Pumpkin Cobbler

"If you are looking for a super easy, super delicious pumpkin dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner this year, THIS IS IT!  Maybe baking that traditional pumpkin pie intimidates you or maybe you just want something different this holiday.  No matter what your reasoning, you're only 5 ingredients away from a scrumptious finish to your holiday meal!"   

 

1-(30 ounce) can of Libby's Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix*

1-(14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 eggs

1-(15.25 ounce) package Golden Butter or yellow cake mix

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

whipped cream, if desired for topping

pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, if desired for topping

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Whisk together pumpkin, condensed milk and eggs until well combined.  Pour into pan.  Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.  Slice butter into 24 pieces and evenly space on top of cake mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until topping is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out cleanly.  Allow to cool.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, if desired.  ENJOY!

  

 

*Pumpkin Pie Mix is pumpkin puree that has spices already added.  If you can't find it, you can substitute a 30 ounce can of Pumpkin puree + 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

"I love when my Mom makes these yummy bars!  The cheesecake filling is so delicious and the cinnamon sugar topping adds just the right sweetness to the crescent roll crust.  I know that your family will love them too!"    

2 cans (8 ounces each) Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an ungreased 9x13 pan, spread 1 can of crescent rolls, sealing perforations to form bottom crust.  Cream together cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla.  Spread mixture over crust.  Lay second can of crescent rolls over the top of cream cheese layer to form top crust.  Sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (recipe follows).

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping  
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes*.  Allow to cool and refrigerate.  Cut into squares and serve.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

*TIP:  My Mom recommends that you begin checking the bars after 20 minutes of baking to ensure that they don't get too browned.        

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars

"Bars with peanut butter chips, Hershey's chocolate bars and Reese's mini peanut butter cups-Does it get any better than this?"

 "Oh My, this picture says it all doesn't it?" 

 

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup softened butter

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

10 ounce bag of Reese's peanut butter chips, divided

4.4 ounce Hershey's chocolate candy bar, broken into pieces

Reese's peanut butter cup minis, for garnish (from 8 ounce bag)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With an electric mixer, combine brown sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and flour.  (The mixture will be like a thick cookie dough.)  Stir in 1/2 of the bag of peanut butter chips.  Using fingers, press dough into a non-stick 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and evenly place pieces of Hershey's chocolate bar on top.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow chocolate to melt.  Using a knife, spread chocolate out to edges of bars.  Allow to cool for about 30 minutes and then sprinkle remaining peanut butter chips over the top.  Cut into squares and serve with mini Reese's cups on top for garnish.  

 

TIP:  I love these bars slightly warm so I heated the leftover cooled bars in the microwave for about 10 seconds before serving.    

Let's Celebrate! Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

"I made these cookie bars for a family barbecue recently and everyone enjoyed them.  Whether you are serving them at a Special Birthday Bash or sharing them with the special people in your life, these cookies are a fun addition to any gathering.  They would be perfect for bake sales too!" 

 

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened

1-(3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup jimmies sprinkles

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl of a stand mixer (I used a stand mixer because the dough is thick.) cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add flour, sugar, egg, milk, cornstarch, baking powder, almond extract and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are well combined.  Stir in jimmies.  Spoon dough into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray with flour.  Using your fingers, press dough evenly into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool and frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting (Recipe follows).

 

Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened

1-(3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)

1-(1 pound box) of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

food coloring, desired color (I made peach frosting by adding 3 drops of red and 2 drops of yellow.)

Sprinkles for decorating

 

Using the whip attachment of a stand mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar a little at a time until all combined.  Add vanilla, almond extract and food coloring.  Whip for 2-3 minutes.  Frost cooled cookie bars.  Decorate with Sprinkles.

 

*Tip:  I used a pizza cutter to slice the cookie bars into squares.     

 

Variation:  You could tint the frosting any color that fits your occasion and use any combination and color of jimmies and sprinkles too!     





Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

"This is another one of my Mom's yummy recipes.  She was sweet enough to make these for my husband and I and my coworkers recently.  These bars are the perfect mix of pumpkin and spice and the sweet cream cheese icing tops them off perfectly!" 

Bars:

4 eggs

1-2/3 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

1-(15 ounce) can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy,  Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and mix thoroughly.  Pour into an ungreased 15x10x1 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool and frost with cream cheese icing (Recipe follows.) and cut into bars.

