Pumpkin Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Pumpkin bars 

I ADAPTED THIS RECIPE FROM A RECIPE i FOUND AT ALLRECIPES.COM.  tHE ORIGINAL RECIPE CALLED FOR TWICE THE AMOUNT  OF BAKING SODA AND POWDER AND 4 EGGS INSTEAD OF 3.  i ALSO DOUBLED THE ORIGINAL FROSTING BECAUSE FROSTING IS NOT SOMETHING I SKIMP ON!  tHIS RECIPE IS MORE DENSE BAR THAT IS EASY TO EAT AS A FINGER FOOD COMPARED TO THE MORE CAKE-LIKE ORIGINAL RECIPE.  sEE ADDITIONAL TIPS BELOW TO GET THE RESULTS OF WHAT i CONSIDER THE PERFECT PUMPKIN BAR.

 Ingredients:

3 eggs 1 2/3 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt   1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4-5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

 Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
3.	Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting. *TIP-  Once taken out of the oven I used a clean kitchen towel to gently press the warm bar down into the pan making the final bar even denser.  In my opinion if it's not dense and slightly heavy it's not a bar!
4.	To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares. *TIP-Once frosted I allow the bars to sit uncovered in order for the frosting to firm up a little.  If there is time I will put them in the refrigerator (either uncovered or covered loosely with plastic wrap) and let them stay overnight.  In my opinion they are easier to cut out of the refrigerator and taste the best the next day!

Zucchini Cake

Ingredients
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 C oil
*  Original recipe calls for oil.  I omitted the oil and added 3/4 C applesauce and it turned out perfect*
4 eggs
1/2 c broken walnuts
3c zucchini, finely shredded (about 1 pound) (works great with carrots as well)



 Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour 1 13-by-9 inch sheet cake pans (or 2 9-by-9 inch square cake pans).

Combine all dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add zucchini, oil (or oil and applesauce) and eggs. Beat on low until mixed, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat for two minutes. Spread batter in pans.

Bake at 325 degrees until the cake centers spring back when touched lightly--about 45 minutes for large pans, 35 to 40 minutes for small pans. Allow cakes to cool in the pan on a cooling rack before frosting with Cream Cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Allow 1 3-ounce packages of cream cheese and 1/2 stick of butter to come to room temperature. Place in mixer bowl, and beat on high speed until combined. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 4 cups powdered sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy--2 to 4 minutes. Ice tops of cakes only. Sprinkle frosting with chopped walnuts if desired.

Frozen Caramel Coffee (With a kick!)

Ingredients:

1/4 C strongly brewed coffee-chilled
5 T caramel flavored syrup (I used Smucker's) plus extra for garnishing
1 T vanilla flavored syrup (I used a tsp of vanilla extract-worked great!)
1/4 C cold milk
1 1/2 C Ice cubes
Whipped Cream

Optional Kick:

Unspecified amount of Bailey's Irish Cream!  To each their own...

Directions:

Pretty simple really.  Just throw the first 5 ingredients in your blender + Bailey's if you so choose.  Blend until you get a nice frosty, caramelly (can that be a word?), sweet, plethora of yumminess!  Pour into a pretty glass (I wish I had used a clear glass), garnish with whipped cream and more caramel syrup, then drink your soon to be caffeine and sugar induced tachycardic heart out! 

Soft Pretzel Bites

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled just slightly
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse sea salt (or see sweet variation below)

Directions:

On low speed, mix the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups of the flour and mix on low speed until combined.  Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. 

 

 

 

 Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray (or oil with with vegetable oil), add the dough and turn to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Spray two baking sheets liberally with cooking spray.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each.  Roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 22 inches.  Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites.  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches of about 10-15 for 30 seconds.  Remove with a large slotted spoon and place the pretzel bites on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they aren't touching.  Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt.  Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove to a cooling rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. 

 

 

 

For sweet variation:

Additional ingredients:

2/3 C Granulated sugar

2 T Cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.

After removing the bites from the boiling water place a few at a time in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and coat each piece before placing on prepared baking sheet.

Icing for Dipping

1 1/2 C confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 tsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter

Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy.
Place in bowl for dipping or drizzle icing over top of bites.