Pumpkin Spiced Baileys Trifle

Mmmmm. This is something I could eat every single day for a long time.

I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie. I'll eat it, but it's really just an excuse to eat a mound of cool whip. So this year I decided to make my own spin that I'd actually enjoy, and this recipe I adapted from How Sweet Eats is one to repeat every Thanksgiving (and fall holiday get together ... want to get together now?).

I might have made this again a week later just to eat photograph it.

I wasn't sure if this recipe sounded amazing just because I was doing Whole 30, so most everything sounded good. But it was good. My version is a bit boozy because I swapped the original coffee (to make tiramisu) with Bailey's Pumpkin Spice. I'm glad I don't like coffee because I loved this. It can be put together the night before and still have some crunch to the gingersnaps the next day for lunch. By dinner, though, the snap was gone, but the flavors remained.

Pumpkin Spiced Baileys Trifle
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

6 Tbsp. maple syrup
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. Baileys Pumpkin Spice Liquor
1 tsp. vanilla 

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
10 oz. Baileys Pumpkin Spice Liquor
16 oz. gingersnap cookies
Chopped dark chocolate, for garnish

Place the cold cream and 2 Tbsp. maple syrup in the bowl of your stand mixer, and beat until peaks form to make whipped cream. Scoop it into a bowl, and chill until you need it.

In a clean bowl of your stand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese until it’s creamy. Beat in the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Baileys liqueur, vanilla , cinnamon, ginger and allspice. Beat until combined and smooth. Take 1/3 of the maple whipped cream, and gently fold it into the pumpkin mascarpone mixture until combined and smooth.

Pour remaining 10 oz. Baileys into a small bowl, and place a handful of gingersnap cookies in the liquor. Soak briefly, and layer in a trifle dish. Repeat the process to soak all the cookies for the trifle as you create the layers. Layer gingersnap cookies with pumpkin mascarpone, and repeat the layers until cookies and mascarpone are gone, ending with mascarpone. (Reserve a few gingersnaps, without soaking them in Baileys, to crush for garnish.)

 Top the entire trifle with the remaining maple whipped cream. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours before serving. Before serving, crumble remaining gingersnap cookies on top, and top with chopped chocolate. Serves 10 or more.

Whole 30 Meatloaf

Meatloaf is somewhat of a comfort food for me. It ranks nowhere near as high as my mom's lasagna or corn bread, but it was something I remember eating as a child. That's why I decided to give this recipe from Paleo Running Momma a shot.

I loved it! My sons both ate it, as did my husband, but I could tell I enjoyed it more than the rest of the family. Still, this will be a repeat recipe for me when I'm on Whole 30. One prep for at least two meals ... even when I ate 3 pieces in one sitting.

Whole 30 Meatloaf
Ketchup
1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted, soaked in hot water to soften, and drained (use 1/4 cup if you want it less sweet)
6 oz. tomato paste
3 Tbsp. water (in addition to soaking the dates)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt Meatloaf
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/3 cup almond flour
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 small onion or half medium one, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. ghee for cooking onion and garlic
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4-1/3 cups ketchup

In a food processor, combine all ingredients on high speed until pureed, scraping the sides to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the ghee until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, almond flour, 3 Tbsp. ketchup, salt, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Stir in cooked onion and garlic mixture. Mix gently to avoid toughening the loaf.

Gently pat loaf into a greased 9 x 5 pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove, and spread with remaining 1/4-1/3 cup of ketchup. Return to the oven and make 40-45 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven, and let cool 10 minutes. Slice and serve. Makes about 6 servings.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Empanadas

When the Today show featured different takes on peanut butter and jelly, I took note. PB & J is one of my nostalgic favorites from childhood, so delicious to me to this day that when I pack it for my lunch at work, it's often gone as breakfast. AJ and Teddy both feel the same about PB & J, so I thought these empanadas would be perfect lunches for the school week. AJ thinks they're pretty awesome, and I'm not sure he's shared any with Teddy yet.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Empanadas
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. water
Flour for dusting
1 package refrigerated pie crust, about 14 oz.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup strawberry jam
Turbinado sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silipat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Set aside.

Roll pie crust on a lightly floured surface, rolling each crust to about an 18-inch diameter. Cut out rounds using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as needed. Place dollops of peanut butter and then jelly onto the center of each dough round. Working with one dough round at a time, moisten the edges with the egg wash, fold the dough over to close and use a fork to crimp the edges.

Place on prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Makes 18-20 mini empanadas.