PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKES

 With Thanksgiving over, you might have some leftover pumpkin that you want to use. I love these pancakes so much, I opened a new can just to make them. Since it only uses 1/2 cup of pumpkin, that means I can make them several more times over the next seven days.

I love pumpkin pancakes and have been disappointed at every restaurant this fall that I have ordered them. One restaurant the pancake was so bad, I had to ask them to bring me something else to eat. I just decided I would have to make my own ones if I wanted some delicious pumpkin pancakes. The recipe makes enough pancakes that we can save the batter in the refrigerator and then make some more the next morning. We prefer that method instead of making them all at one time and then just heating them up the next morning.

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PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKES

2     cups buttermilk biscuit and pancake

1     egg

1     cup milk

1/2  cup canned pumpkin

1/4  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine the first four ingredients with a spoon in a mixing bowl until most of the lumps are gone. Add the pumpkin pie spice.

Allow the batter to rest a few minutes. (You can heat the griddle or skillet you are going to be using.)

Spoon out batter on hot griddle.

Cook until bubbles form and pancake has browned.

Flip the pancake and cook on the other side until brown. (Oops, one of them stuck to the griddle.)

Butter if you like, sprinkle with powdered sugar, add syrup...whatever you like.

Here is a picture of the pecan pie I made for our Thanksgiving with our younger son and his family

and the turkey that Patrick, our son, smoked. It was so-o-o-o good and moist.

CHUNKY APPLE CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

 Nothing says fall better than apple cake. At least to me. I have a number of recipes for apple desserts and can't believe it is already Thanksgiving Eve and I have yet to make any of them. And I even bought some Granny Smith Apples. Oh! Well! I will just have to make something in December, or January, or February. Apples can be baked any month of the year. Right?

Friend Susan made this delicious Chunky Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for us the last time she hosted canasta. Susan often makes recipes from her Southern Living cookbooks and they are always so good. 

I always have to make a Mother's No-Fail Pecan Pie for Thanksgiving so that is what I will be doing this afternoon. I will probably go on and make the cornbread for the dressing too. The sweet potatoes and dressing though will have to wait until Thursday morning. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our younger son Patrick and his family here in MO. Then we will be heading to CO to celebrate an early Christmas with our old son Jeffrey and his family the first weekend in December. It will be a busy time for us.

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CHUNKY APPLE CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2      cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2         cups sugar

2         large eggs

1         teaspoon vanilla extract

2         cups flour

1         teaspoon baking soda

1         teaspoon salt

2         teaspoons ground cinnamon

4         Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

1 - 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1          8 - ounce package cream cheese, softened

3          tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1-1/2    cups powdered sugar

1/8       teaspoon salt

1          teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Stir together the first four ingredients in a large bowl until blended.

Combine the flour and the next 3 ingredients with a whisk; add to the butter mixture, stirring until blended.

Stir in the apple slices and walnuts.

Spread into the baking pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the center.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Spread with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts, if desired.

Store in the refrigerator.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add the powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Yields 1-2/3 cups.

Cut into squares to serve.

PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES

 

Cafe Treats Baker and Friend Charlotte made these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles I think for six weeks in a row as our Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free option by using gluten-free flour and use shortening instead of butter. That thrilled snickerdoodle friend Nelson tremendously. He doesn't care that they are G-F, E-F, and D-F at all and doesn't even notice it either. He just loves Snickerdoodles. After not making them the seventh weekend, Charlotte had them back this past weekend. Nelson's grin was from ear-to-ear!

I don't know any better recommendation I can give you for this recipe!

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PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES

1       tablespoon cinnamon

1/4    cup sugar

*     *     *     *

1       cup shortening

3/4    cup sugar

1/2    cup brown sugar

1       tablespoon vanilla

1/2    cup pumpkin puree

2-2/3 cup flour

1-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4    teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1       teaspoon cinnamon

1/2    teaspoon nutmeg

1/2    teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slightly grease or line with parchment paper two cookie sheets. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugars. Add the vanilla and pumpkin, mixing well. Wet aside.

Combine the flour, cream of tartar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with a whisk until no streaks of flour show.

Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, make balls to roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place on cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Flatten with the bottom of a glass to 1" thickness.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool before removing to a wire rack.

The recipe makes 30 cookies.

LEMON - COCONUT BUTTERMILK BARS

 

I saw this recipe in one of my cookbooks (Quick Mixes with Fixes - Cakes, Cookies, Bars & Goodies by Lia Wilson) and marked it to try sometime along with a whole bunch more. I don't often buy lemon cake mixes and especially not one that contain a pudding mix, so I haven't gotten round to trying it. I've been making so many treats with pumpkin, I thought it would be nice to try something different. And I love lemon.

Trying to find a lemon cake mix with pudding was an interesting trip to the grocery store. In all of the different companies offering cake mixes (and there are quite a few), I found only one brand that fit the bill. I have been aware for several years that cake mixes are smaller than they used to be. It seems to be the thing companies do - reduce the size but charge the same. This lemon cake mix with pudding was even smaller at 13.25 ounces.

