Crustless Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Can you believe how fast October is flying by?  Yeah, me neither.

I'm definitely not the only one saying this, but holy cow, has the month flown by.  Halloween's less than a week away, Novembers just a day after that, and fall is in full swing.  

It's time for some pumpkin action, is it not?

Today's pumpkin masterpiece is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

I started with a delicious (and super healthy!) Pumpkin Pie filling.  Then a I made my favorite Tofu Chocolate Mousse.  Finally- and this is the best part- I swirled them together!

My oh my, did it turn out delicious.  You've got to bake this pie this fall season, or you will be seriously missing out.

Crustless Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Layer:

• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 flax "egg" (1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water) or 2 egg whites or 1 egg
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Layer:

• 1 (12.3 oz) package shelf stable tofu (I used the brand from Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 10in round pan.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for pumpkin layer.  Mix until incorporated and smooth.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine all chocolate layer ingredients.  Blend, on and off, until everything has been combined and there are no tofu lumps.  Scrape down the side of the machine as necessary.  

To create the marbled effect:  Start with the pumpkin layer.  Take large spoonfuls and put them in the pan at random until about 1/2 the batter has been used.  Do the same with the chocolate layer.  After 1/2 the chocolate has been used, go back to the pumpkin and use the rest.  Repeat with the chocolate layer.  At this point, there should be some type of batter filling the entire pan.  Take a knife and swirl it through the top to make it look pretty.  After that, it's ready to bake.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until firm.  Let chill in fridge overnight before slicing and serving.

Apple Crumble Bars

I've already gone apple picking twice this season, yet I've neglected to post an apple recipe.  Oops?

The truth is, I've only made one so far.  Double oops?

But, in the hopes of regaining at least some of my food blogger status, it was a really good recipe and I still have 20 billion apple to use.  Soooo, hopefully there'll be a bit more of an apple explosion in the weeks to come.

Back to today's recipe.  It's simple, yummy, and positively full of fall flavor.  We've got apples, cinnamon, some maple syrup, all baked to warm perfection.  With vanilla ice cream or whipped cream it would be absolutely perfect.

So there.  Let the apple season of Mix it Up begin!

Apple Crumble Bars
For crust:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp milk (or more if dough seems to think)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

For Filling:

• 2 1/2 cups chopped apples
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornstarch/arrowroot flour/starch
• 2tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8x8 square pan.  Mix together dry ingredients for crust in a large bowl.  Add wet and mix until a sticky and thick dough forms.  Add more milk if needed.  Take about 2/3 of the dough and press into the bottom of the pan until the whole area is covered.  Set aside remaining dough.  In another bowl, mix together all filling ingredients.  Pour filling onto dough in pan.  Scatter remaining dough in top.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-20 minutes, until crust has turned golden brown.  Let cool before cutting into 16 squares.  I think these are best served warm.

Pumpkin Squares (Version 2)

Alright folks, it's officially fall.

The autumn equinox has passed and from now on days get shorter and colder and all around more depressing.  

But before all that we get the lovely season that is fall.  Crisp air, colorful leaves, and pumpkin and apple filled foods galore.  It's time I started spreading some fall cheer, no?

There's one recipe that's get's 10x more popular as September rolls around.  It's the first recipe ever posted on this blog, and it's one of the simplest ones as well.  I love it, you love it, everyone loves it.  After all, who can resist pumpkin squares? 

Certainly not me, which is why I decided to re-do the recipe this season to make it even better. Looking back on that recipe there are some things I don't like about it.  For example, the white flour and white sugar that I used.  Back then, I didn't have all my special sweeteners and spelt flour packages.  Now I've got 'em and i wanted to healthify those pumpkin squares even more.

Behold, the delicious result.  Pumpkin squares with no white sugar, no white flour, no oil, and no butter.  Oh yeah, and they're pretty darn delicious as well.

Pumpkin Squares (Version 2)

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
•  1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla 

 Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8x8 square pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  In another bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg whites, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a thick batter forms.  Scoop into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake for 25-20 minutes, until firm.  Bars will be a bit gooey at first, but if you let them sit overnight they will dry out a bit and become less gooey.  It's your choice how to eat them.  When serving time comes, cut into 16 squares.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chips

Cinnamon and sweet potatoes.

