Pumpkin Bars

(This is a repost from last November...since pretty much nobody read back then I decided it deserved some attention because it is a great recipe! Whew...it is taking a lot of power to not erase and rewrite everything I did when I first writing. I posted this in pretty much my first week or so of blogging...)

I made Paula Deen's pumpkin bars for the first time last week! I absolutely LOVE Paula! She is so awesome, and my dream is to meet her. I even went to her wonderful restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, but unfortunately she wasn't there. I was so bummed, but maybe my dream will come true one day! I just love her style of cooking, it is totally what has inspired me.

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin, until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a 10x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix at low speed til combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

* I didn't have a 10x13 pan (I don't have one ), so I used a 12x12 cake pan. You could also use a 9x13, but you will likely need to increase your bake time.

Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Can you believe it is the last week of October already? Where does the time go? I don't know...it seems to fly by. Fall is my favorite season for several reasons. One being all of the wonderful pumpkin foods I get to enjoy.

If you read often you probably know where I do the majority of my blogging. I am sitting at Panera drinking an awesomely good pumpkin latte writing about pumpkin chex mix...told you I love me some pumpkin.

(I love it here, but Panera probably hates to see me coming...I stay forever...this blogging stuff takes a lot of time...and I just guzzle the tea the whole time...ha...money saving at its best!)

Anyways, my mom brought me over a bag of this wonderfully, addictive stuff recently. It is almost like pumpkin crack. Believe me, I wouldn't really know, but you know people say that about Chipotle...so I thought I would steal, or borrow, the saying...because it is addictive!!

If you get a chance make sure you try this recipe out. Fall is going by way to fast, before you know it we will be so past pumpkin season and on to cookie season!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cinnamon chex cereal
2 cups wheat chex cereal
2 cups honey nut chex cereal
8 oz. pecans

Directions:

In small bowl, mix brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. in small microwaveable-safe dish, microwave butter on high about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in vanilla. In large microwaveable bowl, mix all cereals and pecans. pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Add sugar and spice mixture and stir until coated.

Microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to brown, stirring every minutes. Spread on wax paper or a cookie sheet to cool. Store in airtight container.

Yield: 16 servings (1/2 cup each)

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

This post is linked to: URS at www.lifeasmom.com

Emmy's Pumpkin Bread

The search was on the other week. It was beginning to feel like fall outside (unfortunately it didn't last) and I was in the mood for pumpkin bread. I considered turning my pumpkin muffins into bread, but then I found it....this...this very valuable recipe.

You see, I am quite picky when it comes to pumpkin stuff...I either love it or hate it.

I find that most breads are too "spicy"...I am not a fan of a bunch of spicy junk added to my pumpkin. In my humble opinion, it is best left alone.

I also don't like how a lot of pumpkin breads are so "mushy". Some may call it moist, but to me they are often beyond moist and the texture is just off.

I like my pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and more the texture of a banana bread! This one fits the bill perfectly. It was very moist, but not mushy moist, and it tasted better the next day. It sliced wonderfully and held its shape without crumbling. I even froze one loaf and it was just as good when I thawed it out.



1 cup vegetable oil
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, pumpkin, and water. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and vanilla, stirring to blend, then mix in the chips and nuts.

Spoon the batter into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Bake the bread in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack. When it is completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving.



Recipe Credit: King Arthur Flour

This post is linked to URS at www.lifeasmom.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yes, I know...another pumpkin recipe!!! We have had pumpkin french toast, pumpkin bars, now a pumpkin muffin.

What can I say, it is the season for all things pumpkin. I have to get all these recipes in because in a few weeks pumpkin stuff will be banned til next fall! Isn't that sad, why don't we make pumpkin an all year round thing?

These muffins taste wonderful, freeze great, are really simple to make and they are really moist! Nobody likes a dry muffin, after all!

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4full. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 24-30 muffins.

Recipe credit- http://www.moneysavingmom.com/

Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

This was really yummy! I was trying to come up with a pumpkin recipe the other day, and french toast came out of nowhere. Wait... I think I had just had french toast the day before... what can I say, I LOVE french toast!! This was my first time making stuffed french toast (I always make the regular kind), and I found it really simple to make.

Turns out, I wasn't the inventor of pumpkin stuffed french toast like I had originally thought. (Darn, somebody always beats me to it!!! ) I looked at several recipes and decided to invent my own, cause that's how I roll. You never know if will be good til you try, right? I was really pleased with it, but you should judge for yourself!


Filling Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Other Ingredients:

bread (8-12 slices, depending on how much filling you want in them)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
dash of cinnamon
butter
cinnamon toast crunch cereal (crushed up), optional

Beat the cream cheese on low. Add in the rest of the filling ingredients; beat on low until incorporated. Now spread this mixture (how ever much filling you like) on one slice of bread; top with another slice of bread. Continue until you have all your "sandwiches" made.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon.

Meanwhile heat a skillet over medium-low heat with a small amount of butter.

Now dip your "sandwiches" into the egg mixture, letting them soak for a few seconds; flip over and soak the other side. Sprinkle with cinnamon toast crunch, if using. Transfer to your skillet, and cook until golden brown, flip and cook other side til golden brown. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, syrup, and more cinnamon toast crumblies!