strawberries. He didn't complain once (well, maybe on our walk back to the car, but I was bitching a little too).

At home. recuperating from the picking, I made myself a snack of shredded zucchini with chopped strawberries covered in black pepper (try it, it is so freaking good) and was like "this would make a killer bread situation". And that's when I turned on the oven and went to town making bread with the zucchini and strawberries (minus the pepper cause, well I wasn't sure if the mr would like it, but I think I'll add it to the next loaf). And I know, hot day, hot oven=no but really, I was so F*ing hot that I didn't think I could have gotten any hotter, so I figured why the hell not turn on the oven. (The mr and he pup where at the other house so I wasn't torturing them with the heat)

And when the mr came home sure the house was still hot, there was fresh loaf of the sweetest smelling strawberry zucchini bread waiting for him. And so what ifI might have been slightly delirious, I had accomplished something great and was then okay with spending the rest of the say laying in a heap on the floor.

The mr says the bread was worth it.

The stuff. A good sized zucchini and a pint or so of the loveliest strawberries . Also have a bowl with flour (all purpose and while whole wheat) baking soda and baking powder, and a little salt. Sugar, oil, cinnamon, and a little vinegar are needed and a handful of walnut if you want too.

Oil and sugar go into a bowl and get mixed together until combined.

Zucchini gets shredded and added to the bowl.

And strawberries get chopped (stems removed) and go into the bowl along with the zucchini.

Mix the wet mixture up until it starts to get all juicy then mix in the vinegar.

The dry stuff gets mix together along with the walnuts.

 Now in goes the wet mixture. Mix it all together until just combined (don't over mix)

Batter goes into a nicely greased pan and if you have it, sprinkle a little brown sugar on top.

Pop pan into preheated oven to do it's thing.

And it's thing it did. All dark brown and pretty with red and green bits all over. Quite the stunning loaf if I do say so myself. Remove from pan and let the bread cool for a little while..(you should wait until it's completely cooled, but at 15 minutes would be ok)

You have waited long enough.. time to cute the bread.

Bread all day long.

Enjoy.

-C

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Strawberry Zucchini Bread

makes 1 loaf

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar plus about a tablespoon to sprinkle on top
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium zucchini (2ish cups shredded)
• 1 pint fresh strawberries (about 2 cups chopped)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder ans soda, salt, cinnamon, Toss in the walnuts as well.

In a separate bowl mix together the sugar and oil until combined then shred zucchini and dump it it. Grab strawberries, remove the stems, and chop those up into small chunks and add to the bowl with the zucchini. Mix until everything is mixed and starts to get juicy then mix in the vinegar.

Now dump the wet mixture into the dry and mix just until everything is incorporated and pour/scrape batter into a well greased loaf pan. Sprinkle he top with a little brown sugar and stick the pan into the oven.

Let cook for about an hour or until the top is a deep brown and a tester stuck into the middle comes out clean. Once out of the oven, let cool for a a few minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut cooled bread and eat it to your face.

Carrot Cranberry Walnut Cinnamon Buns With Clementine Glaze

The other day I had me a humongo stack of paper work that needed my immediate attention, like a really big stack, full of bills, notices, and time sensitive material. So I decided that the best way to go get through all the papers was to stop and make cinnamon buns, cause that was what I really really needed to do (so not really)

I admit that I do thisoften. Not that I completelyignore or neglect adult tasks (sometimes adult-ing sucks) but I am a expert at the art of procrastination. But I am strategic about it. Like these buns. I made sure that what I was baking was yeasted so I had a time frame to work by. I make dough, let it rise for an hour and in that hour I have to do work. Then I roll out dough,fill it, let rise again, and in that time, more work. Buns go Into the oven, and whilethey are baking, still working. See, it totally makes complete since and can even be kind of fun (and messy. Papers and sticky dough and sugar everywhere!) I recommend to anyone that is having a hard time focusing on somewhat tedious tasks to bake some buns while doing said task. It really makes it easier, plus, at the end of said task there are buns to eat. Win win!

