Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Pecan French Toast

Remember when I promised a pumpkin recipe would appear on this blog sometime this month?  Well, today is the day for that recipe!

I know everyone doesn't love pumpkin stuff, but for those of us that do, this is an amazing meal to have for brunch on a lazy weekend.  Eric and I both loved this, and it was so easy to put together (especially since we worked together to make it).

This was so delicious.  I wish I had time to make it every morning!

Pumpkin Pecan French Toast

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Cooking Classy.


Ingredient List:

• 1 loaf thick white bread (like French bread or Challah), cut in thick slices
• 3/4 cup milk (I used 1% milk)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée (If you find yourself wondering what to do with the rest of the can, you can always make Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• Butter for the griddle (I didn't measure this out, so just use whatever you think is appropriate to coat your griddle)
• Chopped pecans for serving
• Maple syrup for serving
• Whipped cream for serving

Doesn't this look amazing?

Instructions:

1.  Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees.  (According to the original recipe, you can also use a nonstick skillet over medium heat.)

2.  Combine the pumpkin purée, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl.

3.  Butter the griddle, making sure to coat the surface evenly.

4.  Dip each slice of bread into the pumpkin mixture.  (I followed the instructions given in the original recipe, and allowed each slice to sit for a few seconds in order to better absorb the mixture.  I also gave each slice a slight squeeze before flipping it to the other side to repeat this step.)

5.  Place each slice of bread on the griddle and cook until golden brown.  Flip the bread to the other side and again cook until golden brown.

6.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve warm with maple syrup and whipped cream.

See?  Super simple!  I'll also note that while the pumpkin flavor is definitely noticeable, it's not overwhelming.  So if you're someone who likes but doesn't love pumpkin flavored stuff, this could still be a good breakfast/brunch option for you.

Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've mentioned at least a couple of times that I'm not much of a baker.  Since one of my personal goals is to start baking more so I can become even more confident in the kitchen, I decided it was time to bust out my KitchenAid stand mixer and bake some cookies.

And these aren't just any cookies.  These are delicious cookies that taste like fall (or how I imagine fall would taste if it had an official flavor).

I know you really shouldn't eat raw cookie dough, but I definitely ate some of this.  Totally worth it!

I was so proud of the way these turned out!  I didn't change the original recipe that much since I'm still a newbie when it comes to baking, however, I think my small tweaks made this recipe even more phenomenal (if I do say so myself).

Please try these cookies immediately.  While you may feel ashamed of yourself after eating three (or seven), be comforted in the thought that you're doing your part to ring in autumn 2014.  (Or whatever makes you feel better after stuffing your face with a ton of cookies.)

The delicious finished product.  The pumpkin really comes through without being overpowering, and the chocolate chips and pecans add even more great flavor!

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on I Heart Naptime.


Ingredient List:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 11.5 oz. bag milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp milk (I used 1%)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Combine the pumpkin purée, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg in a large bowl.  (I added all of these ingredients to the big bowl on my KitchenAid stand mixer and mixed them together for a couple of minutes on the lowest setting.)

3.  In another large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt.

4.  Stir the baking soda and milk into the wet ingredients.

5.  Carefully pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, mixing well to thoroughly combine.  (Again, I mixed them for a couple of minutes on the lowest setting on my mixer.)

6.  Add the vanilla extract, milk chocolate chips, and chopped pecans to the cookie dough.  (I mixed the dough for about a minute on the lowest setting to ensure the chocolate chips and pecans were distributed as evenly as possible throughout the dough.)

7.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

8.  Spoon cookie dough onto the aluminum foil.  (I didn't take the time to shape my cookies, so they weren't completely uniform in size and shape.  They still baked evenly, though, so it shouldn't matter as long as they're approximately the same size.)

9.  Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes.  (My cookies were pretty large/thick, so I had to bake them for 13 minutes.  I'd recommend checking on them regularly after the initial 10 minutes is up since baking time may vary based on the size of your cookies.)

As I said, I was really proud of how these cookies turned out.  I'd even go as far as to say that these are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies!