Healthified (mostly) Pumpkin Bars- still delicious!

Pumpkin Bars

(adapted from Paula Deen)

Bars:

• 4 eggs (I subbed ground flax seed for 2 of the eggs)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat is great)
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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 greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan for cake size or cookie sheet with sides for the bar cookies.  Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Mix at low speed until combined. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars. We like them refrigerated- better the next day and day after...if they last.

These are great! I really think since the icing is so rich and good it doesn't hurt anything to try to make the base healthier.  Especially when the taste is so good in the end!  

Delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Vanilla Sheet Cake

(from picky-palate.com)

• 1 box yellow cake 
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 15 oz. can pumpkin (or almost 2 cups)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4-1/2 c. heavy cream (I just used milk- start with the least amount of milk, then add more if need)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a jelly-roll pan (sheet pan) with cooking spray.
2. Place ingredients from cake mix to pumpkin in a bowl, mixing a minute or two until blended well.  Pour into pan, spreading evenly.
3. Place butter in microwave-safe bowl, and heat in microwave until melted, close to a minute.  Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until incorporated.  Drizzle the whole mixture over cake and then use a knife to swirl into the batter.
4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes.  Mix powdered sugar and milk and drizzle over warm cake.  Cool 20 minutes and serve.

These cake bars are so good!  Our family couldn't keep away.  Easy to make, just read the directions first, then go!  Feeds many...or it should.

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting- TRY

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream sugars and butter.  Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.  Add remaining ingredients.  Drop spoonfuls onto non-greased cookie sheet.  Cook at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frosting:

Boil 3 T. butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until mostly smooth. (Approx. 2 to 3 min.)  Cool and add 1/4 cup milk and 2 cups powdered sugar or until desired consistency, and whip with hand mixer or whisk until smooth. Spread onto cookies.

These were amazing.  Addicting.  Flavorful.  SO good.  

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Pumpkin Cream Cheese  Bread

(from stressspelledbackwards.com)

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread:

• 1  2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 to 1 1/4 cup(s) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1  1/2 cups sugar

Cinnamon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 2 1/2 Tablespoons half & half or heavy cream
• 1/2  to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pans.
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, blend 1  2/3 cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside. 
4. In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and sugar; beat at medium speed for 5 minutes (color will change slightly when ready). Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just until combined. 
5. Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans. Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin batter layers in each loaf pan and then spoon or pour  on the remaining pumpkin batter (if you don’t have enough pumpkin batter to cover the cream cheese layer entirely, that’s okay, because you’ll be swirling them together anyway). Take a knife and stick straight down into the top pumpkin batter layer and middle cream cheese layer; swirl the knife around in these two layers, creating a marble effect; this will give the cream cheese filling a nice swirly shape as it bakes.
6. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely. While waiting for the bread to cool, mix your cinnamon glaze: combine powdered sugar and half & half, blending well; then add cinnamon and mix until smooth and creamy.  Drizzle over completely cooled bread loaves and then sprinkle on nuts for garnish.  Refrigerate.  I think this bread tastes better after a day!  

I know it takes a few bowls and a little more time but honestly not that much!  You don't need the glaze, the bread is great without, but extra great with the glaze. Who doesn't love a little more sugar?  Such a flavorful, delicious bread, more decadent because of the cream cheese addition.  Pumpkin bread lovers should really enjoy this!  

Great pancakes for Fall- Pumpkin Pancakes and Cinnamon Syrup

Cinnamon Syrup
(from allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

1. Stir together the white sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Stir in vanilla extract and water. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Continue to boil and stir until mixture thickens to syrup consistency. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 eggs

1-1/4 C. buttermilk

4 T. melted butter

5 T. pumpkin puree

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1-1/4 C. Flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. all-spice

orange food coloring (optional)

1.  In a medium sized measuring cup, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.

2.  Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix in orange food colour to desired liking (if you want orange pancakes for Halloween).

3.   In preheated skillet, pour about 1/4 c. batter. Once you start to see bubbles form in your pancake it's time to flip it. Continue until you've made all of your pancakes.  

--makes about 16-18 medium sized pancakes.

The pumpkin flavor in these pancakes are subtle.  They are good to eat plain as well.  The syrup is such a fun addition to this flavor pancake, but it would taste great on any pancake/waffle/french toast.  Try!

Cranberry and Apple Crumble

Cranberry and Apple Crumble
(from Family Fun magazine)


1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
6 cups peeled and sliced (about 1/2 inch thick) apples (braeburn or granny smith work well)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 c. orange juice
1 T. cornstarch


Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar the brown sugar, and the butter in a bowl.  Mix the ingredients with your fingertips to create pea-sized crumbs.  
Combine the apple slices and cranberries in a large bowl.  Mix the juice, remaining 2 T. of sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss well.
Spoon the fruit into a 2 qt. baking dish and sprinkle the flour mixture on top.  Bake the crumble until bubbly and golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.


I love the tart cranberry addition to this apple dessert!  I've really enjoyed the cranberry desserts I've found this winter.  This dessert goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, of course!

Have I really not posted this apple syrup recipe?

Apple Cider Syrup

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• 2 c. apple cider
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. butter

In a saucepan, combine first four ingredients.  Stir in cider and lemon juice.  Cook and stir until boiling.  Boil for one minute, remove from heat and add butter.  Serve over pancakes, waffles, or french toast.


This is delicious!  My mom's famous recipe, maybe minus a little sugar and butter?  Anyway, it's a definite winner and a nice change from maple.

Sweet Potato side dish winner!

