Pumpkin Brownies

Fall is in the air, nipping at my tights-less, ankles & pumpkin is everywhere. Well, we have our pumpkin spice coffee in house!!! I’ve been sick so I remembered an easy recipe I had spied somewhere… It called for two ingredients! So I added some spice. And frosting. And more spice on top ;)
It was just what I needed.
Enjoy!

<3 

Lishie

Pumpkin Brownies

• 1 Box Brownie Mix (I used Ghirardelli)
• 1, 15 oz can Pumpkin
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8”x8”, 9”x9” or 13”x9” pan.
Combine all of the ingredients above. The batter will be thick! Pour into prepped pan. Bake for:

8”x8”: 45-50 minutes
9”x9”: 40-45 minutes
13”x9”: 30-35 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 c powdered sugar
• 6 oz cream cheese, room temp
• ½ stick butter, room temp

Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the finished brownies.

The batter will be thick:

Pumpkin Pie Bars

We had Thanksgiving at work & I have a long commute with a lot of walking... so what to bring, what to bring? I had already decided "something pumpkin" but what? Well amongst the many holiday food emails I received, I got one from Kraft (of all places!) & this recipe hit me as very yummy looking & interesting. The twist that got me was the "crumble-like" aspect to it. The only adaptation I made was I made my own pumpkin pie spice (I never get the ready-made because I love fresh ground nutmeg. There is a huge difference!)

Problem was, I didn't have time to allow the end product to cool, refrigerate & cut it into bars... So I did 1 & 2... & carried the tin to work whole. The result? See picture below... I cracked the top & the entire thing was "U" shaped. Good thing, as always, it is the taste that counts because these were Delish... Oh, & sorry about the pics. I took them with my Blackberry AT work, before they were gobbled up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

<3 Lishie

Pumpkin Pie Bars
slightly adapted from Kraft

1-1/3c  flour

3/4c  sugar, divided

1/2 c  packed brown sugar

3/4 c  cold butter, cut up

1 c  old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1/2 c  chopped pecans

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 can  (15 oz.) pumpkin   

1 tsp FRESH ground nutmeg  

1 tsp ground cinnamon  

1 tsp ground ginger  

1 tsp ground allspiceHeat oven to 350°F.

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Mix flour, 1/4 c granulated sugar & brown sugar in medium bowl until blended; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats & nuts.

 

Reserve 1c  oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin & all of the spices with mixer until blended; pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. 

Bake 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
Refrigerate. 

 

Mini~Pumpkin Pies

• I have the most insignificant, smallest dilemma around the holidays I can imagine having: No one but me loves pumpkin. So I always end up baking everything else (I made my rustic apple turnovers  for my pop-in-law) for everyone else but I am left wanting pumpkin pie! I know, boohoo on me ;) But I figured out what to do this year- make a few mini pies for ME! 
• Mini~Pumpkin Pies

• 1/4 c sugar 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 can (6 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked pie crust

• • Preheat oven to 400° F.

    
    

    Mix together sugar, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar~spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

    
    

    Cut the pie crust into 6 large muffin~sized circles. Use the excess to make little shapes for on top of the mini-pies (like the leaves pictured). Fit the individual circles into a large muffin tin (I used my muffin~top tin).

    
    

    Bake in 400° F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300° F; bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the custard seems set (not jiggly). Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. 

    
    

    If you love mini~pies, try these: delicious mini~apple pies too!

    
    

    I hope everyone had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did. Happy Black Friday to all! Or as I am calling it, Frog~day!!! "...It's Time To Play The Music, It's Time To Light The Lights... " :) The Muppets!

    
    

    <3 Lishie
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

See my signature gap~toothed bite?

Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti

If you are looking for a delicious fall treat, that is different, look no further! My father-in-law loves biscotti so when I saw this recipe from Taste of Home, I knew I had to make it. This is the perfect dessert for the gazillionth course of Thanksgiving (you all know what I am talking about after appys, after dinner, after dessert... When things have wound down... Coffee, tea & pumpkin seed, cranberry biscotti. Or for the next morning. Or really, any time!!! YUM. So good, so different. These will be super appreciated (I know, my first batch were!!!) <3 Lishie

Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti Recipe
from Taste of Home

• 3/4 cup 
• sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted pumpkin seeds*
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries*

In a small bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, oil and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in pumpkin seeds and cranberries (dough will be sticky).


Divide dough in half; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (I lined with parchment paper) . With lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased (I lined with parchment paper) baking sheets.

Bake for 5 minutes or until firm. Turn and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.


*Lishie tip- I bought raw, hulled pumpkin seeds & baked them, each side, 6 minutes. No added salt! They were perfect. Also, with the dried cranberries- add a little of the flour so they mix right into the recipe.


Biscotti means "twice baked" in Italian. To me it = DeLish!
Try this one too: Citrus Biscotti.

Pumpkin S'Mores Bars ~ Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!! My toddler's school is having a costume parade & party. I was asked to bring my S'Mores Bars. I am always tinkering with my recipes, looking for ways to make them different & ways on how to make them new. I thought, yum, how about pumpkin s'mores?! And this came about. It is slightly more cake-y than the original Lishie S'Mores but as yummy & ooey-gooey!!!! You.must.try.these... now! Everyone have a sage, & happy, Halloween! Boo!
<3 Lishie


Pumpkin S'Mores Bars

Ready to travel!

• 1 & 1/2 sticks Butter, @ room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups crushed (food processor) graham crackers 
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 3 cups mini marshmallows or 1/2 bag of large marshmallows

Pre-heat oven to 350°, grease or spray 13x9x2-inch baking pan (or two, 8x8 brownie pans).

Beat butter & sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light & fluffy. Beat in egg until combined. Add in pumpkin, then vanilla. 

With the children's pumpkin treat bags!

In a separate bowl, mix together crushed graham crackers, flour, cinnamon & salt. Stir the graham cracker mixture into the butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture. Should become one, big, slightly liquidy, crumbly clump.

Press the graham cracker mix over the bottom of the greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips & marshmallows on top.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown.

Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Halloween! WOW, here in the Northeast, NJ especially we've gotten a White Halloween! So strange to have snow in October for Halloween. My tot & I picked our large, gorgeous pumpkin off of the porch to allow "Jack" to defrost ;) & to carve him. Boy how is it I forget how seriously slimy, squishy & gross those orange innards are every year till that first handful?! And this year, they were freezing cold to boot! 


Don't throw those seeds out when you carve your Jack O'Lantern!!! They are the best kept secret for some. Roast them & toss 'em with spices & you have the best snack! Stay safe out there y'all!!!
<3 Lishie


Pumpkin Seeds

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sea Salt

Rinse the seeds under cold water in a colander & pick out the pulp, goo & strings. 

Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Jack's saying, "Snow?!"

Sprinkle with sea salt & bake at 300 degrees F until toasted, about 30 minutes, checking & stirring after 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter

There's a whymsically wonderful little cafe in Greenwich Village, NYC called Peanut Butter & Co. It is everything peanut butter. And the peanut butter is freshly made ~ smooth (my pref!) or crunchy. And it is fun. I love grabbing lunch there every once in a while because it makes me smile... I usually always have the fluffernutter sandwich & a vanilla diet coke but they have a new item for Halloween & fall... ready for it? It's a Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Butter Sandwich. & it is scrumptious. Here's how you can make home-made pumpkin butter:

Pumpkin Butter 

(Slow Cooker Method)

adapted from:Eastern European Food

• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves

Combine pumpkin puree with sugar & spices, and choose one of the following cooking methods.
Slow Cooker: Place sweetened pulp in a slow cooker with lid partially off to let steam escape. Set at low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-12 hours or overnight, or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down. 

<3 Lishie