Sweet Brownie (Pumpkin) Bites

As I posted last week, I have been infatuated with all things mini recently. Case in point, this month's book club gathering on Friday up in Wilson, Wyoming. We were scheduled to discuss Anthony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits, so I decided that I would make the opposite... delicious bites!

Of course, just like me, I was going to bring 2 different dishes, but I ran plum out of time once Friday rolled around (the other dish? Caprese bites with my own mozza cheese -- see the mini recipes post, linked above, for the link). As many ladies in the book club have New Year's resolutions to make healthier choices, I whipped up the Chocolate Strawberry Bites below - so simple! You'd need:

- Box of Cake or Brownie Mix

- 1 can of pumpkin (not pie filling!)

I was a little skeptical, but all you need to do is mix the pumpkin with any cake mix (both plain Chocolate and Spice options turned out great!) and bake -- no eggs, no oil. I found that adding 1/4 cup of water did make it a little easier to work with. The dough will be very thick. I put a spoonful in greased mini muffin tins (no papers) and baked according to the directions on the box. The end result was about 30 mini cakes! With a smear of whipped frosting (less calories) and a strawberry on top, I skewered a mini dessert that comes out to be less than 80 calories. You might consider other or more fruit - turning it into more of a dessert kebab! I wish I had picked up some mint leaves for these...

Next month's book club: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Centering around health care issues in Haiti at the turn of the century, I can only imagine that it will be a very thought-provoking read... 

Cinnamon Poached Pears

Using a modified Poached Pears in Vanilla Sauce Recipe from MyRecipes (originally in Cooking Light), I set out to enjoy the "fruits" of my labor - homemade vanilla extract! Substituting the vanilla bean for about 2-3 tsp of vanilla extract, the end result was perfect for a wintery weekend evening - warm, sweet, and satisfying - but still relatively healthy for all you New Year's Resolutions folks!

[Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan;

bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.]

[Add vanilla...]

[and cinnamon. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.]

[Peel the pears, leaving stems intact.

Cut about 1/4-inch from the base of each pear so they will sit flat.]

[Add pears to sugar mixture. Because I was using only 2 pears - instead of the 4 in the recipe, my pears did not stand up in the saucepan--- they wouldn't have been covered enough by liquid otherwise.]

[Cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender.

Again, because my pears weren't standing, I rotated them about half way through and cooked them for a little while longer.]

[Remove pears with a slotted spoon. 

You can either chill or keep room temp.]

[Keep half of the sugar mixture and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Instead of the vanilla bean in the original recipe, I added a little more extract here.]

[Cook until slightly syrupy  - about 12 minutes. Chill or serve warm.]

[Pour syrup over pears. Voila!]

[You also couldn't go wrong with a little 

vanilla bean ice cream on the side...]

Homemade Vanilla is Ready!

It all started on October 17th with a dream and some vanilla beans. Introducing.... homemade vanilla extract! I've been thinking about the first recipe I'll use it in - I think I've settled on vanilla + cinnamon poached pears..... I'll report back!