Holiday Inspiration Archives - Page 2 of 25

Cranberry Jello Salad

November 23, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

The bright, zesty flavors of raspberry, cranberry, and orange come together in this delicious cranberry jello salad. Fancy this side dish up by molding it in a bundt pan or jello mold or simply mix it up and serve it in a bowl. Either way, this cranberry jello is going to take the place of that boring old can of cranberry sauce on your holiday table.

beautiful cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish

Raspberry and cranberry are such a perfect pairing and this recipe is a cinch to put together. It takes just a few minutes to mix everything and pop it in the fridge. The bright flavors are so nice to cut the heaviness between bites of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Serve this easy jello dish with your candied yams and granny’s famous dinner rolls.

side view of beautiful cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish

What is Cranberry Jello Salad?

A jello side dish is a staple on the Thanksgiving table – and really, most holidays or group celebrations. This raspberry cranberry jello version makes a delicious stand in for cranberry sauce. We love the ease of using instant gelatin and the fancy convenience of the quintessential jello mold. If you’re interested in the history of jello salads, this read is super interesting!

More Recipes to Try

Chocolate Raspberry Crepes

Pistachio Pineapple Watergate Salad

Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

How to Use a Jello Mold:

If you’ve never used a jello mold before, it is so simple. Prepare the mold with non-stick cooking spray to make it super easy to release the jello from the mold.

Be sure that you’re using a mold that is the right size for the recipe. If you try to fill a mold that’s gigantic, the jello will fill only a small portion and won’t look beautiful when you remove the jello. The jello won’t expand in size during molding, so you don’t have to worry about filling a mold too full, but you don’t want any of your ingredients to go to waste either! This recipe calls for a 6-cup jello mold or bundt pan – this is the mold I used (affiliate link).

Follow the recipe instructions to allow the jello enough time to set properly. This recipe requires at least 4 hours – you can whip everything up a day or two in advance and your jello salad will be ready to plate at dinnertime!

Simply turn the jello mold/pan upside down, centered on your serving plate and the cranberry jello salad will slip out of the mold and onto the plate. Some of the additional ingredients may settle in the pan and prevent the jello from a perfect molded shape. No worries! Garnish the molded jello with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or orange zest and no one will notice a little imperfection here or there.

Ingredients:

fresh cranberries – these are so beautiful for garnish – you can also use frozen or skip altogether if cranberries aren’t available
walnuts – we love the bit of crunch and texture these add into the jello. My mom used to make two bowls of this cranberry jello – one with nuts and one without. If you don’t like walnuts, just leave them out!
Whole berry cranberry sauce – the whole cranberries in the canned sauce also add some texture. If you’d like to use fresh cranberry sauce, that works too!
raspberry gelatin – Instant gelatin makes this recipe so quick and easy to make.
orange zest – the burst of flavor from just a little orange zest adds so much punch to this jello.
sour cream – this adds a bit of creaminess and a bit of tartness as well.

How to Make Cranberry Jello Salad:

Step 1: Whisk together the boiling water and the raspberry gelatin until the gelatin dissolves.

Step 2: Stir in chopped walnuts, cranberry sauce, sour cream, and orange zest. Mix well.

Step 3: Pour jello into 6-cup mold or a serving bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Step 4: Flip over the jello mold to release the jello and garnish with zest, fresh cranberries, maybe even a couple orange slices. Serve!

4 photo collage of 1)whisk mixing jello in clear bowl 2)sour cream, orange zest, walnuts added to bowl 3) jello in bundt pan jello mold 4) molded cranberry jello salad garnished on serving platter

Didn’t this cranberry jello turn out just beautiful? Gorgeous and delicious are my two favorite things!

