Pumpkin Waffles

Let's see a show of hands... how many of you are expecting a houseful of overnight guests this Thanksgiving? I'm not, but that's because I work Thanksgiving night and we live in a tiny, overly cramped apartment (which we are trying desperately to move out of!). But for those of you normal people who don't have to work on Thanksgiving and live in an inviting house that more than easily accommodates all of your things, I've got a wonderful breakfast for you, perfect for out-of-town company.

Now, if you're looking for a healthy breakfast, you should probably keep looking. These waffles are loaded with a lot of butter... and consequently, a whole lot of flavor. And I'm sure topping them with maple syrup doesn't help things either. But hey! The pumpkin is totally good for you, so that balances is out, right?

But what I'm really trying to tell you is that these waffles are DELICIOUS. Yes, totally worthy of all-caps on that one. They're a little more dense than your average waffle, and with wonderful spiced flavor they resemble slices of pumpkin bread with epic, maple-syrup-catching pockets. Topped with some toasted walnuts or pecans and served with a side of maple bacon, these waffles are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Make 'em for your super-special overnight guests... or keep 'em all to yourself. I won't judge. :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I think I might be a little late jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon this fall, but at last I do have a pumpkin recipe to share... just in time for Halloween! And this one is totally worth wait.

It had been a while since I'd brought goodies to work, and my coworkers were beginning to wonder if my oven was broken... so last week on my switch over night I whipped these little guys together. As much as I wanted to make something sweet I also wanted to make something seasonal, so pumpkin seemed like a no-brainer. Plus, who can pass up a cupcake?

Well, needless to say, these were a huge hit. The pumpkin really gave these an amazingly moist texture and wonderfully sweet flavor... it reminded me more pumpkin pie than of cake! At first I decorated a few of them with a pastry bag and a lot of frosting, but I found that I liked them better with a light smearing instead, so that the cake took center stage rather than the topping. (You can always, of course, frost them however you like.) But however you choose decorate, just make sure you put them on your Halloween party menu! As easy and delicious as these are, there's really no good reason to pass these up. Trust me, your guests (and your taste buds) will thank you!

Tasty Gifts: Pumpkin Bread

Every year at Christmas it seems there are more people to give to than I have money to spend on them. Between friends and family and extended family... the list goes on and on. And especially when someone is kind enough to give something to me, I cannot help feeling like I should give something in return.

Baked goods are a wonderful, relatively cheap and easy way to show you care. As long as you stick to a simple recipe - and something with a high yield helps too - you can give something tasty and comforting to many different people, without breaking the bank or your arms. And people say that it's the thought that counts anyway... that time is often a better gift than things... well, giving baked goods offers the opportunity to give plenty of both. :)

Following this principal, I decided that I'd bake a loaf of pumpkin bread for each person I wanted to give a little something to but couldn't afford to buy for this year. This seemed a relatively easy idea at first... until my list kept growing as I thought of more people, and I wound up committed to over 12 loaves of bread. Luckily this recipe makes 2 loaves per batch, haha!

This recipe is one that I tried earlier this fall, and one I fell in love with immediately. A moist yet dense bread, this sweet and spicy loaf lends itself well to a light slathering of butter and a warm cup of coffee. It makes for a lovely addition to breakfast - one of the last things many people have time think about this time of year - so it's easy to grab a slice and a cup of coffee and go! It's also sweet enough to act as dessert after dinner, if one so desires. Plus, who can resist pumpkin during the holidays?