Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

So while browsing one of the forums I frequent I found a contest for Fall/Halloween goodies. I could make a sweet or savory dish and of course I pounced on savory. I'm not 100% sure this is what I want to enter in the contest as I have something else in mind (chocolate pumpkin cake with dulche de leche!!). So for now these are my Plan B and will be served tomorrow at my job for our little Halloween celebration :)

The Pumpkin Whoopie Pie part was a recipe I found on Recipezaar posted by Mitra. I loved the adorable pumpkin faces and it got 5/5 stars and seemed like a fairly easy recipe. I added more pumpkin spice than what she called for, but that's just because I'm mildly obsessed with the stuff! These are EXTREMELY moist and delicious.

The Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from Martha Stewart. :) It is delicious and so much better than store-bought icing/frosting. I originally wanted to do some sort of sweet marshmallow fluff, but had none to throw into the mix. The icing wasn't overly sweet and did have that deliciously addicting cream cheese flavor. So if you're not big on cream cheese in general, this isn't the recipe for you! :P

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (i recommend about a 14-15oz. can)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Use a non-stick baking sheet or silicone mat
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet.
Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Whoopie Pie Filling

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.

Add cream cheese and beat until well combined.

Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

enjoy and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Wordless Wednesday: Alaska

Peach Pie and Pie Pops

Now I'm not exactly why I decided to start baking at 10pm, but I made my first ever pie! I was really inspired when I came across these Pie Pops by scoochmaroo. I thought it was such a cute idea..who wouldn't love a little mini pie for that craving every now and then and then on top of that it was on a stick! Every thing's better on a stick, right *wink* ;)

I tried creating the little mini pies, I made probably around 10 and really got sick of the tedious process. I would've had to of had tons of dough, more than the recipe called for...so I decided that I was going to make one nice big juicy peach pie. Though I have to say they make a really good breakfast snack (though I'm sure the sugar in it all isn't great for you, it's not too overpowering). I kind of played with the recipe and cheated a little (store bought pie dough), so I encourage you to do the same! (Play with the recipe, not cheat!) :P

Peach Pie (Whole)

5 peaches

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. butter

1 box of ready made 9" pie crust (box must come with 2, or make your own pie crust)

1 egg

cinnamon, to taste

nutmeg, to taste

Bring pot of water to a boil and place peaches in for 5min. to cook. Immediately place them in ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps make peeling the peaches easier! Peel and chop peaches to whatever size you desire (I love big chunks in my pies). Toss with sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thoroughly coated. Place pie crust in pie tin or glassware and follow directions on box or recipe. Toss in the filling, place top pie crust and do some pretty slits in the center. Pinch edges together in a scalloped shape (I failed in this part, could of been sleep deprivation!) I added cinnamon and sugar to an egg and whipped it up and brushed it along the top of the pie. I then sprinkled the top with more cinnamon and sugar to give the dough some taste. Bake at 375o for 30 minutes or until your pie crust is deliciously golden brown!

Pie Pops (exactly how scoochmaroo posted)

2 fresh peaches
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Fresh nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Two pie crusts
Lollipop sticks

1 egg

To peel peaches (and accelerate cooking), bring a pot of water to a boil.Add peaches and boil for 5 minutes. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and immerse immediately in ice water. Now your peaches will peel easily! Peel, pit and finely chop peaches. Cut together flour, butter and sugar. To the peaches, add dry ingredients. Stir to coat. Season with fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon!

Cover your workspace with plastic wrap or a fine dusting of flour or cornstarch. Roll out pie crusts as thinly as possible - otherwise you'll be eating a mouthful of crust! Cut with a circle cutter or something similar - I used the lid off of a small jar. Gently press sticks into crust. For added security, you can use a scrap of crust to cover the stick. Add a small dollop of filling to the center. Cover with another circle of dough, and press edges together securely. Using the end of a lollipop stick or a fork, crimp the edges.

Transfer pops to a baking sheet. Mine is covered with a silicone sheet. Brush beaten egg white onto crusts. Cover the sticks with foil to prevent burning.Bake at 375o for 15 minutes. Pops are done when they are golden brown!

Cuban Mojo Grilled Pork

Or broiled in our case since we haven't got around to buying a grill :) money is rather tight around here. This is another delicious recipe I got from Slim Fast. If you know of any other websites or blogs I should visit for low-calorie dinners please don't hesitate to throw me that way! I need as many options as possible. :) My next goal is to order one (or all!) of Hungry Girl's cook books. I've really got my eyes set on 200 Recipes under 200 Calories. Their website is stuffed to the brim of good healthy food. They take fast food options and turn them into HEALTHY options. Go check it out!