I was concerned that with removing 1 cup of the smaller cake mix, would mean I wouldn't have enough to cover the bottom. I started to add quick oats and I still think that would have been okay, but decided on coconut at the last minute. It did mean I had to add a little bit extra oil so that the mixture would clump together. It was a fairly thin layer and thought of things I could have done, so I added them in the instructions. As I was writing this I thought about the 2 - quart glass baking dish I have that measures 8 x 12 - inches and realized that would have worked better. The crust wasn't too thin after it baked; it just took some work pressing it out to cover the whole bottom.

The end result was a very delicious lemon coconut bar and they didn't last long in the Cafe at the church. I will definitely consider making them again.

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LEMON - COCONUT BUTTERMILK BARS

1       (18.25 ounce) lemon cake mix with pudding, divided

1        cup coconut

4        eggs, divided

2 - 3   tablespoons oil

1        cup buttermilk

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

3/4     cup sugar

1        teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside. (You could also use an 8 x 12 - inch baking pan.)

Reserve 1 cup dry cake mix and set aside. Add the coconut to the larger amount of dry cake mix.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining cake mix, 1 cup coconut, 1 egg, and oil; blend well. (If you need to add a little more oil so that all of the cake mix is moistened, do so a little bit at a time.) (My cake mix was only 13.25 ounces, so I added the coconut to replace the dry cake mix I removed.)

Press the cake mix mixture in the bottom of the baking pan.

(It is best if you spread the crumbled mixture over the whole bottom as the crust will be very thin since the cake mix was smaller than what was called for in the recipe. I didn't spread my out enough at first to make this easier to do.)

In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining eggs, buttermilk, butter, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. (I accidentally added the reserved cake mix too and then did my best to spoon it out.)

Slowly add the reserved cake mix and beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth (about 2 minutes.)

Pour the mixture over the batter in the cake pan and

bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned on top.

Cool and cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator overnight if you like.

PUMPKIN CRAISIN DROP COOKIES

For the most part November has been a good month so far. We have a couple of days of cold nights and cool days and then several days of normal or above normal temperatures. The tree have been prettier than I thought they were going to be. Maybe not as pretty as they have been in years past, but not too bad. We just didn't get the rain when we needed it. 

Last week we paid a neighbor's son to bag the leaves in the yard. This week we have been doing it ourselves. This Thursday the city will be coming though collecting bagged leaves. It isn't supposed to rain so Wayne put them out on the curb since he is having cataract surgery this week and won't be able to do much for a while.

I'm still enjoying making pumpkin recipes and saw this recipe from Betty Crocker and thought I would give it a try. I used sugar substitutes so was able to serve it as no-sugar-added treat since the dried cranberries have added no in the processing. They are so good. I did have some leftover so I am freezing them to bring out next Sunday. 

The cookie is a soft cookie with just the right amount of spice. 

 

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PUMPKIN CRAISIN DROP COOKIES

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter, softened (room temperature)

3/4     cup granulated sugar or stevia

3/4     cup packed brown sugar or brown sugar complete

2        eggs, beaten

1        can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2-1/2  cups flour

2-1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1        teaspoon baking soda

1        teaspoon salt

1        teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4     teaspoon ground allspice

1/4     teaspoon ground nutmeg

1        cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix butter and sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until blended.

Mix in the eggs.

Stir in the pumpkin. 

Add the dry ingredients in another bowl with a whisk.

Slowly add the ingredients to the wet ingredients,

stirring to mix in before adding more.

Fold in the dried cranberries.

Drop dough using a tablespoon size cookie scoop about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and golden. (I did bake mine for 12 minutes.)

Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Store in a sealed container with wax paper between layers.

Two of the maples in our back yard. One turned red and the other one turned yellow and not at the same time. I also didn't capture them at the peak time. I just enjoyed looking at them each morning when I woke up.

And the bags of leaves waiting for Thursday...

BARB'S CARROT BARS

 

I couldn't wait to get home to write up this recipe to share with you. I have never witnessed as much excitement over a cafe treat as there was over Barb's Carrot Bars. Word got out so quickly and I don't know how. People were coming to get one before I had everything out. Children with their parent just looked at them and said, "I want that one."

Barb made some Carrot Bars a few weeks ago and told me when she brought them that she had a different recipe that she liked better that she would make. I ate one of her bars and loved it and told her so. Everyone else loved them also.

I had forgotten she had a different recipe, but she sent me the recipe before she signed up on the sign up sheet and told me they were so much easier to make. Especially since she didn't have to grate any carrots. (What a chore!) What made this recipe so awesome was it used baby food. Yes. Baby food carrots!

I had a recipe long time ago that used baby food and for the life of me I can't remember what it was far. I do remember trying to find it a few years ago and had no luck. One night soon in the middle of the night I will wake up having remembered what the recipe was for. I won't remember the recipe, but if I could just remember what it made, I'm sure I could find a recipe for it. I will keep you posted.

Barb actually made 1-1/2 times the recipe and baked it in a 15 x 10 - inch jelly roll pan. If you have never done that, just take use what is called for and then add half of that amount too. (2 eggs would become 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar would become 1-1/2 cups, etc) She did say that she made the frosting for the larger recipe like shown in the smaller recipe because she doesn't like thick frosting on them. It was plenty of frosting as far as I am concerned.

