Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

To my sweet, understanding readers:
I'll still be posting for a while, but I just won't be visiting you as regularly as usual. I'm moving the middle of November (a local move) and it's going to be a stinker 'cause I've lived here 35 years! Just imagine the accumulation of "stuff" after all these years. So be patient with me. I'll try to visit everyone off and on.
A fun fall treat follows. Kind of a trick to it too. :)

                                                                          *********************************************
This recipe always seems to make the rounds every autumn. Have you seen it? It's been in my file forever; I never made it because I couldn't get my mind around the idea of using a cake mix. But if you can't believe Cathy at Noble Pig, who can you believe? She posted it years ago. If you've never tried it, trust me (and Cathy). It's really amazing, fast and everyone will think you spent the afternoon making it. The trick? Two ingredients. The treat part? Wait 'til you taste it!

Oh....and you might want to make extra glaze. Everyone will want to pour a little more over their slice as they eat it. It absolutely makes the cake.
I made it in a springform pan, but Cathy made it in a 7 x 11 x 2 inch rectangular pan. Whatever you want. Just adjust your baking time.....mine took a tad longer to cook. Be sure the cake tester comes out clean, but don't overbake.

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze
From Cathy at Noble Pig

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 Yellow Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree

For the Glaze:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons apple cider

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Method:

Empty the contents of the boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree into your mixing bowl. ( You can do this by hand, but it's easier with a mixer.) Mix well.  The batter will be thickish.

Pour into a greased  7" x 11" x 2" pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, turn out onto your serving plate. Or cut into squares and serve that way.

Method for the glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, apple cider and pumpkin pie spice.  Glaze should be thick but pourable.  Add more sugar or cider if needed.  Pour over the cake while still warm.  Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Apple Pie Ice Cream

You didn't really think I was through making ice cream, did you? Even if I lived in the north country, I'd be making ice cream year round, but here in Florida, it's still hot. At least I used apples, with fingers crossed the arrival of fall might cool our weather just a little.

This is an interesting recipe. I took a look at the ingredient list and got to the last item and said HUH? Snickerdoodles? In the ice cream? Well, it was worth as try. Let me preface this by saying I am NOT an apple pie lover; apple crisp? Definitely. Pie, not so much. But you know me...I'll try any kind of ice cream.
The house smelled divinely fragrant of fall while I was cooking the apples. After leaving the apples and base in the fridge overnight, I put the apples and half the base in the processor the next day. It resulted in an ice cream base that had a slight texture. Rather interesting, actually.
After I churned it, I added the snickerdoodles. Even more texture. (And no, I didn't make them myself because I wasn't certain until the end I'd even use them. I bought Pepperidge Farm snickerdoodles. I was amazed they made them!)
What the snickerdoodle addition seems to do is add a pie crust element to the ice cream. Sounds weird, I know. I crumbled them up pretty good, but when you eat the ice cream, they're there in the background. Not bad. Not bad at all.


Apple Pie Ice Cream
From the Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients for the Apples:
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the Ice Cream:
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1¾ cups heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped snickerdoodles

Method:
Cook the Apples: Combine the brown sugar and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbly, add the apples and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the Ice Cream Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, then whisk in 2½ tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt and remaining sugar over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium.

Ladle some of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat once more. Using a rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Set the bowl in an ice water bath and stir occasionally until cool. Cover and refrigerator overnight.

Churn the Ice Cream: When you’re ready to puree the ice cream, combine the cooked apples with the vanilla extract and half of the chilled custard base in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

Combine the pureed mixture and the remaining custard base in the bowl of your ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the chopped cookies during the last minute or so of churning, or fold them by hand when it has finished. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze.

Quiche Lorraine Scones

Well now. What can I say? Here's a scone chock full of all the scrumptious things people watching their calories shouldn't be eating! But once in a while.......
Quiche Lorraine has been a favorite in our family since we came upon the recipe in the original Gourmet Cookbook, first released in the early 60's in two volumes. (I still have them.)
But Quiche Lorraine in a scone? How would that work? Quite nicely, as it turns out. Many thanks to Katie at Good Life Eats! How would you serve these? Breakfast? Brunch? Lunch? Dinner with a salad? 

Quiche Lorraine Scones
From Good Life Eats

Ingredients:

2 cups + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
Dash nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, diced
½ cup half-and-half
2 eggs
4 ounces Swiss cheese, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
7 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the bacon, onion and cheese. Toss these ingredients together with 1 teaspoon flour; set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne, nutmeg and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the butter is pea-size. ( I did this step in my food processor) With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and half-and-half and add to the flour mixture. Add the bacon, onion and cheese mixture. Using a wooden spoon, fold mixture until it begins to come together.
Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for less than one minute. Pat dough to ¾ to 1-inch thick and cut using 3-inch biscuit cutter (for large scones) or cut into squares or triangles. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.