Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Since we started carrying Pumpkin Butter from American Spoon, it has been flying off the shelf! It's not surprising, this stuff is delicious. And these pumpkin butter cinnamon rolls are equally as addictive. Store bought puff pastry makes this recipe super easy for the hectic holidays ahead. They will definitely become a permanent fixture at family gatherings.

1 sheet puff pastry
1/4 cup American Spoon Pumpkin Butter
3 tablespoons cinnamon chips

For cream cheese frosting: 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
4 oz Lucky Layla Golden Butter, room temp
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Unfold thawed puff pastry dough. Spread pumpkin butter over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon chips. Roll up and cut crosswise into 9 rolls. Place rolls on a cookie sheet and bake about 25 minutes until puffy and golden. Spread cream cheese frosting on and serve warm.

Tempura Pickles

The last time I made fried pickles, they were so popular, I decided to re-visit this illustrious, salty treat. My "classic" fried pickle recipe post has 176 views to date, but who's counting? And I thought my mom was the only one reading my recipes.

I just can't believe I didn't think of tempura pickles sooner! I used Pogue Mahone's Ginger Habanero pickle chips and Sapporo for the tempura batter. Serve with sriracha + ranch = srirancha. The use of this condiment in our house borders on obsessive.

1 1/4 cup flour
12 oz light beer
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 oz jar Pogue Mahone Ginger Habanero Pickles
Canola oil

Directions:
Pour oil in a large heavy pot to a depth of at least 2", heat to 375. While oil comes to temp, prepare batter: whisk flour, salt and beer until smooth. Pat pickle chips dry with a paper towel. Working in batches, coat pickles in batter and fry until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Serve after pickles have cooled for a bit, as they will be very hot coming out of the oil and then you'll burn the roof of your mouth and your weekend will be ruined.

Bourbon Cajeta Toffee

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me some homemade toffee? Hopefully I can redeem my inability to rhyme with this salty, sweet treat... We have some new, fancy chocolates just in time for holiday baking and candy making.

20 Saltine crackers with sea salt (or enough to line your pan)
1 8 oz jar Blue Heron Farm Bourbon Cajeta
2 cups TCHO baking drops (milk or dark)
1/2 cup chopped Pecan Shop Natives: Family Recipe

Directions:
Heat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet (with at least a 1/2 inch rim) with parchment paper. In this order: line TCHO drops in a single layer, then saltine crackers in a single layer, then pour cajeta over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely. Bake for about 5 minutes, until bubbly (keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't boil over, because that makes a terrible mess). Remove from oven and layer TCHO drops over the top and let sit a couple of minutes to melt, then spread it evenly, top with Texas pecans. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour before cutting and serving.

Twice Baked Butternut Squash filled with Bacon Ricotta

Ricotta has long been confined to traditional roles in the kitchen: baked into layers of pasta or cheesecakes. But these days ricotta is being used in sweet and savory applications, in unlikely places: dolloped onto grilled bread and pizzas or whisked into sweet pancake batter. Bellwether Farms Basket Ricotta is rich and versatile. When I have this beautiful product in my fridge, the problem is deciding what to do with it.

3 small Butternut squashes, cut in half and seeds removed
1/2 lb bacon
12 oz Bellwether Basket Ricotta
1 egg

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Cook bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or until desired crispness. Prepare squash while bacon is cooking. Remove bacon from oven, drain on a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Use the bacon grease to rub the insides of the squash (gives the squash a nice smokey, bacon-y bite). Bake squash for 30 minutes, cut side up. Meanwhile, prepare bacon ricotta filling. Chop cooked bacon and combine with ricotta, egg, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper. Fill squash halves and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Turn oven to broil the last 5 minutes to get the ricotta filling golden brown. Serve with a simple Arugula salad.

*Serves 6

Marieke Smoked Gouda Turkey Burgers

Football and Fall is upon us, therefore grilling on Sunday is mandatory. Marieke Smoked Gouda holds up very well in these turkey burgers. By cubing the cheese, rather than grating, you get big gooey melty bites. I served these with a kale and butternut squash hash, so I didn't feel the need to add any veggies to the burger... sometimes a burger just needs to be naked. May induce food coma and/or saying explicit words out loud.

Burger Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
4 healthy dashes of Worcestershire sauce
8 oz Marieke Smoked Gouda, 1/4 inch cubes

4 whole wheat buns
Lucky Layla Butter, room temp

*Yields 4 burgers

Directions:
Combine burger ingredients in a large bowl, mashing with your hands (you just gotta get in there). Form 4 patties. Make an indention with your thumb in the center of the patty to prevent burger bulge. Grill over medium high heat, about 10 minutes per side. Dress buns with butter and lightly toast on the grill. Assemble and serve with your favorite mustard.