Anyway, no matter the means to the buns, the end was what we are looking for. These buns, well what can I say. Everyone that ate them went nuts for them. Even my little (gigantic, 18 year old) brother who doesn't like anything, especially anything with carrots in it. (he ate 2) And the little, they got down with them too, although they picked out the bigger chunks of cranberries (they don't know better) So yeah, these buns are fantastic for all around happiness and for getting paper work done.

To the bun making!

The stuff. Flour, sugar, almond milk, salt and yeast. A couple of carrots, some cinnamon and ginger, earth balance. And finally, fresh cranberries and walnuts.

First thing that needs to happen is that the carrots need to be chopped up and stuck into a pot, ans boiled until tender.

Then those cooked carrots need to get blended up intoa nice, mostly smooth puree.

Carrot puree goes into a bowl (still warm) along with the earth balance.  Let it kinda melt. Then add in a bit ofsugar and cinnamon, andthe yeast. Mix it all up and set aside for a few minutes until the yeast is clearly activated (starting to bubble a bit)

Now add in the flour. Start with the lowest amount and add in a little bit more until you get to a good doughy, slightly sticky dough.

And for my favorite part, dump the dough onto a floured surface. Have about 1/4-1/2 cup of flour off to the side and start to knead the dough, adding a little more flour to the surface every time it gets sticky.

After about 5 minutes,, the dough should look something like this.... Not to sticky, but not dry. A little glossy and elastic-y.. All ready to rise.

Stick dough back into the bowl and rub down with at little oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot to rise (about an hour)

Sometime while that dough is rising,  prepare the filling. Chop up the cranberries and walnuts into little (or big, or medium) pieces and stick into a bowl with the cinnamon, ginger, earth balance and sugar. Mix it all together and set aside.

Pretty dough, all doubled up in size

Take the dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface. You are looking for a rectangular shape that is about1/2inch thick.

Once rolled out, spread the filling all over the dough ( I found my hands worked the best)

And roll the dough onto it self, cut in half, then scoreand cut the two halves into equal sized pieces (I did 7 each, but could get away with 8)

Place the buns into greases 9 inch round cake pans, (or whatever pans you want to use) cover, and let sit for about another 20 minutes for the second rise.

Note... If you want,  at this stage, take one of these pans wrap it up in plastic ans stick it into the freezer for another day. (that's what I did). When you are ready to bake them, just remove from freezer ans let the dough coke to room temperature.

Look at those buns all cozy and snug. Now into the oven they go!

So while the buns are baking, grab some powderedsugar and a clementine   to make the glaze. All you need to do is add the juice to the sugar until you get a good gooey, not to thick, not to watery consistency.

And after about 35minutes in the oven, these buns are done! Grab them out of the oven.

Let the buns cool for a bit then drizzle on a bit of glaze. And let cool a little longer and add some more. (add as much or as little as you want)

And look at that, ooey, gooey goodness. The product of my severe procrastination.

Hope you folks are having a great week! Maybe we will get lucky around here and get some snow soon!!!!

-C

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Carrot Cranberry Walnut Cinnamon Bun with Clementine Glaze

Makes 14-16 buns

for the dough

• 3 1/2-4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk (I used almond, but any milk works)
• 2-3 carrots (need 1 cup of carrot puree)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 3 tablespoons earth balance
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 heaping tablespoons sugar

For the filling

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 heaping tablespoons cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons room temperature earth balance
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup walnuts

for the glaze

• a clementine
• about 2 cups of powdered sugar

First off, chop up the carrots and boil them until tender, then puree them into a pretty smooth consistency. 

Once you have the carrot puree, and while its still warm, add in the earth balance and mix it in till its melted. Then add in the almond milk, sugar and yeast. Mix all together and set aside for a few minutes until the yeast is visibly activated. Add in the salt and the flour and mix together until the dough is starting to pull form the bowl. Dump dough onto a floured surface and flour your hands cause you are now going to knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Have about a 1/2 cup of extra flour near by to flour the counter as you are kneading. The dough is good once it starts to look glossy ans is no longer sticking to the counter and has a bit of elasticity to it.  Place dough into a bowl, cover with a little oil, then cover bowl with a towel. Place bowl in a warm place to let dough double in size (about an hour.