Now back to the meal, hehe. This was awesome even though it was broiled and not grilled. It had a nice little kick to it with the jalapeno in the glaze, but not so strong that I couldn't bare.

Cuban Mojo Grilled Pork

2 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

4 pork chops, boneless

Chop cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno (remove ribs and seed first). In medium bowl combine all ingredients except chops. Season chops with salt and pepper if desired, then brush with mayo mixture. Grill or broil chops, turn and coat often with mayo mixture until chops are done.

Stir-Fried Ginger Pork with Asian Green Beans and Classic Rice Pilaf

Now I'm the kind of person that if I had to choose one meat to live off of for the rest of my life it wouldn't be pork, it'd definitely be chicken. B'gawk! Hehe. This meal though, it sways me ever so slightly to the pork side. Haha, it's like going to the dark side, but tastier! It's a filling and comforting meal and it really is a belly pleaser. Nothing is more enjoyable than to listen to people's "mm's" as they chew their way through their plate of food. The contented sighs of full bellies....oh it's just fabulous! Try this, the whole meal is only 440 calories per serving!


Stir-Fried Ginger Pork

2 tablespoons of soy sauce, low sodium
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1lb. pork tenderloin, raw


Finely chop garlic. Cut pork into thin strips (about 1/2"). In medium bowl blend soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger. In non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown pork. Add garlic mixture and cook for 7 minutes or until pork is thoroughly cooked.



Asian Green Beans

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1lb. whole fresh green beans
3 tablespoons Lawry's Marinade Teriyaki with Pineapple Juice
1/4 dry cup chow mein noodles


Finely chop garlic. In non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook garlic 30 seconds. Add green beans and marinade and cook 10 minutes or until beans are tender. To serve, top with chow mein noodles.



Classic Rice Pilaf

2 teaspoons of butter
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/3 cup white onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium
1 teaspoon of parsley, fresh, chopped


In 2-quart saucepan melt butter over medium high-heat and cook rice, onion, pepper, and thyme for 4 minutes or until rice is golden. Stir in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and then stir in parsley.

Tasty Turkey Burgers

Nothing is better than homemade burgers, mm. My stomach is growling and I think these sound fantastic again for dinner. I get a lot of mixed feedback for turkey used in burgers. My opinion? What's wrong with it? It's delicious and it's healthier for you! :) This is a simpler version of what the boy and I normally eat. We have it at least once a week...or twice with leftovers :P



Tasty Turkey Burgers


1lb. ground turkey
3 tablespoons of green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder w/ parsley (Lawry makes this, or just use garlic powder.)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red onion, medium sized. (I use only about half, but if you love em' pile em' on!)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 pieces of American cheese, low-fat.
4 whole wheat hamburger buns


Cut onion into slices. In large bowl combine turkey, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper; shape into 4 patties. Evenly brush onion with olive oil. Grill or broil burgers and onions until burgers are to desired done-ness and onions are tender. Top burgers with cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Top with onions and enjoy!

Mesquite Chicken and Veggie Pouches

Now this just doesn't seem like diet food at all! This meal was so easy to do, I really love "pouch" meals where i can throw it all together and forget about it. Isn't that a quote from some infomercial? :P There's tons of flavor in this dish and the colors are vibrant and appetizing. What else? The entire meal, including the carrots is only 420 calories and you feel FULL. Most dieters don't know what "full" is, hehe. I hope you try it! It's not spicy for those who may be afraid of it. I think pepperoni on my pizza is too spicy LOL so this is a-OK for me. :) I even included the carrot recipe for you.

Mesquite Chicken and Veggie Pouches

1/4 cup Lawry's Marinade with Lime Juice

1lb. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 onion, yellow

1 bell pepper, red

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of cilantro, fresh

2 cups of rice, cooked (I use brown as it's better for you, but feel free to use whatever you'd like!)

Pre-heat oven to 425°. Cut chicken into 1/2" cubes. Chop onion and pepper (I threw mine into the food processor for little bits, but you can keep them 1/4"in. to 1/2"in. if you so desire). In large bowl toss chicken with marinade, beans, red pepper, and onion. on four 12 x 18" of heavy-duty aluminum foil, evenly divide mixture. Wrap foil loosely around chicken and seal the edges with a double fold. On baking sheet, arrange pouches seam side up. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot rice.

Maple-Dijon Baby Carrots

1 bag of baby carrots (approx. 1lb.)

1 tablespoon of butter

1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons of syrup, maple

In medium saucepan, add carrots and enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high-heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. In the same saucepan toss carrots with remaining ingredients.