Pumpkin Bourbon Cider Milkshake

This delicious fall combination of flavors is a perfect dessert to welcome in the cooler weather.  I love all things pumpkin, and this is a new way to enjoy it.  The fresh maple whipped cream adds the perfect touch and it's so easy to make.  You can leave out the bourbon in this recipe for an equally tasty non-alcoholic treat. Thank you Serious Eats for this recipe!

Ingredients: (makes two decent-sized milkshakes)
1 cup unfiltered apple cider
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/3 cup pumpkin puree 
4 cups vanilla ice cream
 
For the whipped cream
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:
To start, reduce the apple cider in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Reduce it by a little more than half, stirring occasionally.  I chilled it in an ice bath because I didn't do this step in advance, but it could be done up to several days ahead of time and kept in the fridge.  This makes the cider flavor stronger without having to water down the milkshake.  

To make the whipped cream, chill a bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Pour the cream into the bowl and beat with an electronic mixer or whisk until soft peaks form.  Add the maple syrup and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks.   

For the milkshake, combine the condensed cider, bourbon, ice cream, cinnamon, ginger, syrup, and pumpkin in a blender.  

Blend until smooth, and serve with the maple whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.  Enjoy this fall treat!

 

Spicy Maple Rosemary Carrots

We usually just eat carrots fresh in salads or by themselves as a snack.  But recently we had a ton of carrots to use up and so we decided to roast them to have as a side dish along side meatloaf.  I decided to make a sweet and spicy flavor profile to complement the savory meatloaf.  To incorporate some freshness I added rosemary to the carrots as well. The maple and cayenne really work well together, and this is a super easy side dish to throw together for any meal.  

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots (more or less)

3-4 tablespoons maple syrup (agave nectar, or honey would work too)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon rosemary, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground all spice

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Peel the carrots (unless you are using baby carrots)  Slice into 2 inch pieces, or leave whole if they are on the smaller side.  In a bowl, toss the carrots with the syrup and olive oil.  Sprinkle the spices in and mix well.  Salt and pepper to taste- I would recommend about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  

Spread the carrots out on a foil covered baking sheet (easier to clean up) and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until you can easily insert a fork into one of them.  The smaller they are, the less time they will need.  Enjoy!

Maple Almond Granola

I usually never buy real maple syrup... it's just SO expensive and there's no way around it.  Even when we go to the Highland County Maple Festival I've refrained from buying the freshly made syrup because I'm just too cheap.  But, with "free money" left to spend at Arganica from the Groupon I purchased, I decided to go for the splurge and ordered a pint of local maple syrup.  It's been amazing on pancakes, but I wanted to find some more uses for it, now that I actually have it available for once in my life.  First up: maple almond granola!

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 1/2 cups chopped or sliced almonds

1/3-1/2 cup real maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want the granola to be)

1/3 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or almond butter!)

1 T vegetable or canola oil

pinch of salt

1/2 t almond extract

1 cup dried fruit

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax, and almonds in a large bowl.  

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vegetable oil.  Microwave for 20 seconds and stir well.  The microwaving softens the peanut butter making it easier to mix together.  Add the pinch of salt and almond extract and stir to combine.  

Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with your hands until it is all evenly coated.  Spread the granola out over a large rimmed baking sheet, or two smaller ones.  You could alternatively use a casserole dish.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Stir.  Continue baking for 10 minute increments, stirring in between until it is all evenly golden and toasted. It should take about 40 minutes total, more or less.  Remove and cool.  See the color difference?

When it is cooled, mix in the dry fruit, and store in a sealed container or zip lock bag.  Enjoy for breakfast, for a snack, or even for dessert!