Cranberry Jello Salad

The bright, zesty flavors of raspberry, cranberry, and orange come together in this delicious cranberry jello salad.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry jello, cranberry jello salad, raspberry cranberry jello

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 4 hours

Servings:

Calories: 141kcal

Equipment

6-cup jello mold

Ingredients

3 oz. raspberry gelatin instant
1 1/2 cup boiling water
8 oz. whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped walnuts plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon orange zest plus more for garnish
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries for garnish

Instructions

Whisk together gelatin and boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Chill/cool until thick and syrupy for the most even distribution of the additional ingredients.
Stir in remaining ingredients and whisk to combine well.
Pour jello mixture into a greased 6-cup jello mold or bundt pan. Alternately, you can just pour it into a serving bowl and skip the mold altogether!
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow jello to set. (You can prepare in advance and chill for up to 2 days before serving).
Flip mold upside down on serving platter to release jello. Serve immediately garnished with fresh cranberries, more chopped walnuts, and orange zest.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

Cranberry jello will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

November 22, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Another staple on our Thanksgiving table, and the occasional Wednesday night, we looooove our candied yams with marshmallows in this house! Cooked yams are mashed with butter and maple syrup, and a few other yummy treats and then topped with a huge pile of mini marshmallows. Pop this casserole in the oven and make the kiddos’ eyes light up when you tell them to eat their vegetables.

closeup of gold spoon scooping candied yams with toasted marshmallows from white dish

This is my girls’ favorite dish of all for Thanksgiving. In fact, we love our candied yams so much, sometimes with have this marshmallow version and a second pan of yams with brown sugar pecan streusel. Whichever way you bake ’em, this staple dish goes hand in hand with our fancied up stovetop stuffing and mom’s cranberry jello salad.

closeup of candied yams with toasted marshmallows in white dish with scoop removed

What are Candied Yams?

When I think of candied yams, I often think of cut up chunks or slices of yam or sweet potato, mixed with sugar, butter, and spices, and then baked into a caramelized dish. For this version of candied yams, we’ve mashed microwave-cooked yams and then mixed them with maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter – achieving that caramelized/candied taste without the extra cooking. I also find our mashed version more palatable!

More Recipes to Try

Candy Apple Recipe

The Best Chocolate Cream Pie

German Oven Pancakes

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

How Do You Cook Yams in the Microwave?

Making baked potatoes and baked yams in the microwave is such a huge timesaver (and dish saver)! The skins do not crisp in the same way as when you bake the potatoes in the oven, but the inside tastes practically identical. Since we’re discarding the skins for this recipe, waste no time (or oven space) trying to cook these in the oven, and opt for this much quicker route.

For best results, choose yams that are similar in size. Be sure to prick the skins all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape while they’re cooking. If you don’t, the built up steam may cause the sweet potato to explode. No one has time to clean up that mess either!!

Arrange the yams in a spoke pattern in the microwave. This will ensure more even cooking. You can place them on a dish OR, for easier cleanup, just place them on a few layers of paper towel. They do seep some sticky juice while they’re cooking, so be sure those paper towels are ready to catch the drips.

Microwave for about 5 minutes to start and then add 2 minutes per additional yam. Turn the yams over halfway through cooking. You can also flip the end that faces in to the spoke pattern. Add 1-2 minutes of cook time more after the initial cooking until the yams are done. I usually squeeze the sides of the yam to tell when they’re done – they’re soft and squish easily. They are really hot at this point, though, so be careful. You can also pierce them with a fork – if the fork slides in easily, they are done.

Remove cooked yams from the microwave as they finish cooking. If you have a bit of a smaller one, it may finish cooking faster. Just pull that one out and continue cooking those that aren’t done yet.

If you have a microwave with a “baked potato” setting, go ahead and start there. It seems to do the job pretty accurately. Once your yams are cooked, allow them to cool just a little bit and then you’re ready to candy them and top them with marshmallows!

Ingredients for Candied Yams with Marshmallows:

3 yams/sweet potatoes – I love garnet yams! Do double check when you’re buying your yams that you’re choosing those with orange flesh. Some yams have white flesh – they don’t look quite as appetizing and those that I’ve tried aren’t quite as sweet or moist either.
Butter – we always use the real stuff! I use salted butter for almost everything – if you use unsalted butter, compensate by adding 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt. You can also use a butter substitute.
Maple syrup – mmmm, maple syrup adds so much flavor and also sweetness to our candied yams. If you’re lucky enough to have pure maple syrup from you last trip to Vermont (hahaha), this is the time break it out from the lock box and treat yourself! You can also use pure maple syrup from your local grocery store. If you prefer maple flavored corn syrup, you can use that too.
Vanilla extract – Like the maple syrup, the vanilla adds another layer of flavor and dimension to our candied yams.
Brown sugar – Most of the sweetness is going to come from the brown sugar in this recipe – you can adjust the amount and taste the yams while you’re mixing them to achieve the level of sweetness that you’d like. The brown sugar complements the bold flavor of the yams so well.
Heavy Cream – Just as you’d add milk or cream to your mashed potatoes, I like to add just a splash of heavy cream to this dish as well. It adds some creaminess and also breaks up the starches just a bit for a smoother bite. Milk or a milk substitute will work here also. Or skip it altogether, they’ll still be delicious!

ingredients for candied yams including maple syrup, brown sugar, yams on white plate, mini marshmallows, a pat of butter, heavy cream in jar, and vanilla extract with text overlay

How to Make Candied Yams with Marshmallows:

Step 1: Start by cooking the yams until they’re soft. I like to cook the yams whole, with skins intact, by cooking them in the microwave just like you’d cook a regular potato in the microwave.

Slice them in half and scoop out the flesh. Pile the cooked yams in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Now we’re going to add the “candy” part. Toss in all of the add-ins except for the marshmallows. The butter will melt down as you mix. Mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork. If you like your yams a little bit chunky, that’s just fine! Mash them down to your preferred consistency.

Step 3: Now spread the yams out in a baking dish – anything similar to a 9×13 will work. Use an oven safe dish. If you cooked your yams ahead of time and they were cool when you mixed in the add-ins, reheat or bake them for awhile before adding the marshmallows. You can also heat your yam mixture in the microwave before putting them in the oven. If you are making everything at once, they will be hot enough to just go straight to the marshmallow “top and toast.”

Step 4: Now, top your candied yams with mini marshmallows and pop it into the oven. Bake in the oven just long enough to toast your marshmallows. I

four photo collage of yams in bowl with brown sugar, mashed together, spread in white casserole dish, and covered in marshmallows

Yummmm! Try to pull those yams out of the oven right at meal time. They take only 15 minutes or so top brown the marshmallows. I usually pop them in the oven to toast as I’m making the turkey gravy. Then, we can eat the yams while the marshamallows are still all ooey gooey!

What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?

In America, the two names are frequently used interchangeably. They are almost always referencing sweet potatoes. Actual yams are a different root vegetables and are drier and much less sweet than sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be white, yellow/orange, and even purple! When we say candied yams here, we actually mean candied sweet potatoes. You can read more about the differences in this excellent article by Bon Apetit!

Can I skip the marshamallows?

Of course! The candied yams are super yummy on their own. You might also prefer a pecan streusel atop your candied yams.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook the yams up to three days in advance. Wrap cooked yams in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or scoop out the flesh and seal it in an airtight container. Reheat the yams in the microwave before adding in the “candy” to ensure that your dish is hot coming out of the oven the same time the marshmallows are toasted to perfection,

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

Yams candied with maple syrup and brown sugar and topped with gooey toasted marshmallows

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Holiday

Keyword: candied yams, candied yams with marshmallows, holiday side dishes, yams

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Cooling Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 275kcal

Ingredients

Yams

3 garnet yams medium
2 tbsp butter
1/8 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping

2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Wash yams thoroughly and poke on all sides with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking.
Arrange yams in a spoke pattern on several layers of paper towel in the microwave.
Cook on the "baked potato" setting or until yams are soft all the way through when poked with a fork.
Remove from microwave oven and allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.
Slice yams in half lengthwise and scoop out cooked contents with a spoon. Discard skins.
In a bowl, combine yams, butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and heavy cream. Mix well, mashing with a fork or potato masher until most lumps are smooth.
Spread yam mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish or similar casserole dish.
Sprinkle mini marshmallows evenly over the yams.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the marshmallows are toasted brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing

November 17, 2020 by girlinspired 2 Comments

The sides are my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner and this doctored up Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing might be my very favorite of all. Using the breadcrumbs and seasoning that come in the Stovetop stuffing box are super handy, while adding freshly sautéed vegetables and the giblets from your turkey make for a flavorful, delicious side dish.

Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing on white serving platter with salt and pepper shakers and bowl of cranberry sauce in background

This glorified stuffing is out of this world amazing. And it’s so easy to make because good ol’ Stovetop has done all the prep work for us! You can adjust the add-ins for your personal tastes, but using this recipe guarantees you’ll have a crowd pleaser to set on the Thanksgiving table with Granny’s homemade dinner rolls, cranberry jello salad, and creamy mashed potatoes.

Closeup of stovetop stuffing inside roasted turkey on white platter with greens and orange slices

What is Stovetop Stuffing?

Stovetop stuffing is a pre-made mixture of dried breadcrumbs and seasoning that you can cook up in just a few minutes on the stovetop by adding water and butter. A quick stir and simmer and you have fluffy, moist stuffing in minutes.

We like to use Stovetop stuffing as an easy side or to mix in with some of our other favorite, easy dinners, but for Thanksgiving, we like to spice it up a bit. Stovetop stuffing can also be stuffed into a chicken or turkey, which adds even more flavor and moisture.

More Recipes to Try

Candy Apple Recipe

The Best Chocolate Cream Pie

German Oven Pancakes

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

You can choose what kind of additions you’d like to make to doctor up your stuffing, but we typically start with celery and onions and saute them in some olive oil on the stovetop. We also use the giblets (heart and gizzard, but never the liver because we’re not fans), which add another level of flavor to this stuffing.

We add in dried cranberries after the stuffing is prepared. I just love the contrast of the sweetness that cranberries add. I’ve tried raisins, as well, but those need to be stirred in to the stuffing after it finishes cooking in the turkey. Otherwise, the drippings from the turkey add too much moisture to the raisins and they plump right back up into grape status. ha! Pecans or walnuts can be a nice addition also.

Ingredients:

celery – dice your celery into bite-size pieces, this adds a bit of texture to the stuffing and helps break up the heaviness of all the bread.
onions – Sweet Vidalia onions or just your standard yellow onions work!
turkey giblets – dice up the giblets into really tiny pieces, there is not much between the turkey heart and gizzard, but it really adds some texture and flavor to the stuffing.
olive oil – you can use your favorite oil for sauteeing the vegetables and giblets.
butter – we use the same amount of butter as indicated on the Stovetop package – don’t skimp, this adds lots of flavor.
turkey flavored Stovetop stuffing – you can use the chicken flavor also, no problem. We use a double pack of stuffing AT LEAST and if we want enough for leftovers, sometimes I even double this recipe and use FOUR packs!
dried cranberries – adjust the cranberries to your taste, but definitely give these a try. The contrasting sweetness is so yummy. The cranberries don’t plump up when the stuffing is cooked in the turkey.

How to Make Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing:

Step 1: Begin by sauteeing the celery, onions, and giblets in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Cook until the celery and onions are soft, the onions are translucent, and the giblets are browned.

Step 2: Add the breadcrumbs, butter, and water to the pan. Mix to melt the butter and combine the ingredients. Cover the mixture and let the bread soak up all the water. This only takes a few minutes.

Step 3: Stir in the dried cranberries.

Step 4: This Thanksgiving stovetop stuffing is ready! If I’ve made a large batch of stuffing, I always separate the stuffing into a couple bowls. This way, I don’t contaminate any extra that might not fit into the turkey.

4 photo collage of steps making stuffing - celery, onions, and giblets in saucepan, cooked vegetables and giblets in saucepan, breadcrumbs and butter added to saucepan, cranberries added to finished stuffing in saucepan

If you don’t want to stuff your turkey, that is fine! This stuffing is still delicious and relatively easy to make, but I would be remiss to not tell you that the yummy factor increases exponentially by giving it a few hours in the oven to soak up all the turkey drippings.

Remember not to stuff your turkey too tight. Loosely packing the stuffing into both the neck and the body cavities is the best method. Stuffed turkeys take longer to cook, but it’s worth the wait! Be sure the stuffing registers 165°F before removing the turkey from the oven.

Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing on white serving platter with roasted turkey, salt and pepper shakers, and bowl of cranberry sauce in background

How do I use giblets in the stuffing?

Remove giblets from your defrosted turkey and rinse. Pat dry with a paper towel. Dice into small pieces, discarding the tough muscle tissue and using only the soft tissue. If you like the flavor of liver, you can add it to the recipe with the other giblets.

Can I stuff my turkey with this stuffing?

Absolutely! The stuffing is MOST delicious if cooked in the turkey. However, it is completely cooked and delicious even if you don’t stuff your turkey.

Can I prepare the stuffing in advance?

Yes! Since your turkey typically spends hours in the oven, it’s nice to have your stuffing ready to go early on Thanksgiving day. I usually prepare the stuffing the night before and then I just have to stuff the turkey right before I stick it in the oven.

Can I stuff the turkey in advance?

No, it’s not safe to stuff the turkey in advance. Stuff right before putting the turkey into the oven.

What if I have extra stuffing?

Unless I’m cooking two turkeys, I usually do have extra stuffing that won’t fit in my turkey. I am really careful to keep the stuffing that won’t be going into the turkey in a separate bowl so that it doesn’t get contaminated by the raw turkey when I’m stuffing it.

Can I use a different brand of stuffing?

You sure can. Look for bread cubes that have seasoning already added. I haven’t found another brand that is quite as moist and yummy as Stovetop.

Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing

A delicious medley of sauteed vegetables, giblets, and sweet cranberries with pre-made Stovetop stuffing mix makes an easy and extra tasty side dish for the Thanksgiving table.

4 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stuffing recipe, Thanksgiving stovetop stuffing

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 255kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced yellow onions
1/2 cup turkey giblets diced
12 oz. Stovetop Stuffing turkey flavor
1/2 cup butter salted
3 cups water
1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Saute celery, onions, and giblets in olive oil until giblets are browned and vegetables are soft.
Add butter, water, and contents of Stovetop stuffing to the pan. Stir to combine.
When butter has melted and stuffing is thoroughly mixed, remove from heat and cover with a lid for 5-10 minutes to allow breadcrumbs to soak up all of the water.
Stir in cranberries.
Serve or stuff turkey and cook until stuffing and turkey meat register 165°F.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

Stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator before stuffing turkey.

Nutrition

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

October 17, 2020 by girlinspired 5 Comments

Smeared with cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are next level. The soft sweet pumpkin dough, rolled with butter, sugar, and not just cinnamon, but pumpkin spice, too, is absolutely sinful. Just wait until you take a bite of these ooey gooey, pumpkin treats.

cooked and frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls in baking dish with cinnamon sticks and linen

This pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe is going to blow your mind. We start with my granny’s famous sweet dinner roll recipe. We’ve transformed this staple recipe into lemon sweet rolls and a braided apricot sweet bread, and NOW, PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS. I know. So good, right?

cinnamon roll on white plate in front of baking dish

I love making roll dough in my breadmaker, it’s easy and quick, and only one pan to clean, woohoo! So this recipe is made in the bread machine, but you can also mix it up by hand. Simply follow the instructions for mixing, kneading, and allowing the first rise of the dough that is in our dinner roll recipe.

We add real pumpkin puree to the dough itself, along with traditional pumpkin spices. And then we also add some extra spice into the traditional cinnamon roll filling. Delicious!

Once the dough was ready, I rolled it out, added a cinnamon/sugar/butter layer, rolled it up, sliced it and filled my pan with the rolls.

overhead photo of pumpkin cinnamon rolls placed in orange baking dish, before rising, with orange and white linen

It’s important not to overcrowd the cinnamon rolls. We want to give the rolls time to rise, which helps them bake evenly throughout once they go into the oven. Notice the difference in the pictures above and below? The dough gets nice and puffy and fills in most of those gaps in your baking dish.

overhead photo of puffy and risen pumpkin cinnamon rolls in orange baking dish with orange and white linen