 

 

Cream Cheese Icing:

3 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

 

Cream together cream cheese and butter.  Add vanilla.  Add powdered sugar and mix well.  Ice bars.

BOO To You! Brownies

"I made these Yummy Brownies for our family last weekend.  I called them BOO To You! Brownies because the mini marshmallows reminded me of little ghosts.  They turned out so cute and by the way they tasted really good too!" 

Brownies:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
Halloween sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Remove from the heat and add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended and smooth. Stir in the milk chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and drizzle Mocha Frosting (recipe follows) over hot brownies.    Cool completely.  Top with mini marshmallows and Halloween sprinkles.  Cut into squares and serve.  TIP:  Cover any leftovers well in order to keep marshmallows from drying out.

Mocha Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat and add cocoa powder, coffee granules, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour over hot brownies.

TIP:  I used Wilton Halloween sprinkles, but you could decorate the brownies with candy corn, candy pumpkins or your favorite Halloween candy.

 

Lemon Bars

  "My Mom knows how much my husband loves these lemon bars so she made them for his birthday treat this year and of course I had to help him eat them (wink, wink)!"   

 

Crust

1 cup butter, softened

dash of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

 

Combine butter, salt, powdered sugar and flour and press into the bottom of a well greased 13x9 pan (You can grease pan with shortening or spray with non-stick cooking spray.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow crust to cool slightly and then cover with lemon filling. 

 

Lemon Filling

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

6 Tablespoons lemon juice

 

Mix together eggs, sugar, flour and lemon juice and pour over slightly cooled crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

 

 

"A plate of HAPPINESS!"



 

Polka Dot Brownies

Vanilla chip 'Polka Dots' baked inside and sprinkled on top of mocha frosted brownies.  "CHOCOLICIOUS!!!"

Mocha Brownies:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup vanilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Remove from the heat and add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended and smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of vanilla chips. Spread in prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread Mocha Frosting (recipe follows) over hot brownies.


Mocha Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat and add cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth. Pour over hot brownies.


Allow brownies to cool completely and then sprinkle with 1/2 cup vanilla chips.

Perfect Polka Dots!

 

Grandma's Brownies

"I love ALL brownies, but these are by far my very favorite!  My Grandma gets many requests for them and she lovingly makes them for anyone who asks."

BROWNIES

Sift together:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Set aside.

Boil together:

2 sticks or 1 cup butter

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder   

1 cup water

Mix into flour mixture.

Add:

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix well.  Bake in a greased jelly roll pan (15x11 pan) at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Allow to cool completely and ice with frosting (Recipe follows).

FROSTING

Boil together:

1 stick or 1/2 cup butter

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

5 Tablespoons buttermilk

Add:

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well.  Allow to cool and frost cooled brownies.  TIP:  After frosting, my Grandma runs a fork through the frosting to make a pretty presentation.

Moist and chocolaty !

Turtle Bars

"I came up with this recipe one Christmas when I had received turtle candies in my stocking.  You know the ones made with pecans and caramel and covered in yummy chocolate.  I wanted to use them in a recipe and this is what I came up with.  They remind me of the classic magic cookie bars that I ate as a child, just updated a little.  YUM!"

1 stick of butter, melted

1-1/2 cups of chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1 (7 ounce) package of flaked, sweetened coconut

1 (11.5 ounce) package of milk chocolate chips

1 (10.5 ounce) package of Turtle chocolates, chopped (I love Nestle Turtles.)

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving about 2 inches of foil hanging over the edge of the pan in order to lift the bars out of the pan.  Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.  Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together.  Press firmly onto bottom of pan.  Sprinkle with coconut, chocolate chips and chopped turtles.  Pour condensed milk over the top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  When completely cooled, use foil to lift bars out of pan.  Cut bars and serve.     

Mochamallow Brownies

"My husband loves sweets so I made up these yummy brownies for him a few years ago.  Chocolate, Coffee and Marshmallows, what's not to love?"

Brownies:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Remove from the heat and add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla.  Stir until well blended and smooth.  Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Spread in prepared pan.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle on marshmallows.  Return to the oven just until the marshmallows are slightly puffed, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven and drizzle Mocha Frosting (recipe follows) over hot brownies.  Cool completely before cutting.

Mocha Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from the heat and add cocoa powder, coffee granules, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Pour over hot brownies.