Healthy(er) Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups oat bran
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk



Topping (optional)

- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions
- Cream apple sauce, sugar, pumpkin and eggs
- Add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk
- Pour into greased loaf pans
- Use a pastry cutter or two knives to mix topping ingredients until mixture forms small crumbs
- Top loaves with topping mixture
- Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

Yield: 2 loaves

Hints
- Don't over mix!
- You can substitute cooked squash, zucchini or mashed banana for pumpkin.
- You can also make this as muffins or in two 9x9 baking pans
- This is fat free, high fiber and (without the topping) has half the sugar of regular pumpkin bread.

Submitted by Amy

Butter Nut Squash Whole Wheat Pancakes

I somehow ended up with WAY more cooked butternut squash than we could eat at one meal.  I started thinking how sweet it is and how it has the same consistency as pumpkin puree.  Next I'm going to try substituting the squash in a pumpkin bread recipe because these pancakes turned out SO yummy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup cooked butternut squash
1 cup plus 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons brown sugar


Directions
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine squash, 1 cup buttermilk, eggs, oil and brown sugar.  Mix well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients.  Fold until just combined.  Do not over stir.
- If mixture is too think use the extra 1/2 cup of buttermilk to thin out batter.
- Pour 4" pancakes onto a medium-hot griddle or pan and cook until bubbles begin to rise to the surface.  Turn and cook until golden-brown.

Hints
- To get the 1 cup of butternut squash split a whole butternut squash down the middle and roast in a 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until soft all the way through.  Scoop out cooked squash and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- White flour may be used if it's all you have.
- Dark brown sugar gives these pancakes a better flavor than light brown sugar but use whatever you have on hand.

Submitted by Amy

Monkey Bread

There are many monkey bread recipes out there.  Here's the super easy one we use... it is loved SO much it's often referred to as Jesus In A Pan.

Ingredients
2 rolls refrigerated biscuit dough
1/3 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (mixed to your taste)
1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (for icing)
2-4 tablespoons milk (for icing)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Arrange biscuits in a grid on a cutting board
- Use a pizza roller to cut biscuits in quarters
- Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Arrange half of cut biscuits in a single layer in casserole dish
- Use a pastry brush to coat biscuits with melted margarine
- Sprinkle 1/2 of cinnamon sugar mixture over biscuits
- Arrange remaining cut biscuits in a second layer in casserole dish
- Top with remaining butter and cinnamon sugar mixture
- Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes
- Serve warm with icing

To make icing
- Add vanilla to powdered sugar
- Add milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time until icing is of desired consistency

Hints
- You can use kitchen scissors to cut biscuits into quarters but using a pizza roller is fastest.
- After about 30 minutes check monkey bread every 2 minutes (turn on oven light, don't open oven door) and remove from oven when the top is golden brown.

Submitted by Amy
- Cook monkey bread in center of oven.  Too close to the top and it will brown but still be mushy in the middle.
- Do not use more than two layers of biscuit dough or it will not cook all the way through.  If you need more, make a second pan.

Baked French Toast with Berries

Ingredients
1 sm. 8-9 oz. day old loaf of French Bread

3 eggs

3 T sugar

1 t vanilla

2 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 T dark brown sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 cup blueberries

1 cup strawberries

Directions

- Diagonally cut bread into 1 inch slices and place in a well greased 9 X 13 dish.

- In a medium bowl lightly beat eggs, (white) sugar and vanilla.

- Stir in milk until well blended

- Pour over bread, turning pieces to coat well.

- Cover and refrigerate overnight.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter till crumbs form.

- Turn bread over. Scatter blueberries. Sprinkle crumbs over top

- Bake 40 minutes

- Serve with the strawberries

Submitted by Jan

Breakfast Egg Casserole

Ingredients

1 roll sausage (mild)

9 eggs

3 Cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

4 slices white bread cut into cubes

1 1/2 Cup sharp cheese grated

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350

- Use 9X13 baking dish

- Crumble and cook sausage. Drain well unto paper towels

- Beat eggs and milk together

- Add bread, cheese and sausage

- Pour mixture into baking dish

- Refrigerate overnight.

- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Bake10 more minutes uncovered

Serves 8 - 10

Submitted by Jan

Overnight Crème Brulee French Toast

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbs corn syrup
8 (1 inch thick) slices French bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour butter/sugar mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Remove crusts from bread, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, orange brandy, and salt.
- Pour egg mixture over the bread.
- Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the dish from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
- Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.

Submitted by Amy