A match made in heaven, no?

Though I love sweet potatoes, I've never been a fan of the classic brown sugar, marshmallow, and butter combinations.  Honestly, the thought of marshmallows and sweet potatoes just makes me want to puke.

But cinnamon, oh cinnamon, well that's a different story.  I absolutely adore cinnamon and sweet potatoes together.  Whether it's sweet, savory, or something in the middle, it disappears into my belly right away.

Last weekend I had some free time and a bunch of sweet potatoes.  Insert sweet potato chips.

I didn't want plain old sweet potato chips, though.  Nope, I wanted something special.  So I added cinnamon.

And can I just say: YUM.

This cinnamon added just the right of sweetness to the already sweet sweet potato, and the sprinkle of salt I also added balanced out everything with just a touch of savoury.

Perfection in a chip.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chips

• 2 sweet potatoes, washed and dried
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt per baking sheet
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon per baking sheet

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Slice potatoes thinly with a mandolin slicer or a knife.  I used a mandolin slicer.  Grease 2-3 baking sheets.  Lay potato slices in a single layer on baking sheets.  Drizzle with just a bit of oilve oil.  Flip over slices so that both sides are thinly coated in oil.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt (1/4 tsp of each for every baking sheet).  Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, flipping chips over every 20 minutes or so.  Take chips out while they're still a bit chewy, they will harden up with time.  Store in an airtight container.

Oh, and one more thing.  These chips are baked not fried, which means they're not nearly as bad for you as most chips.  Which means you can eat more.  Which means you'll probably want to double the recipe.  Just saying.

Enjoy!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse Pie

Your future Thanksgiving dessert is staring at you.  Or rather, you're staring at it.

Even if you think you've already decided what dessert to make for Thanksgiving, please please please consider making this pie instead.  You will not regret it.

Just look at it.  So rich, so creamy, so decadent.  It just screams "make me!", doesn't it?  And you should always listen to a pie.  Pie does not lie.  That's a fact.

What this (talking) pie fails to mention, however, is it's extreme healthful-ness.

Don't laugh!  I swear it's true!  That incredibly delicious looking pie you see in the pictures is actually healthy.  I find it a bit incredible myself, and I'm the one who made it.   But, nutrition facts don't lie either, and the ones for this recipe are amazing.  One slice of this decadent tasting pie has 5 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and under 200 calories!  Is that incredible or what?  And you cannot taste anything but delicious-ness!

Now, if that doesn't convinve you to at least give this recipe a try, I don't know what will.

Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse Pie
(serves 8)

For Pumpkin Layer:

• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup spelt flour (others should work too, but I haven't tried it)
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (1 15-oz can)
• 1 scant cup milk
• 1 flax "egg" (1 tbsp ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tbsp water, and allowed to sit for a couple minutes)(a real egg would probably work too)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp date paste (or more sweetener of choice)*

For Chocolate Mousse Layer:

• 12.3 oz tofu (1 package Mori-nu silken firm)
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet if possible)

Directions for Pumpkin Layer:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Mix together spices, salt, baking powder, flour, and sugar in a large bowl.  
3. In another bowl, stir together pumpkin, milk, flax egg, vanilla, and date paste.  
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well to combine.  
5. Pour into greased 10 inch round pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Directions for Chocolate Mousse Layer:

1. Melt chocolate chips, either in microwave or on stovetop, until smooth and creamy.
2. Combine all ingredients, including melted chocolate chips, in bowl of food processor and blend until smooth.

Finishing Steps: 

1. Once pumpkin layer is done baking, let cool for a couple minutes.
2. Then, scoop chocolate mousse over pumpkin and spread evenly.
3. Chill pie in fridge for at least 6 hours, then slice and serve.
4. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

* dates soaked in water overnight and then blended until they form a thick paste

I can honestly say that this pie is one of the best desserts I've made.  Ever.  If, for some completely crazy reason, you can't make this for Thanksgiving, you have to make it another time.  This pie must enter your life, and soon.  It's as simple as that.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Pumpkin Squares

Sweet Potato Apple Mash

Warning:  Highly Addictive Thanksgiving Side Dish Below

Made 10x more addictive by the fact that it's super duper easy.