I asked her if she just used a wooden spoon but she said she used her hand mixer. Since it used, oil instead of butter, she felt using a spoon would work. I try to use my wooden spoon as much as I can whenever I can. 

I think the next time I'm off to the grocery store, I will be adding some baby food to my buggy (grocery cart). Hope you do, too.

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BARB'S CARROT BARS

2       eggs

1       cup sugar

2       jars carrots baby food

1       teaspoon vanilla

1-1/4 cups flour

1       teaspoon baking soda

1       teaspoon cinnamon

1/2    teaspoon salt

1/2    cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and then add the sugar and oil. 

Add carrots, vanilla, flour, and spices.

Mix in nuts, if using.

Pour batter into pan and bake until the center feels done, approximately 20 minutes.

Cool and frost with the following frosting.

FROSTING:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3       oz cream cheese

1/4    cup margarine

1       teaspoon vanilla

Cream the margarine and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

JUNE'S FROSTED PUMPKIN COOKIES

 

I have to warn you. If you chose to make these cookies, you can't eat just one! I know. 

I always try to eat one of each treat the Cafe Treats Bakers make so I can honestly let you know how they tasted. I loved the spices, the orange juice I could taste in the cookie and the frosting, and the pumpkin. They are just the perfect little sweetness for this time of the year. I think you will agree with me if you try them.

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JUNE'S FROSTED PUMPKIN COOKIES

2-1/2     cups flour

1           tablespoon baking powder

1           teaspoon salt

1           cup pumpkin

1           teaspoon allspice

1           teaspoon cinnamon

1           teaspoon cloves

1           cup shortening

1-1/3     cups sugar

2           teaspoons orange juice

2           eggs

1           cup raisins (optional)

1/2 to 1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mix together the pumpkin and spices. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening and sugar until creamy in a large mixing bowl.

Add the orange juice and beat in the eggs.

Blend in the pumpkin mixture.

Stir in the dry ingredients.

Add raisins and nuts, if using.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 13 minutes.

Cool and then frost with a powdered sugar frosting. (June used some powdered sugar, a teaspoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of orange juice.)

CRANBERRY COTTAGE BREAD

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that October is Pastor Appreciation Month in the United Methodist Church. I usually find something to bake to give them to show my appreciation. Surprise! Surprise!

One of the loaves I made was NORMA'S CRANBERRY PUMPKIN BREADNorma's Cranberry Pumpkin Bread which I had made before and shared here on my blog. It came from a cookbook I have called Yolanda's All New Cranberry Cookbook by Yolanda Lodi. I ordered it online after getting back from a vacation on Cape Cod several years ago. I have made so many recipe from the cookbook and still have more I want to try. 

The second loaf recipe I made was my husband's favorite banana bread recipe called BANANA SPLIT BREAD. It really is a good banana bread recipe.

The third bread I decided to make was this Cranberry Cottage Bread which was also from Yolanda's cookbook. It uses dried cranberries whereas the first one uses fresh cranberries. The cottage referred to in the title is cottage cheese not a small cozy house. The recipe also surprises you with dried apricots. It is really a delicious quick bread also.

It isn't quite as quick as the other two because if you really want to make a tasty and beautiful loaf/slice, you really need to make sure that you finely chop the dried fruit. You want to make sure that the dried fruit is evenly distributed within the loaf. I was very meticulous in doing this and it probably took me 30 minutes to do both of them. The first time I made the recipe I measured the whole fruit and then chopped as the recipe implied by the placement of the words "finely chopped". The second time I decided to measure the fruit again after I finely chopped it and saw it was more than 1 cup. So I moved the "finely chopped" to before the fruit instead of afterwards in the recipe since the batter was a little easier to work with since the second time around, I had added less chopped fruit. 

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CRANBERRY COTTAGE BREAD

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3     cup dark-brown sugar (I just used light)

2        large eggs

1        cup cottage cheese

3        cups all-purpose flour

3        teaspoons baking powder

1        teaspoon baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

1        cup finely chopped dried apricots

1        cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or three mini-loaf pans. Set aside.

Finely chop the dried apricots and dried cranberries.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, with a mixer at low speed, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

(I did increase the speed to medium once the mixture was blended to fully cream the mixture.)

Add one egg at a time, making sure the batter continues to be fluffy.

Stir in the cottage cheese until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt,

dried apricots and

dried cranberries.

Add to the large bowl. Mix with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.

(Batter will be stiff and sticky.) (Since I made the recipe twice because I needed four mini-loaves, the second time I added the dry ingredients a little at a time and it was much easier to mix up.)

Divide the batter into the loaf pan(s). (I actually weighed my pans with the batter to make sure they were fairly evenly filled.)

(As I said the batter is stiff and sticky. You might want to moisten your finger tips with water or oil or flour.

I found a knife worked well too.)

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the bread tests done for the one large loaf. Bake the mini loaves for about 40 minutes testing for doneness.

Cool on a wire rack.

(I removed the loaves after a few minutes.)