While the dough is rising, chop up the walnuts and cranberries and mix together in a bowl with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and the earth balance. Set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size, dump dough back onto a lighty floured surfave and roll out into a big rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Grab the filling and spread evenly all over the dough. Starting at the closest end to you, roll the dough up length wise, somethat tightly, until the doeugh is completely rolled. Cut in half then cut each half into 7-8 pieces that are about the same size.

Grab two 9 inch cake pans (or pans of similar size), give them a good greasing and place the buns into the pans. Cover the pans and set aside for another 20ish minutes to rise again!

Note... If you want to just bake off one batch, just stick the bun, wrapped in plastic, into the freezer at this point. When you are ready to bake them off, just remove from freezer and let the dough comet o room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Once the dough has risen again (they dont exactly double, butthey get pretty big) place the buns into the oven. Bake until the buns are nice and golden brown, about 35 minutes,

While buns are baking, make the glaze. Powdered sugar in a bowl and whisk in the juice of the clementine. if its to thin, add more sugar, and to thick, add more juice.

When the buns are done baking (you can also check with an instant read therometer that reads 190) remove from oven and let cool in pans. Drizzle the buns with the glaze, while still slightly warm. Let coolsome more and then drizzle a bit more on top. Serve right away.

Note

Spicy Maple Candied Walnuts

My oven is fixed!! The part came in yesterday afternoon, right before we were about to leave for dinner at my sisters. The mr ripped the package open, popped the stove out and within 5 minutes I had a brand new, working ovens! (not really brand new, but it is much cleaner now after taking it apart and seeing how nasty it was)

But before this happened, I was working with no oven. And all I wanted to do ( all I wanted to do all weekend) was bake something.  So yesterday, instead of just waiting around moping, I decided to make something with the part of the oven that still worked. And being that it's the week before Halloween, I have got candy on my mind, plus  a hugmongo bag of walnuts. Hmm, the possibilities. 

No oven, big bag of nuts, candy thoughts = Spicy maple candied walnuts A perfectly sweet and spicy treat that packs lots of flavor, protein, and healthy stuff and not a bunch  of shit. Made on the stove top with no fancy equipment., takes about 5 minutes to make and tastes like Woo hoo! A (kinda )candy to feel good about eating.

Ask the mr. I think he ate them all last night. And I am ok with that cause it's way better then him eating that shit candy and also, he fixed my oven. Thanks love! 

Now to the nuts!

The stuff. Whole walnuts, real pure Vermont maple syrup, cayenne pepper and salt. 

Stick the walnuts into a dry skillet and place on the stove on medium high heat to give the nuts a little pre toast and to preheat the skillet.

While the walnuts are slightly toasting, dump the maple syrup in a bowl with cayenne and give it a little stir.

Once the skillet has heated and the walnuts are slightly toasted and starting to smell all nutty ,dump the syrup into the skillet while string until the nuts until all are coated.

And for the next few minutes, continue to stir the nuts until the maple syrup starts to caramelize and  there is no longer any liquid left in the pan.(like 3-5 minutes)

Now dump the nuts onto a lined baking sheet and spinkle with a pinch or two of salt, and if you like spice, a pinch more of cayenne pepper (you can make them as salty and spicy as you like!)

Note. As soon as you dump the nuts, stick your skillet in the sink and fill with water to avoid a crappy stuck on sugar mess.

Walnuts a plenty cooling off. 

Oh man.. dez nuts! (I am sorry, I couldn't resists)

Snack on these, it will make you happy.

Enjoy your Tuesday! 

-C

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Spicy Maple Candied Walnuts

• 1 1/2 cups raw, whole walnuts
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cayanne powder (more if you like really spicy)
• a couple pinches of salt 

Place walnuts into a large dry skillet  and stick on stove on medium heat. In a little bowl, mix the maple and the cayenne pepper together. When the skillet has preheated and the walnuts are slightly toasted ash giving off a nutty smell, pour mixture onto walnuts, string to evenly coat each nut. COntinue to cook and stir for another 3-4 minutes or until the syrup has caramelized ash dried. Once done, dump the mixture onto a lined baking sheet  and sprinkle with salt and maybe more cayenne pepper if yu want. Let cool, then eat…

These suckers make a great snack,  tossed into salads, or added to some apple strudel. Eat them whatever way floats your boat.