Lighter Pumpkin Pie

Summer ran away from me with many days spent in the sun and on the sand.  All the festivities of leisure summer days didn't leave much time for baking, though I did miss it. While things are still busy, the colder weather inevitably brings more time spent indoors and more opportunity to bake. So, finally, after a long hiatus, here's a new recipe. And nothing says fall like pumpkin!  Now you can enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie with a lot less guilt.

Most of the sugar calories come from the pre-made graham cracker crust. I'd had this one and wanted to use it, but normally I would have made my own crust with much less sugar. 

Lighter Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1.5 cups of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup (scant) organic raw turbinado sugar

1/4 cup (scant) light brown sugar, unpacked

2 T unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/4 c liquid egg substitute

1 t vanilla extract

3/4 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/8 t cloves

1 pre-made reduced fat graham cracker crust

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Using an electric mixer, combine butter and pumpkin.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.  Pour into crust.  Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts (based on 8 servings)

Calories:  192

Carbs: 27g

Fiber: 2.9g

Protein: 3.5g 

Stay healthy!

The 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Swap Reveal!

 

A few weeks ago, I was checking out a friend's blog where she talked about doing a "blog swap". I'd never heard of this before, but it sounded like fun, so I thought I would give it a shot. This is the first time I've participated in a blog swap, and it WAS a lot of fun! Many thanks to Becky for organizing! 

I was partnered up with Kate who I got to know a little better by reading her blog.  I'm not sure how she keeps up with her busy life, but she sent me a great fall package! Here is what she sent:

 

The picture quality is not that great (sorry!!) - I couldn't find a place that had enough light but not too much light (but I won't complain about the sunshine!). She sent cute little pumpkin salt and pepper shakers, an apple scented candle, a set of note cards with a bee embossed on them, a magnetic notepad and pen, a set of mini fall cookie cutters, a bag of candy corn (my fav!) and a Ghirardelli dark & caramel bar, which brings back so many great memories of my trip to San Francisco a few years ago. 

Thank you, Kate! I enjoyed doing this and hope to participate again in the future! 

Whole Grain Raisin Bread

What could be better than homemade bread, especially on a cold day? The smell alone conjures good memories and warm feelings. After making this recipe several times, I think I've finally tweaked the ingredients and amounts to produce the perfect loaf of bread. Most people tend to prefer white raisin bread, so this is a healthier twist on familiar comfort food. I've used some specialty flours that you may not have on hand, so I'm providing substitution options just in case. The time involved in this recipe is well worth the final product!


Ingredients
1 1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup oats
1/2 T yeast
1 T honey
3/4 cup warm water
1 egg
1/3 cup dry milk 
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/6 cup tapioca flour (or wheat)
1/2 cup spelt flour (or wheat or white)
1 1/2 cup white flour
2 T wheat germ (may omit)

Directions
1. Put raisins in a small sauce pan, cover with water, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir every now and then (this helps plump up the raisins). When draining raisins, reserve 1/4 cup of the water and add to the oats.
2.  Add the yeast and honey to the warm water and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg, dry milk, salt, cinnamon, wheat germ,yeast mixture, and wheat, tapioca, and spelt flours. Using the paddle attachment, mix for about 3 minutes.
4.  Add about half of the raisins and mix until just combined. Add white flour in increments while mixer is running. (You may need a little more or less than what I did depending on the humidity - the dough should be firm but sticky.)
5.  Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Add the remainder of the raisins. Using the dough hook, "knead" the bread for about 6 minutes.
6.  Spray a bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and turn to cover dough in spray. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour.
7.  Punch dough down and place into a 9 x 5 loaf pan (I use glass) sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover and let rise another 40 minutes.
8.  Bake bread at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

This bread tastes great fresh or will keep well for months in the freezer!

Nutrition (for 1 slice, based on 20 slices per loaf)
Calories: 116
Total Fat:  .7g
Carbs:  25g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 6.5g
Protein: 3.2g

 Eat healthy and homemade!