Pop that baking dish into the oven and bake until the rolls are deep golden brown. Since the dough is already orange (from the pumpkin), the rolls will be a deeper brown than traditional cinnamon rolls. Don’t burn them, but DO be sure you’ve baked them enough so that they don’t fall in the middle when they come out of the oven.

overhead photo of cooked pumpkin cinnamon rolls in orange baking dish with orange and white linen

After baking, I topped the pumpkin cinnamon rolls with my favorite cream cheese icing. They are looking so darn delicious. It’s hard to wait, but you do want to spread a nice thick layer of frosting on these babies so it melts down into any gaps.

overhead photo of spatula spreading frosting on cooked pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Yummmmmm. Now, dig in! These are so good warm and gooey, and really, they are just as good and soft and gooey after they’ve cooled down.

side view of orange baking dish with baked and frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:

Let’s get to the recipe, in case you need these. And you do need these.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Stef at Girl. Inspired.

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 Cup milk whole milk
4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened let it sit out for 20 minutes or so, do not microwave to soften
1 egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Rapid Rise active dry yeast

Filling

1/2 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

Add dough ingredients to the breadmaker in the order listed.
Set the breadmaker to the dough setting and begin cycle.
When the dough is ready, flour your surface well and roll dough into a 1/2" thick rectangle. If dough is too sticky, work in some additional flour until you can roll it out easily.
Mix ingredients for filling and spread over dough using a spatula.
Roll the rectangle up into a roll.
Slice cinnamon rolls into 1.5" sections – this should make 12 rolls after discarding the two ends (which are typically a bit misshapen.)
Place cinnamon rolls into a well-buttered 9×13 baking dish.
Cover with a light towel; allow to rise in a draft free, warm location for about 1 hour.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until browned – approximately 20-25 minutes.
Make cream cheese icing (recipe can be found here: https://thegirlinspired.com/2013/10/pumpkin-pie-cupcakes/) and spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

If You're All about the Pumpkin Spice:

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Gingerbread Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

dinner rolls stacked in a bread basket with white and blue floral linen, baking dish with rolls and butter on a dish

And definitely mark your recipe book with the original Homemade Dinner Rolls

Have a great rest of the week!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 17, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are so soft and delicious. The pudding in the cookies gives them their soft chewiness, and it also provides that yummy pumpkin flavor.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stacked on white plates with a bite taken out of the top cookie

These pudding cookies are simple to make. The pumpkin pudding mix does all the work to take these from traditional cookies to a gooey soft, pumpkin treat. Pudding mixed into dry ingredients adds a distinct level of moisture, like in our favorite Kahlua Cake and Pecan Rum Cake. This time, we’re using pudding magic in cookies!

stack of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies on white plates with linen and glass of milk in background

1 cup salted butter, softened – softening the butter allows you to properly cream it with the sugars, adding air pockets into the batter that makes a light and fluffy cookie
1 cup of sugar (light brown sugar and granulated sugar)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pumpkin spice instant pudding mix – this is a seasonal flavor, so stock up in the Fall when it hits the shelves! We do add spices, but the pudding mix is our only ingredient with pumpkin flavor
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda – our standard cookie leavening agent
salt – if you use unsalted butter, add a bit more salt
cinnamon, ginger, and cloves – adjust these seasonings to your preference. You can add in some nutmeg also, if you’d like or swap out the spices for an all in one pumpkin spice seasoning.

ingredients with labels for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Alright! Let’s get these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies into the oven! Our steps are pretty standard cookie steps. We will mix the pudding in with the other dry ingredients.

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars.

Step 2: Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.

Step 3: Sift together dry ingredients, including pudding mix and spices and mix into the creamed ingredients.

Step 4: Fold in chocolate chips.

step by step 4 photo collage showing butter and sugar in bowl, eggs being added, dry ingredients added, and the chocolate chips added in

Step 5: Scoop dough into balls. Roll dough in your hands to form a smooth ball and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of space between.

