Snickerdoodle Apple Bread

Now that it's officially fall, that means two things: apple picking and football!

It has become an annual tradition in our family to take a trip to Country Apple Orchard for a tractor ride out to pick apples. We eat to our heart's content and bring a giant bagful home to pack in school lunches and for baking. The best pairing with apple is cinnamon, of course, so this bread combines the best of both worlds!

And let's not forget to cheer on our favorite NFL team now that the football season is officially underway... Skol Vikings!

Snickerdoodle Apple Bread
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
Bread:
 1/2 tsp salt
 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
 1 cup light brown sugar
 1/4 cup granulated sugar
 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
 2 eggs, room temperature
 1 Tbsp vanilla
 1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)
 1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
   *can substitute any tart, firm baking apple
   *toss chopped apple with a little lemon juice to prevent browning

Topping:
 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Grease loaf pan with Crisco. Line pan with parchment paper (for easy removal) and spray with nonstick cooking spray (see photo below). Set aside.
3. Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
4. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, both sugars, and cinnamon for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth, again scraping sides as necessary.
5. Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture and milk in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Fold in apples and stir until just combined.
7. Mix together sugar and cinnamon for topping.
8. Pour 2/3 batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of topping. Layer with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining topping.
9. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until bread is set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift from pan, remove parchment, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
12. Store at room temperature for a few days or in refrigerator for longer.

Recipe adapted from Cookies & Cups.

Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles

Asian flavors are always a favorite at our house! Enjoy these delicious noodles as a vegetarian entree or serve them as a side dish. To transform this recipe into a complete meal, simply add cooked, shredded chicken breast and steamed, stir-fry vegetables!

Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles
Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients
8 oz package rice noodles
1 1/2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp pure sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, adds some heat!)

For garnish:
 4 green onions, sliced
 2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions
1. Cook and drain rice noodles according to package directions.
2. In small bowl, heat peanut butter in microwave for 15 seconds until melted. Add sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Whisk until well combined. (Peanut butter should completely break down to create a smooth sauce.)
3. Pour sauce over hot noodles. Toss to coat.
4. Top individual servings with 1 sliced green onion and 1/2 tsp sesame seeds. (For added crunch, try chopped peanuts!)

Recipe adapted from The Wholesome Dish.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This post is not so much a specific recipe as it is a flavor profile you can play around with to your liking!

While my husband and I were in Hawaii celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, he regularly ate a Mediterranean-style quinoa salad from the local ABC store. When we returned home to South Dakota, I did my best to recreate this dish that he enjoyed eating so much!

The finished product is a little bit different every time I make it because I just guesstimate the amount of each ingredient. Once the salad "looks" right, I do a taste test to make sure I like the balance of flavors and textures. Very scientific, I know! ;)

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
quinoa
sun dried tomatoes
artichoke hearts
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
feta cheese (crumbled)
pine nuts
sun dried tomato salad dressing (or other similar vinaigrette)

Directions
1. In medium-sized pot, combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until quinoa has absorbed all water. Remove from heat, cover pot, and let quinoa rest for 5-10 minutes. Uncover pot and fluff quinoa with fork. Put in refrigerator to cool completely.
2. While quinoa is cooling, drain sun dried tomatoes on paper towel to remove excess oil and then chop into smaller pieces. Drain water from artichoke hearts, slice into quarters, and then chop into smaller pieces. Drain liquid from chickpeas.
3. Toss all ingredients together in large serving bowl, starting with small amount of dressing and adding more to taste. (For reference, I used half jar of sun dried tomatoes, full can of artichoke hearts, half can of chickpeas, entire 4 oz container of crumbled feta cheese, and half bag of pine nuts.)
4. Salad is delicious served at room temperature and also stores well in refrigerator!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

My good friend gave birth to a baby boy in June, so I am headed over to her house tomorrow morning to meet her little bundle of joy! I've learned through the years that the best gift you can bring to a new mom, whether it's her first or fourth baby, is freshly baked, homemade treats. I selected this tried and true recipe from my collection because it pairs nicely with a warm, soothing cup of tea or coffee, the perfect pick-me-up for any mom!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Yield: 2 loaves (or 1 bundt cake)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 2 loaf pans with Crisco, line with parchment (fold extra over sides as shown in photo above), then grease with nonstick cooking spray. (If using bundt pan, grease with Crisco, then dust all sides with flour.) Set pan(s) aside.
2. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Pour into prepared pan(s).
3. Bake 70-80 minutes for loaf pans (80-90 minutes for bundt pan), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool in pan(s) 10 minutes. Gently lift loaves from pans using parchment folded over sides, remove & discard parchment, and place loaves on wire rack to cool completely. (For bundt pan, firmly tap pan on counter before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.)
5. Store at room temperature. Cake ages and freezes well!

Crispy Peanut Butter Toffee Truffles

Don't wait until the holidays to make this delicious treat! No-bake truffles are perfect for the summer when you don't want to turn on your oven and heat up the house. I made these for my husband's work potluck this evening and came home with an empty dish. I literally lost count of the number of people asking for the recipe... so here it is!

Crispy Peanut Butter Toffee Truffles
Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz package Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits
1 cup crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
16 oz package chocolate Candiquik
1/3 cup (from 8 oz package) Heath Bits o' Brickle Toffee Bits

Directions
1. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream peanut butter and butter.
2. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
3. Gently stir in entire package of milk chocolate toffee bits and cereal.
4. Refrigerate dough at least one hour (maybe longer) to reduce stickiness.
5. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1/2 Tbsp of dough into palm of hand and roll into ball. Place on lined pan.
6. Refrigerate rolled balls one hour (or more).
7. When ready to dip in chocolate, line second cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour plain toffee bits into small bowl. Melt Candiquik according to package directions. One at a time, coat entire ball in chocolate, place on lined pan, and quickly sprinkle with 1/4 tsp (or a pinch) of plain toffee bits from small bowl.
8. To help truffles retain their shape, store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Lemon Tree Dwelling.

Magic Cookie Bars

This classic dessert is transformed into a gluten free version of the original recipe by replacing the graham cracker crust with an almond flour base.

Magic Cookie Bars
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecan chips
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Stir together butter, almond flour, and both sugars until thoroughly combined. Press crust mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust in pan, followed by butterscotch chips, coconut, and pecans.
4. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
6. Cool completely in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars. Enjoy!