Pumpkin Bread Pudding (Pumpkin Cookie Recipe)

On October 14, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes3 Comments

We were at one of our favorite restaurants last night and they are participating in restaurant week where restaurants create special menus with discounted prices. The owner is a friend of ours and stopped to talk to us while we enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine. He asked if we’d seen their menu for restaurant week, which we hadn’t, and went on to describe the dishes. He was quite excited about one of the desserts that was on the menu, a pumpkin bread pudding, which their pastry chef had created. A few minutes after our conversation, a waiter arrived with a plate of the bread pudding. It was decadently delicious! We don’t usually treat ourselves to dessert, so it was quite the treat, including the cinnamon ice cream that was served with the pudding. It reminded us of the pumpkin cookies that we bake every autumn, so we decided to share that recipe, which you will fall in love with if you try it. Unfortunately we haven’t made the cookies yet this year, so we don’t have pictures to share of the cookies, so you’ll have to use your imagination 😉

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Pie Mix (canned or you can make your own)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 cup Butterscotch Chips

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients together ensuring that the flour is completely incorporated. Using a teaspoon or a small ice cream scoops, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes. Depending upon the size of the cookies you make, the recipe makes several dozen cookies.

Spiked Mulled Cider

On October 7, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes2 Comments

We found this recipe a few years ago and have been using it for our Halloween parties ever since. It is perfect for this time of year and tastes really good. The original recipe called for Apple Brandy or Bourbon, but we use an Apple Whiskey, which we find just enhances the apple flavor. Obviously you can leave out the alcohol or add more if you like, but you have to be careful, you can’t taste the alcohol, which can be dangerous 😉

Ingredients

4 cups Apple Cider (not Apple Juice)
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 Whole Cloves
Pinch of Salt
1 Orange – halved
3/4 cup Apple Whiskey

Instructions

Combine the cider, cinnamon stick, cloves, and salt in a saucepan. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the pan and then peel the skin of the orange and add them to the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer and then remove from the heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. Strain and pour into a pitcher. Add the Apple Whiskey and refrigerate at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Serve on the rocks with an orange garnish.

Crab and Spinach Lasagna

On September 29, 2015September 30, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes1 Comment

Now that Autumn is here, we decided to make some comfort food that wasn’t as heavy as some of the things that we make during winter. We made this with crab claw meat, but you could easily substitute with lobster or a combination of other seafood. It is pretty simple to make and is quite delicious. Pairing it with a simple salad made it a perfect and easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Flour
2 cups Milk
1 pinch Fresh Nutmeg
3 oz Fresh Spinach – cleaned, stemmed, and chiffonade
4 oz Parmesan Cheese – grated
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1 tsp Garlic – minced
8 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – sliced
1 lb Crabmeat – shells removed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lasagna Sheets (we used the ready to bake lasagna sheets or cook to package directions)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, whisking for 2 minutes in order to make a rue. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue cooking for 4 to 6 minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add the spinach, crabmeat, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix well. Spray a 7″ by 11″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread some of the sauce mixture across the bottom of the pan and then add a layer of noodles. Spread the sauce across the noodles, then add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles and repeat 2 more times. Add the rest of the parmesan cheese across the final layer, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese starts to brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut and serve.