Step 6: Bake in 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

balls of cookie dough on one half of baking sheet and cooked cookies on the opposite side of the baking sheet

Now grab a glass of milk and enjoy! Try not to eat these heavenly pudding cookies all in one go!

cookie dunked into glass of milk with stack of cookies in the background

And if you love pumpkin treats, you will want to try these other Fall favorites of ours:

You can customize these cookies in several ways to perfectly satisfy your taste buds! Here are some ideas:

substitute white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips
Dip half of the cookie in melted white or semi-sweet chocolate and place on parchment paper until melted chocolate has cooled and hardened.
Omit the chips altogether for a soft, purely pumpkin cookie.
Skip the individual spices and simply use pumpkin spice seasoning to add flavor with less fuss.
Sandwich some pumpkin ice cream between two of these cookies for a huge hit of delicious pumpkin!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

So soft, so chewy, the pudding in the dough gives the cookies their delicious flavor and amazing texture.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Keyword: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 166kcal

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3.4 ounce pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream together butter and sugars until creamy and combined.
Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
Sift together pudding mix, flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice seasoning, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Mix dry ingredients into creamed butter/sugar mixture until combined.
Mix in chocolate chips.
Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for several minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Candy Apple Recipe

October 11, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Oh, sweet crisp Autumn apples dipped in a thin and crunchy, perfectly sweet candy coating. These are unbelievably easy to make with our fool-proof candy apple recipe. They’ll be a quintessential addition to your Halloween treat table! Keep it bright and beautiful with red or take the creep level up a tad by turning this treat into a “poisonous” black candy apple.

black candy apples on plate with black background and misty bowl and pitcher in background

Believe it or not, I have never tried a candy apple until this year! What??! I’ve always opted for the sophisticated sister – the caramel apple over its seemingly stickier counterpart, but I was pleasantly surprised to sink my teeth into one of these treats and find a new love. Not TOO sweet and not TOO sticky – not sticky at all, in fact, and I didn’t lose a single tooth!

Yes, that first bite takes a little muscle to crack into the shell, but after that, yumm! Because we cook the candy coating to the precise temperature of 305°, achieving the hard crack stage, this candy coating is crisp and dissolves almost immediately. No sticking in your teeth, no tugging at your molars.

close up of red candy apples on a plate on black backdrop

Once I tried my hand at making candy apples and saw how easy it was, I had some fun mixing up a batch of black apples. Wouldn’t these be so fun to serve at your next murder mystery party or set out on your kitchen counter to complete your Halloween decor?

Ingredients:

Light corn syrup – corn syrup is an invert sugar which means that it prevents sugar crystals from forming and produces a glossy, smooth surface to the hard candy – perfect for this candy apple recipe!
Granulated sugar – we use a standard, widely available sugar to make our sweet candy coating – since we are dissolving and boiling the sugar, we don’t need a specialty texture or grain size.
Water – tap water will do just fine
Food coloring – use about 1/2 teaspoon of liquid food coloring or a few drops of a gel/paste food coloring. I used red liquid food coloring and it worked great! I used black gel food coloring – a few drops was adequate to make a dark coating for my dark Red Delicious apples, but you could add more for an even deeper, more opaque candy coating.
Candy Thermometer – while not an ingredient, a candy thermometer is an absolute necessity when making homemade candy apples. It is imperative to heat the candy syrup to the correct temperature so that the finished candy is the right consistency.
Candy Apple Sticks – you can use bamboo sticks, these cute plastic “sticks”, or even cookie/lollipop sticks. (referral links here)

How to Make Candy Apples:

Alright! Let’s get to it. Making candy apples is so much fun and quite easy, actually. The first step is to combine the three ingredients (everything but the food coloring) in a small, but deep saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan now (or from the start.) Be sure that the tip of the thermometer is emerged in the mixture, but not touching the bottom of the pan.

While the mixture is cooking, prepare the apples. You want to make sure the apples do not have a waxy coating – for smooth application of candy on the apple, they need to be clean and dry. Wipe any waxy residue from the apples with a hot water/white vinegar solution and pat dry. Place a large lollipop or cookie stick, or a popsicle stick into the top center of the apple and place the apples on a sheet of parchment paper.

