Pasta and Dessert

The good thing I have to report is that even though it seems I only post every two weeks, I am posting.  I hope at some point to get back to posting several times a week, but as long as I've still got classes I'm not sure that will happen.

The excitement for the past two weeks?  Still working on purifying the sample that we've been working on which should finally be finished up before Thanksgiving.  My final project was due yesterday for the organizational behavior class I am taking, and I have a paper and two presentations left before the end of the semester.  All is crazy, crazy, but I suppose that's totally what I'm used to now.  Last weekend I had a "I'm over this nonsense" day and did some cooking.  Homemade tomato sauce from soil-less tomatoes I received from a dear friend, as well as some pumpkin whoopie pies.  Yum.

Now just how wonderfully awesome do those look.  Because Liam will not eat tomatoes raw, I needed to make them into something delicious so they wouldn't go bad.  I'd hate to have to throw them out if they didn't get used.

Easy easy sauce -- saute an onion and 4 cloves of garlic in a little olive oil - add in quartered tomatoes.  I added in everything that was in the top picture minus the green tomatoes.  I didn't think they would add much to the sauce.  Add a teaspoon or so of sugar, a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, and simmer for about an hour.  Whirl the sauce with an immersion blender, add some torn basil and server over pasta.  Delicious.

And finally, can't forget dessert ...

These I ended up taking with me to school and shared and they were proclaimed "perfect" and "best ever".  I'm now thinking of making more for the bake sale coming up - easy and impressive! 

Until next time :)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
(Modified from AllRecipes)

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 can pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together oil and brown sugar.  Add in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well.
3. Add in flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  Mix well.
4. Drop dough using a small cookie scoop onto parchment paper.
5. Bake approximately 12-13 minutes or until cookies are dry to the touch and no longer "raw".
6. Let cool.
7. To make filling: Beat cream cheese and butter until combined.  Add vanilla extract and mix.  Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat well until fluffy and holds together well.
8. Fill cookies with filling and sandwich together.
9. Store in the refrigerator.

Comments

[Gail]

The sauce sounds interesting. I'm sort of like Liam except with me I can't eat raw tomatoes anymore and I so love them!