Pumpkin Caramel Latte Donuts

Fall is my favorite season.  I love the crisp air, changing leaves, sweaters and all things pumpkin!

I stumbled across this recipe while on Pinterest.  I had all the ingredients, so I put my infant in the swing and mixed these up as quickly as I could.

Oh.my.gosh.

Delicious.

I loved the balance of flavors...the little pumpkin cakes were spiced just right, with a hint of coffee and irresistible pockets of melted caramel.  The caramel came in the form of Kraft Caramel Bits, which I just discovered at the grocery store.  This is a terrible picture, but anyway...

No more unwrapping and chopping caramels for recipes.  These nuggets of goodness are worth buying.

See them in there?

I highly recommend eating the doughnuts soon after baking.  If you have to store them, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before consumption.  The caramel will be a bit chewy if you don't.

I changed the glaze a bit from the original recipe.  I used 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons boiling water.  

Enjoy!

My Twist On Libby's Pumpkin Pie

I love Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie.  This recipe has been on their pumpkin puree labels forever for good reasons:  The texture is velvety, it's spiced perfectly, not too sweet and easy to assemble.

I've changed it just a bit.

Their recipe:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. 


My twists:


I use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices above.  I also add 1 teaspoon of high-quality vanilla extract to the filling.  Whipped cream on top is a must.  A slice of candied ginger on each serving is a nice, spicy touch.


I've baked this pie in a regular Pyrex pie plate and my beloved Pfaltzgraff Winterberry pie plate.  The Pfaltzgraff wins, hands down.  It's 10.5" in diameter and 2" deep.  It holds all of the filling and bakes evenly.

Mom's Muffins

Happy Mother's Day!

My daughter's kindergarten teacher made the muffins above for the moms. She placed one in each paper lunch sack, along with a tea bag and a napkin. Her students had to copy the recipe in their handwriting and draw a picture of their mom on the front of the sack.

How cute is this?