Continue cooking the candy mixture, stirring occasionally, until the temperature on the candy thermometer reaches precisely 305°F, the hard crack stage. Remove from the heat and mix in food coloring. Do not stir too vigorously which could introduce additional bubbles to the mixture.

four photo collage showing the steps of candy apple recipe - ingredients in baking pan, bubbling sugar syrup, black bubbling syrup, and apple being dipped into candy coating

Dip the apples into the candy coating, rotating gently to coat them completely. Let the excess candy drip off the bottom of the apple for a few moments and then place on the parchment paper and allow them to cool. The apples will cool quickly and the coating will be smooth, hard, and dry. They will lift easily off of the parchment paper once cooled.

black candy apples on parchment paper on baking sheet

Why do my candy apples have bubbles in the coating?

Candy apples might develop bubbles in the coating as they cool. This could be from too much movement while dipping the apples, so dip gently. Water or waxy residue left on the apples can also cause bubbles to form. If your apples have some bubbly, don’t worry! They still taste just as delicious.

What if my candy apples are sticky or chewy?

The hard crack of the candy coating comes from cooking the candy until it reaches the precise hard crack stage in the candy apple recipe- 305 degrees. The temperature might quickly reach 305° and continue climbing, even up to 310° Do not pull the candy off of the heat early – even at 295°, your coating may not have the desired finish. A sticky or chewy texture comes from candy that is not heated to a high enough temperature to remove all of the water from the candy.

What kind of apples are best for making candy apples?

The thin layer of candy coating is a great compliment to the sweetness of apples. You don’t necessarily need a strongly flavored apple to compete with the candy like you might when making caramel apples. I like to use red delicious, gala, or rockit apples.

How do I store candy apples?

Keep the candy apples at room temperature and they will keep on the kitchen counter for several days. If you’d like to wrap them loosely in parchment paper or a cello wrap, the hard coating will not stick. After a few days, the candy will pick up moisture from the apple itself and from the environment and will start to get sticky. They’re best eaten in the first couple days after making.

How do I eat a candy apple?

Ha! This is funny after you’ve tried to bite into one of these beauties. That first bite can be a challenge, but the candy coating is thin. Bite in with your teeth and you’ll find it’s much easier than you’d think. Alternately, slicing the apples off the stick makes eating them a cinch.

What do I do if the candy gets too thick to continue dipping apples?

As the candy cools, it thickens and hardens. Place the saucepan back on the stovetop and heat it until it thins enough to continue dipping the apples.

How do I clean up the leftover candy that hardens in the pan?

Soaking the pan in hot water will eventually dissolve the hardened candy. For quicker cleanup, fill the pan with water and bring to a simmer on the stovetop until candy dissolves into the water. Then rinse and wash the pan as usual.

red candy apples on plate with stack of books in background and bite taken from one of the apples

I hope you love making this candy apple recipe as much as I did! Yummy with some fun thrown in! For more Halloween fun, you might like:

More Fun for Halloween

Skeleton Face Makeup

Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Party

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts

DIY Slightly Spooky Halloween Pumpkins

Candy Apples

Delicious, crisp Autumn apples dipped in a thin and crunchy, perfectly sweet candy coating – easy to make and a quintessential addition to your Halloween treat table!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Keyword: black candy apples, candy apple recipe, candy apples, red candy apples

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 363kcal

Equipment

candy thermometer

Ingredients

1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon food coloring gel or liquid food coloring is fine
9 apples cleaned with a 50/50 vinegar/hot water mixture

Instructions

Combine corn syrup, sugar, and water in a small, but deep saucepan. Heat until mixture begins to boil.
Place candy thermometer in saucepan so that the tip is submerged, but not resting against the bottom of the pan.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 305°F.
Remove from heat and add food coloring. Adjust the amount of food coloring to achieve desired color.
While mixture is cooking, prepare apples by wiping with a vinegar/hot water mixture (50/50) and pat dry. Place a stick in the top center of each apple and set on a sheet of parchment paper.
Dip apple into hot candy coating and rotate gently to coat apple.
Place on parchment paper to cool completely. Candy will harden and apple will lift easily from parchment when cooled.

Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

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