Instant replay called for on these Pumpkin-Cranberry Bars

This snack made our Super Bowl super. I had baked these bars on Saturday but advised Hubby we had to wait until the game kickoff on Sunday to dine on them so they could be official. That was not easy for Hubby, but he knows the drill and obliged.

I had some dried cranberries left over from Christmas baking. And of course I have my ready supply of pumpkin puree packed away from the pumpkins that grew in our garden way-late in the year. I have the puree stored in small, recipe-friendly portions in the freezer. 

These bars were just delicious. Love the marriage of pumpkin and cranberry in these squares. I confess I was a pre-game couch potato and took the easy route on the frosting: I opened a container of (Betty Crocker-brand) ready-made cream-cheese frosting and used it to spread on the bars. Very yummy. 

I believe we picked a winner; Hubby called for an instant replay. He suggested we not wait until next year’s Super Game to try them again.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Bars

1 cup pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup dried cranberries

Frosting:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened 

2 teaspoons granulated white sugar (or sugar substitute)

fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Place the pecans on a baking sheet; bake for about 8-10 minutes or until pecans are lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven; cool completely; then coarsely chop the pecans. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch-by-9-inch pan.

In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract; beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree until incorporated (at this point the batter may look curdled). Gradually add the flour mixture; mix only until it is combined. Stir in the chopped toasted pecans and dried cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan; bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars emerges clean. Remove from oven; place pan on a wire rack to cool. When the baked item is cool, cut  into 16 (2-inch square) bars. For frosting, beat the whipping cream and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add sugar to taste. Spoon a bit of cream cheese on top of each bar. Top with fresh pumpkin seeds (I used chopped pecans). (Source: joyofbaking.com)

Cranberry cookies with “everything in them” go into the win-column

“I believe your cookies were a whole lot better than last year’s. What were those that had everything in them?” Our well-meaning neighbor truly did pay me a compliment in the aftermath of our cookie delivery to his home. He was referencing these Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, which I believe represented my crown-jewel food item to prepare during the recent holidays.

“Everything in them” was right. Besides chopped fresh cranberries they also contained white-chocolate chips, white raisins, grated orange peel, and quick-cooking oats. Only the addition of the proverbial kitchen sink would have made them more chock-full.

They were healthy, flavorful, and stayed fresh for days—made a bunch (6 dozen) and held together well during baking. Plus, they just looked like Christmas, right? I usually like to try out new recipes from year to year and each Christmas start anew in my holiday baking, but I already know I plan to file this recipe away for a repeat in 2013.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 package (12 ounces) vanilla chips (I used white chocolate chips)

In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, cranberries, and orange peel. Stir in vanilla chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes 6 dozen. (Source: Taste of Home 2010)

Include these healthy cranberry-almond muffins on your buffet table to welcome Christmas morning

Time to get some of those menu items prepared and stashed away for Christmas-morning breakfast. Whether you plan to have a houseful of guests just after Santa arrives or whether it's just the two of you taking time to luxuriously savor those holiday hours (that’ll be us!), crowning the event with a terrific, memorable breakfast is worth some advance planning.

Prevention Magazine furnished this recipe for a healthy, Christmasy muffin that I've already baked and previewed and stored in my deepfreeze for a Christmas breakfast menu that also will include turkey sausage balls and a potato casserole. As I auditioned Cranberry-Almond Muffins, I spread on some of my homemade pumpkin-apple butter. The end result seemed as though it was a gift from Santa himself.

Whole-wheat flour combines with all-purpose flour as a base for the muffin batter. A heaping addition of whole cranberries (remember their vitamin C and fiber benefits) plus sliced almonds make this a seriously healthy treat. That little touch of red as the cranberries peek through the muffin tops helps decorate your Christmas table.

You even could consider subbing one of these muffins for cookies when you leave out for Santa a little treat! Goodness knows he looks as though he himself could use a little dose of healthy eating.

Cran-Almond Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup fat-free milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 2/3 cup whole cranberries

1 tablespoon butter, cut into 12 cubes

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first five ingredients. Whisk together next 4 ingredients. Fold this mixture into flour mixture. Stir in cranberries. Put batter in muffin pan lined with 12 baking cups (or muffin pan that has been generously greased so muffins will remove easily). Top with butter. Whisk together 2 teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, and almonds; sprinkle on the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake until muffins test done, about 22 minutes. Yields 12.