Four ingredients easy.  Three steps easy.  One pan only easy.

So easy, whipping up a second batch shoudn't be a problem at all.  Which is good, because with the addictive-ness level so high, you may need to do just that... before your Thanksgiving guests even arrive!

In case you didn't quite catch on yet, this Sweet Potato Apple Mash is downright simple, but also completely delicious.

If you're hosting Thanksgiving at your house this year, and want a stress-free side dish to prepare, this could be exactly what you're looking for.  Just be sure to double the recipe if you're serving a large crowd.  Being able to make more during dinner doesn't necessarily mean you want to :)

Sweet Potato Apple Mash - greatly inspired by this recipe

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 3 medium apples (just use your favorite type)
• 3 tbsp oil
• Spices: cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper all to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut sweet potatoes and apples into cubes.  Place in a deep baking dish and toss with olive oil (you don't have to measure it, just make sure everything in coated).  Spread out potatoes and apples in dish evenly, in only one layer if possible.  Roast for approximately 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool a bit.  Sprinkle with spices.  Then take a potato masher, or whatever other tool you have on hand that may work, and mash the mixture until it reaches desired consistancy.  I like to mash it until it's mostly broken down, but still has a bit of texture to it.  Serve immidiatley, or refridgerate until serving time.

What to do with your super addicting Sweet Potato Apple Mash:

• Make a gigantic batch and serve it as a (healthier) side dish on your Thanksgiving table.
• Spread it on a pizza (just an idea: this stuff, spinach, caramalized onions, and mozzarella.  Yummmm!)
• Make a sandwich (something along the lines of this, maybe?)
• Eat it by the spoonful when the midnight munchies strike
• Put it on toast for breakfast

And those are just a couple of my ideas.  Seriously, this stuff is worth making.  On a weeknight or for Thankgiving.  Or both!  Yeah, that could work...

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I could never ever be gluten free.

Like, seriously, even if my body desided to not tolerate gluten anymore I would probably still eat it.  I just love bread and cake and cookies way too much.

However, I know that there are a lot of you out there who do follow a gluten free diet, and I totally respect that.  In fact, I want to make sure that you gluten free guys and gals don't miss out on all the fun!

And thus, I recently set out to create a delicious gluten free dessert.

Honestly, it wasn't easy.  Problems started to show up right from the get-go.  The first one being as simple as what type of flour to use.

I have zero knowledge of gluten free baking, and near zero "fancy" gluten free flours, so needless to say, this probelm was a big one.

Eventually, after much deliberation, I decided to go with chickpea flour.  Mostly because I had made a thing or two with it before (though nothing sweet) and knew it measured more or less like other flours.

Upon first tasting the (unsweetened) batter I was pretty certain that that had been an awful choice.  It tasted completely disgusting!  But, never one to waste, I pushed on, adding ingredients that I thought might fix the problem.  And, luckily, they did!  A bit of brown sugar and ginger fixed the taste up real nice, and then, just because I wanted to be sure the bars would be yummy, I threw in some chocolate chips.

The result was a gluten free dessert bursting with fall flavor and melty chocolate.  And don't worry, they don't taste like chickpeas one bit!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
(based very loosly off this recipe)

• 1/2 cup chickpea (or garbanzo bean) flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 1/4 tsp ginger
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (you may want more, taste the batter to check)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/3 cup egg whites or 1 flax "egg"
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Whisk together dry ingredients is a medium sized bowl.  Add in wet ingredients and mix well to combine.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour into greased pan and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Let cool just a bit before cutting and eating.

Even if you're not currently eating gluten free, these bars are still a great thing to try.  Not only because they're delicious, but also because you cannot taste that they're gluten free at all.

The taste is spot on, the texture just right, and you won't want to stop eating them!  They're strangely addicting like that.  You think you're done, but then you find yourself reaching for another piece.

