Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Biting into this cake signifies all of the things we love about the changing seasons. Warm notes of fall spices pleasantly mix with sweet chocolate and rich brown butter frosting. This recipe highlights pumpkin in a cake that can be served both after dinner or alongside your morning coffee.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 12 pieces

Biting into this cake signifies all of the things we love about the changing seasons. Warm notes of fall spices pleasantly mix with sweet chocolate and rich brown butter frosting. This recipe highlights pumpkin in a cake that can be served both after dinner or alongside your morning coffee.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1-1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Brown Butter Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a stand mixer on medium-low speed, mix the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and pumpkin puree until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, and salt.

3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and continue to mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour the batter into a 10” x 10” ungreased baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the top or edges brown before the rest of the cake has baked, tent aluminum foil over the top. Cool on a cooling rack.

5. Make the frosting: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter turns a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the butter! Remove from heat and let the butter cool. In a stand mixer, mix together the cream cheese and the browned butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix. Gradually add the confectioners’, sugar continuing to mix until smooth.

6. Once the cake has completely cooled, generously spread the frosting over the top of the cake in a thick layer. Dust with cinnamon and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Doughnut Holes

Did someone say fresh, warm, doughnut holes? IN THIS ISSUE, we feature doughnut making tips and techniques! We love making these bite-sized treats at home because we can enjoy them by the handful and not feel guilty in front of anyone. Now you can too!

Sweet Potato and Cardamom Doughnut Holes
Makes about 30 doughnut holes

Did someone say fresh, warm, doughnut holes? These lovely morsels feature warm, autumn spices including allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom. And, since they are made with sweet potatoes, they’re almost healthy, right? We love making these bite-sized treats at home because we can enjoy them by the handful and not feel guilty in front of anyone. Now you can too!

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sweet potato, cooked and pureed (roughly 1 small sweet potato)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups canola oil for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar (or powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, cardamom, and salt. Whisk the ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles a crumb-like mixture.

2. Add the buttermilk, mashed sweet potato, and vanilla, Fold the dough together until all the ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky to the touch.

3. Scoop out pieces of the dough and roll them into balls roughly 1-1/2" in diameter. Set aside.

4. in a separate, shallow dish, stir together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

5. Add the oil to a medium-sized saucepan and warm the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Drop the doughnut holes in about 6 at a time.

6. Fry the doughnut holes, very carefully, for about 3-4 minutes, occasionally turning them in the oil to ensure all sides are getting cooked and browning evenly.

7. Use a slotted spoon, skimmer, or spider to transfer the doughnut holes to a paper towel-lined plate. After cooling the doughnuts for about 30 seconds, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mix until they are fully covered. Enjoy immediately!

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Fresh, ripe blueberries and peaches are truly one of the best parts of summer. The window is short; enjoy both in as many ways as you can! Definitely include this cobbler on your culinary bucket list a couple of times before the season is over. There are many types of cobbler - some cake-like, others with a more biscuit-like character. This time around, we’re featuring a fabulous biscuit-type topping. Slightly sweetened biscuits bake atop a pan of bubbling fruit. The only thing left to do is scoop your favorite vanilla ice cream on top!

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
Serves 4 - 6

Fresh, ripe blueberries and peaches are truly one of the best parts of summer. The window is short; enjoy both in as many ways as you can! Definitely include this cobbler on your culinary bucket list a couple of times before the season is over. There are many types of cobbler – some cake-like, others with a more biscuit-like character. This time around, we’re featuring a fabulous biscuit-type topping. Slightly sweetened biscuits bake atop a pan of bubbling fruit. The only thing left to do is scoop your favorite vanilla ice cream on top!

Filling:
6 peaches, pitted, peeled, sliced
2 cups blueberries, washed and destemmed
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Biscuit Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1/4 cup extra)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, diced into
1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup milk (plus 2-3 tbsp more)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Serve with:
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a ceramic baking dish (about a 2-quart capacity) by lightly buttering.