Sweet Potato Bake
(allrecipes.com)


3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (without added milk and butter- I just microwaved, cut in half, and scooped out the potato and mashed)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat sweet potatoes, milk, butter, eggs, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum!  Really...I know there are a lot of people out there that don't like sweet potatoes.  But this recipe is worth a taste.  The sweet potato part isn't overly sweet, and it's topped with a delicious sweet topping.  So it isn't overkill on the sweet.  This will be on my menu whenever I have sweet potatoes!

Try this Cranberry Pie!

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

(from pioneerwoman.com, adapted from Laurie Colwin)

• Butter, for greasing (or spray)
• 2 cups (heaping) cranberries
• ¾ cups pecans, chopped (measure, then chop) (optional, but I like the flavor they add!)
• ⅔ cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
4. Pour batter slowly over the top in large “ribbons” in order to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle surface with 1 tablespoon sugar for a little extra crunch.

Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

I was excited when I saw this recipe on pioneerwoman.com the other day!  I love cranberries and buy a huge bag to make cranberry sauce out of this time of year.  So, it's fun to try something else.  This is cobblery, as you'd expect from the dough topping, and that's just great!  The tart flavor of the cranberries goes great with the sweet topping, and ice cream is a must.  I will add this to my fall favorites!

Pumpkin Cobbler

Pumpkin Cobbler
(favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com)


Crust: (reserve 1 cup after mixing)
1 pkg. yellow cake mix 
1 egg beaten
½ cube butter, melted

Filling:
1 (1 lb.) can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
½ c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 ½ t. pumpkin pie spice (you can substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves if you don't have pumpkin pie spice)
cinnamon and nutmeg as a substitution)

Topping:
1 c. cake mix (reserved from crust)
½ c. sugar
¼ cube butter, softened
1 ½ c. chopped pecans (optional)

Mix crust ingredients together and pat dough into a 9x13 cake pan. Mix filling ingredients and pour over dough. Blend topping (except pecans) and sprinkle evenly over filling. Sprinkle pecans over the top and bake at 350 for 1 hour (check after 50 minutes. If you move the dish around a little and the center is "jiggley", it's not finished. It may take more or less than an hour, just keep an eye on it.) Cool and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.


This is a delicious change from pumpkin pie.  Even Pumpkin Pie dislikers (like myself) found plenty of enjoyment in this cobbler with ice cream!

Pumpkin Bread

• 
  
• Pumpkin Bread
• 
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used a little less)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. (I used one regular loaf pan and two small loaf pans)
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (My little loaves took about 35 min, my big pan about an hour- watch closely!)

I have another pumpkin bread recipe on this site that has a glaze and chocolate chips, but it is different enough from this one I had to include this recipe as well.  I love how this baked, and the bread is yummy!  A little more dense, less crumby than my other harvest bread.  And the loaves cooked evenly and came out of their pans as well!  How great is that.  I guess I have Crisco with flour spray to thank for that.  I also put the pans in the middle of the oven for most of the time, then one rack higher the rest.  I did add a little glaze to one of the loaves, just to see how it tasted.  The glaze was about 2 T. melted butter, about 1/2 c. powdered sugar, and a little cinnamon.  The glaze on the photo above was a bit runny, but I didn't care.  Good!  I know it still feels like summer out there but I'm ready for the fall favorites!

Harvest Bread

Harvest Loaf Cake
(allrecipes.com)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (I didn't have but it turned out okay)
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  
• 
  
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (milk is fine..but careful on it- as you can see my frosting was a bit runny even after adding more powdered sugar so add milk lightly!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan (I used 3 little loaf pans instead). In a medium bowl, mix flour, soda, salt, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ginger and cloves (I sprinkled a little cinnamon in there, too). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add flour mixture alternately with pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Pour batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 65 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (it took about 40-50 minutes with the mini pans) While still warm, drizzle with glaze. Cool for 6 hours before serving.
4. to make the glaze: In a medium bowl, combine confectioners sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix and add 1 to 2 teaspoons cream until drizzling consistency.

We loved these and they cooked well in the little pans! You might want to turn the pans around in the oven halfway through to ensure even cooking. The girls (ok, and Sam got bites) devoured this. I still don't like pumpkin pie but this pumpkin bread/cookie thing I am all about! I want to get Mom's recipe next....but I just used the one I found after a quick search on allrecipes and this was good too!

A festive meal

Mummy Dogs
(click here to see cute picture and recipe at pillsbury)

• 1 can crescent rolls
• 8 hotdogs
• 2 squares American cheese, sliced into 8 strips (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375.
2. Roll out crescents from can, making 4 rectangles by sealing 2 rolls together.
3. Cut into long strips, about 4 each rectangle. (supposedly you can get 40 but I did what was easiest)
4. Wrap a piece of cheese around the hotdog, then 2 strips of dough. Make it like a mummy if you are fun but just twist it around if you are like me.
5. Place on pan sprayed with cooking spray and cook for about 10 minutes or until rolls are cooked. Mine cooked pretty fast!
6. Add mustard for eyes and mouth.

Not the healthiest meal but very fun and I thought they tasted good too! Nothing like processed rolls, dogs, and cheese....every once in a while, right?

Good Fall cookies!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
(allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 cup shortening (I use Imperial)
  
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

I never made these before, because I didn't think I really cared for them, but I have changed my mind! Such a great cookie for this season, and really any time. When does canned pumpkin go on sale though? These are soft, yummy.....the kids like 'em, and less butter than most cookies. And a fruit (or a veggie?) in them. The house smells so good with these babies cooking...