That's the sign of a great success, is it not?

Revisited Recipes of the Day:

Fall Recipe Round-up

Apple Cinnamon Bake

I'm somewhat of a maniac in the kitchen sometimes.

Or perhaps that's a bit strong of a word.  What I mean to say is somethimes I get a bit crazy.  Crazy ingredients, crazy foods, crazy behavior.  

While this specific recipe has no crazy ingredients, and no outragious outcome, I did feel a bit funny while making it.  That feeling probably had to do with the fact that I had next to no idea what I wanted to make.

The only thing I was sure of when I started making this dish was that apples would be involved.  That is it.

Everything else that's in it was just thrown together because of split-second decisions and thoughts of what would be easiest to fish out of my extremely full refridgerator/pantry.  See what I mean by crazy?

I'm just glad I managed to keep track of everything I was dumping into my mixing bowl, because the end product was pretty darn delicious.

Juicy apples baked just until soft, a crunchy oat topping, and a generous coating of cinnamon to top it all of.  Why yes, crazy is a good thing sometimes.

Apple Cinnamon Bake

• 3 apples, cut into cubes
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp buckwheat groats
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (in addition to the 1/2 tbsp)
• 1-2 tbsp applesauce (start with 1 tbsp)

Preheat oven to 380F.  Combine apples, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a large glass baking dish and toss to coat all apple pieces.  In another small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix to combine.  If mixture is too dry, add another tbsp applesauce.  Sprinkle oat mixture over apples, trying to make it as evenly spread as possible.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the apples are soft but still have a bit of a crunch to them, and the oat topping has browned.  Let cool.  Serve topped with ice cream, whipped cream, or a dollop of greek yogurt.

I find it sort of awesome how my extreme random-ness in the kitchen somehow turned into a mouth-watering masterpiece.  For example, the apple are baked only slighty, and not until really mushy like in other apple recipes, not because I actually wanted them like that, but because I was too impatient to let them cook enough.  And yet, I think I like the apples with a slight crunch much more than how they're normally baked.

It's just fate doing it's thing, I suppose.  I can say for sure, however, that this crazy (and super successful) apple experiment will most definitely lead to more kitchen outragious-ness.  Most likely involving lots of random ingredients thrown together.  I doubt they'll all turn out as good as this, but, hey, you don't know until you try!

Have you ever had a kitchen experiment go fabulously well?

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Kid-Friendly No Bake Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Brownies

I haven't been posting about chocolate enough lately.  The last recipe on here whose main focus was chocolate was, like, a really long time ago.

It's time to change that...

With brownies!

And pumpkin because everyone know chocolate and pumpkin go together magically.

The pumpkin may also have to do with the fact that I'm becoming even more obsessed with fall flavors as winter approaches.  These were going to be just normal brownies, but then I saw the pumpkin staring at me from across the kitchen.  Next thing you know the can opener was in my hand and there was bright orange much staring at me.

I like to think it was just my recipe-creating genius controlling me, because, man, these brownies are good!

These will definitely satisfy any chocolate craving you've got going.  Especially if you have two.

They also sucessfully end the chocolate-free recipe period that I unconsciously started.  And thank god for that.  A blog like this is very sad without chocolate in it.

Pumpkin Brownies

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp date paste (blended dates) (you can omit and just use more sugar)
• 2 tbsp water (or more milk)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.  In another, stir together wet ones.  Pour wet into dry and mix until well combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Scoop batter into a greased 8x8 pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Let brownies cool, and if possible sit out  at least overnight before eating.  (For some reason, these brownies taste better if allowed to sit for a bit)

The only thing I might change about these brownies next time I make them is baking them in a smaller pan (7x7 maybe?  Do they even make that?).  They came out a bit thin for my liking with an 8x8.  However, if you don't have a smaller pan and, like me, like your brownies a bit thicker, you could try layering two pieces on top of each other with some frosting or something between.  That sounds really good, actually.  I may have to try it.

Anyway, whether you want thick or thin brownies, please do consider this recipe and one to try.  They're really fudgy and yummy and keep you in fall spirit.  Who wouldn't want that?

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

PB's