Pumpkin Pancakes

Perfect for an autumn breakfast treat, the pumpkin flavor in these is brought out by pancake syrup. Add a dollop of whipped cream for a special treat!

yield: 8 pancakes

1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
almost 1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour through ginger, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk, egg, and pumpkin, stirring well with a whisk until combined.
2. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a griddle at medium-high heat. Cook pancakes 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles form in the batter and steam starts to rise, then flip pancakes and cook for 1-2 minutes. If you are unsure if they're done, you can poke the pancakes with a sharp knife to see if it comes out clean.

***If you like chocolate chips in your pancakes, sprinkle about a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips into each pancake after you've poured 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle.***

Chocolate Biscotti

Crunchy, crumbly, and oh-so-chocolaty, these biscotti are perfect for dunking in coffee or hot chocolate.

yield: 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour through salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine vanilla, eggs, and egg white in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir until well blended. Divide dough in half. Turn dough out onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. With floured hands, shape each dough half into a 12-inch-long roll; pat to 1/2-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each roll diagonally into 12 1/2-inch thick slices. Carefully stand slices upright on baking sheet. Bake biscotti 15 more minutes or until almost firm. Remove biscotti from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

Chili Enchiladas

yield: 6 servings (2 enchiladas)

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-0z can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 12-oz bag frozen soy crumbles, thawed, or 12 oz ground beef
3/4 cup salsa
1/3 cup (3 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 10-oz can enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in cumin through soy crumbles/ground beef; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in salsa; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add cream cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup black bean mixture down center of each tortilla and roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down, in dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

yield: 8 servings

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups chopped peeled peaches
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar through salt in a large bowl. Add peaches, blueberries, and lemon juice, stirring gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.
3. While filling bakes, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just until moist.
4. Remove dish from oven; drop dough onto peach/blueberry mixture to form 8 rounds. Sprinkle dough evenly with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Pumpkin Spice Cake Cookies

Moist and light, these cookies are similar in taste to pumpkin bread but have the texture of cake.

yield: 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned or puréed pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
dash of ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine four through salt in a small bowl; stir well.
3. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter; beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin; mix again until well combined. Add milk, vanilla, and egg whites; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture; stir until combined.
4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until almost firm. Cool on pans 1 minute; transfer to wire rack; cool completely.
5. To prepare the glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon; stir well with a whisk. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze. Return the cookies to wire racks and let the glaze set.

Michelle's Fantabulous Smoothie

I am a smoothie connoisseur. I love them. I love the fruit and the juice, blended together to create something that tastes delicious and is refreshing and...smooth. However, in all my years of trying smoothies at various places, I have yet to find one that tastes as good as my own. So, it is after much deliberation and consideration that I bequeath unto you all my favorite way to eat summer fruit.

yield: 1 serving

1/2 banana, sliced
1 peach, skinned
1/4 cup blueberries
4 strawberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1. Place all ingredients in a blender; blend. Drink. Ahh.

**These fruits can be modified to suit one's taste; i.e., you can, if you prefer, experiment with raspberries, blackberries, nectarines, etc. However, I personally think that other berries have too many seeds. Cherries, however, are wonderful in this. The banana and yogurt are crucial, the orange juice helps it not be too thick or too sweet. The recipe is best if at least one of the berries is frozen, because that makes the drink cooler and more refreshing. Enjoy!**

Flaxseed Honey Cakes

Sweeter than regular pancakes, these will need less syrup than "regular" pancakes. They pack added nutrition from the flax seed and whole wheat flour too!

yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp flax seed
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp honey

1. In medium bowl combine flours through salt; stir with a whisk. Add egg, buttermilk, oil, and honey, stirring until combined well.
2. Pour batter in 3-inch circles on a griddle over medium heat. Cook until small bubbles form near the center of the pancakes; flip. Cook until pancakes are rising and poofy. Remove from griddle and repeat with remaining batter. Top with syrup and enjoy!

**WARNING**
The honey in the pancakes make them burn more easily than regular pancake batter. Have patience and turn the burner to a lower temperature than you usually would when making pancakes. With regular pancakes I usually set mine to "7" or "8"...with these even at "5" I had a difficult time not burning them.