Mini Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pies - Recipe!

Pumpkin is huge around the Holidays - you can have virtually anything pumpkin spiced, from Lattes to Donuts.. but I decided to make mini pumpkin pies with maple pecans on top.

Absolutely amazing.

Okay, so I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I did very, very little with this 'recipe'.

There is the traditional, long way to make pumpkin pie or there is my way.

I'm posting this more for the love of pumpkin pie rather than the actual recipe. So, forgive me if you're here to learn to make Pumpkin pie from scratch because you won't learn 'the full recipe' from me.

Basically, what I did with this recipe was bought pre-made pie shells (mini sized ones) and cans of pumpkin that was already puréed. (The only reason it was done this way, was to save a lot of time! The café can get extremely busy during Holiday season)

**RECIPE**

(To make 12-16 mini pies)
2 cups of Pumpkin Purée (canned)
1 cup of double cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
(You can use cloves - I prefer not to - if you do, add 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp lemon zest
12 - 16 mini pie shells
12 - 16 Pecans
Maple Syrup


**DIRECTIONS**

Preheat oven to 425F
Beat eggs in a large bowl
Mix in sugars, salt, spices and lemon zest
Mix in pumpkin purée
Stir in cream
Mix together well until smooth

Pour filling into uncooked pie shells

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes

(While your pies are cooking - mix maple syrup and pecans together in a plastic container, ensure pecans are fully covered in syrup)

After 15 minutes, lower temperature to 350F

Remove pies from oven and place maple covered pecans on top

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes more

Use a knife or skewer to check the middle of the pie

If it comes out clean, your pies are ready.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for about 1.5 - 2 hours

(Your pies will be slightly puffed up when you remove them from the oven - this is normal - they will reduce after they've started to cool) 

Enjoy!

New Recipe Book!

So, I love recipe books. I'm always searching for the newest recipe books, with the best recipes.

I like to buy new recipe books every few months to keep up to date with the best food.

The newest recipe book I've bought is no exception.

My dream is to one day write my own recipe book. 

So, I was googling new books and I came across the new Paleo Recipe Book. I did a lot of research on it, to see how good it was. I don't want something that I've possibly already bought another version of. I was nicely surprised. This book has the best recipes I've seen in a long time.

Now, if you're anything like me and you absolutely love trying new food, creating dishes and feeding friends and family, you will LOVE this book.

I bought it and I've made a few different recipes from it so far (I haven't taken photos but I will!) and they were delicious. My favourite is the avocado bacon omelette. I love avocado. I love bacon. Win win!

I also love a good discount - so when I bought this book I had a discount code to give me a percentage off the price. I got €5.90 off the total price. Happy days!


I will be sharing links to different recipe books so you guys can join in on the fun, buy the books I'm buying and enjoy the food I'm trying.

This one is a must-have.

If you're deciding on buying this book - it may already have the discount code attached.
If not, this is the discount code/coupon you should use: holidaysale

New Paleo Recipe Book. 

You will NOT be disappointed. I promise.


I also want your feedback - let me know how you get on with the recipes and I will do the same.

Keep an eye out!


Bon Appetite.

Christmas time - Did you eat as much as I did?

Let's be honest - we all eat wayyyy too much at Christmas time and I am absolutely no exception.
I spent Christmas day eating, drinking and lazing around the house in my new pjs (and santa slippers.. yes, I'm in love with them)

So, my day started off pretty crappy - I was late getting out of bed. I'm usually the first one up on Christmas morning, jumping up and down like a 4 year old waiting on everyone else to move their bums so we can see what Santa left under the tree. Not this year.

I woke at 10.15 - for the first time in my life. I was shocked. I almost fell out of my bed.

Now, I don't know how your family does it but we choose a different family member every year and we all congregate there on Christmas afternoon, eat some nice nibbles, exchange gifts and spend quality time together. Well, much to my dismay, our ETA was supposedly 12pm - what?
Since when?! (T&T has plans elsewhere and had to leave at 2pm, which meant we all had to arrive early. Boo!)

That was not going to give me enough to time get ready, eat breakfast, open presents, and get to their house. I panicked. This meant that I could only eat toast for breakfast. Toast on the go, I might add.

Tradition in my house is usually a fry-up, juice, toast and then a cuppa to finish it all off nicely. That was not happening this year. Mostly my fault. Why did nobody wake me up?

Anyway, after we got home, the dinner was started and I made a little stop off at another family members house. Much to my delight, there was a cold bottle of Blossom Hill on the table.
No prizes for guessing what I had before dinner.

There was a delightful home-made trifle up for grabs too but I didn't want to spoil what I knew was coming as soon as I got home.

Turkey, Ham, Potatoes, Croquettes, Mushy Peas, Brussel Sprouts (Yes, I do actually like them), Carrots, Home-made Stuffing (thanks Liam!), Cranberry Sauce and Mint jelly.

My mouth was watering before it even got to the table. Christmas dinner is the one dinner of the year that I absolutely cannot WAIT to dig my claws into.

I was stuffed.  No room for seconds, for me.

I relaxed for a while. There was no chance of eating any dessert any time before 7pm.

A cold can of Canadian and some roses. That'll do the trick for now.

We had banoffee pie for dessert and my goodness, it was divine. Not home-made, unfortunately.
I just didn't have the time. Although, it was good enough.

More beer and a couple of chocolate fingers (Cadbury, of course) and I was done.

I pretty much rolled into bed, barely able to move from all I'd eaten but it was worth it.

I've already started to plan next years Christmas dinner (I'm crazy, I know) but this one will involve some home-made desserts.


I'm curious, does anybody else eat as much on Christmas? Or was that just me?

*Hic*





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Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes (recipe)

These absolutely adorable Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes are a creation that my main chick & I came up with, on pancake Thursday. Yes, I said Thursday.

Now, we all know that it's pancake Tuesday but unfortunately for my main chick & I, we were both working on pancake Tuesday and didn't get a chance to make them until two days later.

This, my darlings, was the result. Beautifully crafted banana chocolate chip pancakes, which were an absolute delight to devour.

I can tell you now, I didn't leave so much as a crumb on the plate. They were awesome.

So, I feel like I should share this delightful recipe with you.


**RECIPE**

This recipe makes 4 large pancakes
adjust your supplies according the how many pancakes you wish to devour (and share..of course!)

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 tbsp of sugar

2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 1/4 cups of milk

1/2 cup of banana, mashed gently

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp of vanilla essence

1/2 cup of chocolate chips, divided

Maple Syrup to drizzle


**DIRECTIONS**

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.

After mixing well, stir in milk, banana, egg and vanilla.

Fold in 1/4 cup of Chocolate chips.

Heat a pan on a medium heat with a spray of oil.
(Don't have the pan up too high, you may burn the pancakes!)

Pour batter onto pan making 3 inch rounds, roughly.

Cook for roughly two minutes or until the top starts to bubble.

Flip pancake and cook for another minute or until the pancake turns golden.

Prepare remaining pancake batter as above, adding more spray if needed.

Place on plate, sprinkle with chocolate chips and drizzle with maple syrup. 


Enjoy!! 

Johnnie Cupcakes - TDF.

A little birthday gift for me - these bad boys were amazing! 

I've never had a Johnnie Cupcakes before, I'll most definitely be having one again.

There were Oreo, Reece's Cups and Red Velvet.

My absolute favourite was the red velvet cupcake.

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH.

Bite-sized Strawberry Cheesecakes

Bite-sized Strawberry Cheesecakes - Simple & Delicious!