I am so excited for this month’s Recipe Redux theme, “Orange your glad it’s fall?”

Yes. Yes I am.

I get so excited with the change of the seasons, enjoying new flavors that I haven’t had for almost a year. Pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and more. What do all of these wonderful vegetables have in common? They are loaded with the orange-pigmented antioxidant, beta carotene. Pumpkin is also loaded with vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and folate.

The problem with most pumpkin-flavored items is that they tend to be loaded with fat and excess sugar. Pumpkin-pie, frapps, cheesecake, all take innocent pumpkin and turn it into junk food.

These pumpkin shakes still deliver on the benefits of pumpkin, without all the added frills. Perfect for breakfast, as a snack, dessert, its the perfect way to celebrate Fall.

Spiced Pumpkin Shake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 frozen banana
2.5 tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a blender, puree into smooth. Makes 1 large serving, 2 small shakes.

Thanks to one of my sweet clients, I was gifted with a giant bag of fresh cherries last week. Usually I have no trouble eating my body weight in fresh fruit but by Thursday I was getting bored and needed to use up the last bit.

I was thinking of cherry pie, the favorite picnic staple, perfect for all the potato salad we have been having around here.

But… I was bored with pie. I started making my dough and lost any desire for a slice of cherry pie. It just seemed too heavy a dessert, and probably one I would be eating in it’s entirety since BL isn’t the biggest cherry fan.

You know what’s not boring? Mini cherry pies. Cute little handheld desserts perfect for sharing with the neighbors. I get to save 1 (or 3 but whose counting?) pies for myself and gift the rest away. The perfect pay it forward gift from the cherries I had been given.

Mini Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. whole cherries
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 + 1 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

Dough:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. cold Earth Balance baking sticks (or non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening)
1 tbsp. sugar
7 tbsp. cold ice water

In a stand mixer, food processor, or large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, salt. One tbsp. at a time, add the butter. If using a stand mixer or food processor- pulse until the butter is incorporated in. If using a large bowl, cut the butter in with two knives or a pastry cutter. Keep doing this until all the butter is added and the dough looks like coarse meal.

One tbsp. at a time, slowly add the cold ice water to the dough and pulse or stir until it comes together. You might not need all the water. When finished, turn the dough onto a cutting board/smooth surface and combine to make a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for ~1 hour to chill.

Meanwhile, make the cherry mixture. Pit and chop the cherries. Combine all the ingredients for the filling except the cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until cherries have reduced and the sugar has dissolved. Place the cornstarch into a small bowl and add 1 tbsp. of the liquid from the heated cherry mixture. Stir together until the cornstarch has dissolved and place into the cherry-sugar mix. Keep stirring over medium heat another 10 minutes until mixture has thickned. Remove from heat and let cool.

Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 6 balls. Roll each ball out into a circle. (If I was more of a pastry chef I could tell you the size of the circle but I am lazy and didn’t measure… ) Place ~2-3 tbsp. of cherry mixture onto the center of the pastry circle and fold over. Crimp or crease the seal to close. Be careful not to add too much filling that the dough doesn’t crimp.

Place the pie onto a baking stone and continue to make the rest of the pies. With a sharp knife, make 2 slits in the top of the pie to let steam escape. Bake at 365 for ~20 minutes until crust is browned.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let cool.

Eat one and give to friends!

 

I guess this is what happens when I have three days off… two blog posts in one weekend! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day, here are two end of summer treats for you.

Mango Margarita

Ingredients:

1 mango, cubed
3 oz. white tequila
1/4 c. simple syrup or 2 tbsp. agave nectar
1 1/2 oz. triple sec
2 limes, juiced

Blend together and share with a friend. You can use any fresh fruit you want, or just add more limes for a traditional margarita.

Key Lime Pie with Oatmeal Crust

This little goodie comes from LittleHouseofVeggies blog and it is awesome! I swapped out key lime juice for lime juice and made an oatmeal crust. Check out the recipe here. I recommend letting it defrost on the counter for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!