2. Prepare the filling. Prepare the peaches by peeling, pitting, and slicing into thin, crescent-shaped slices.

3. In a large bowl, add the blueberries to the peach slices. Sprinkle with the white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until combined.

4. Place the peaches and blueberries in the prepared baking dish and place in the oven for 20 minutes to jumpstart the baking process.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the biscuit topping. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to evenly combine the ingredients.

6. Add half of the diced butter to the flour mixture and combine well with a pastry blender or fork. Add the remaining diced butter and continue to blend leaving pea-sized pieces of butter.

7. Add the vanilla extract to the milk. Add the milk mixture to the flour-butter mixture, and stir together until a rough dough is formed. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and gather the dough together. Knead 2-3 times to form a dough ball. Flatten the dough ball to about a 1/2-inch thickness.

8. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut circles of dough.

9. Place the biscuits on top of the hot fruit in the baking dish. Brush the tops of each dough piece with melted butter. Extra biscuit dough? Simply bake in the oven on a baking sheet until golden brown.

10. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar-cinnamon topping. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the entire dish.

11. Continue baking in a 425°F oven until the biscuit dough is cooked through and the tops nicely golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

12. Serve warm (not hot) with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Make Your Own Summer Blueberry Hand Pies

SUMMER BLUEBERRIES burst with a flavor that only happens when truly in season. One of our favorite ways to celebrate these little nutritional powerhouses is to place them in hand pies. The berries’ diminutive size fit neatly into petite packets, which highlight the rich cream cheese-based crust — a truly mouth-watering match!

Sweet Endings! Three Summer Fruit Pies

Pies, galettes, and crostatas, oh my! Celebrate summer fruit with a beautiful baked delight. IN THIS ISSUE, we acquaint you with some of our very favorite fresh fruit desserts. We include three delicious recipes that provide a sweet finish to any summer occasion.

A Seasonal Treat! Sweet Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake

One of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh strawberries is as strawberry shortcake -- the biscuit kind, not the cake kind. We grew up with this treat, so its seasonal comeback revives all kinds of wonderful memories in addition to all the great tastes! In this recipe, chopped strawberries are added to the biscuit dough, which makes the biscuits sweeter, and the biscuit color a lovely shade of pink! 

Fresh Cream Puffs with Berry Filling

Expanding your repertoire of kitchen skills these days? Add cream puffs to your list of culinary mastery while celebrating the return of fresh berries. The light, delicate, cream puffs with sweet berry filling are perfect for Mother’s Day, too! This recipe starts with a classic French pâte à choux and finishes things off with bright, jammy berries, and homemade whipped cream. 

For the Love of Chocolate! Our Best Brownies

Love appears in our lives in many ways every day of the year, but it's fun to acknowledge and celebrate our affections with a day dedicated to those that are special in our lives. Some mark the occasion with cards or flowers, however, we think homemade sweets say it best! IN THIS ISSUE, we're celebrating with Classic Cocoa Brownies, our Best Ever Blondies (which are loaded up with goodies!), and Walnut Brownie Cupcakes. Let's get baking!

Make Holiday Gifts from your Kitchen!

We think giving is just as fun as receiving, and tis' the season for giving abundantly!

IN THIS ISSUE, we're sharing a few simple gifts from the kitchen that you can make in one evening and give throughout the holiday season. Enjoy making and gifting these recipes: Gingersnap Cookie Butter, Peppermint Bark, and/or Easy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge.

Save Room for Pie! Thanksgiving Classics with a Twist

Happy Thanksgiving! This special holiday is centered around gratefulness, family, friends, and of course delicious food! IN THIS ISSUE, we offer a few tips for mastering the most important part of the dinner - the pie! In this season of thanks, we'd like to extend our gratitude to you for your loyalty and for being the most important part of our business!

Baking Better Quick Breads

Happy Cooking! Kathy Magaluk and all of us at Acorn Farm

A Bounty of Blueberries

Happy Cooking! Kathy Magaluk and all of us at Acorn Farm

May 9, 2019 - Crepes for Mom

Happy Cooking! Kathy Magaluk and all of us at Acorn Farm