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)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies—a winner during this holiday “span”

Pumpkin here, pumpkin there. Pumpkins get tossed into the mix everywhere during this holiday span of time.

But into chocolate chip cookies? I had never heard that one before (although I loved my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins on Thanksgiving morning.) I was very glad this recipe turned up when I did an Internet search to see what pumpkin goodies were “trending” this season.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies were so delightfully moist, soft, and chewy. Hubby thought they were unique and a great idea. Since they contained a healthy element of fiber (the recipe also called for 1 cup oats), did that give him a good excuse to sample a few extras from the cookie plate?

He thought so.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl cream butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 4 dozen. (Source: www.tasteofhome.com)

Think you've tried everything pumpkin? Bet you've overlooked these pumpkin cookies.

Yesterday at a roadside fruit and vegetable market, the proprietor was extolling her delight in cooking with fresh pumpkin. She told me she had prepared every type of pumpkin recipe imaginable and knew of nothing "pumpkin" she hadn't cooked.

I asked her whether she had ever tried pumpkin cookies. She wagged her head "no". I hadn't either until I encountered this recipe. I told her that if she was a purveyor of fine things pumpkin, she must give these a whirl.

As with many other food items I've written about in The Newfangled Country Gardener, this recipe for Easy Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese-Pecan Frosting had secured a place of honor in my fall recipe binder but had remained there, untried, for several years. Well, this was my year!

I loved everything about this recipe—especially the close-to-Thanksgivingy smell that invades the kitchen when these delectable little cookies are baking. I also love the tip that was provided at the end of the recipe (which appeared in my Kroger grocery circular some years back): the fact that you can substitute fresh pureed or canned pumpkin puree for half the oil in many brownie, muffin, and sweet-bread recipes.

Considering that at the outdoor market yesterday I brought home six mini pumpkins and one large one, I'll have pumpkin puree to substitute for oil in recipes for a very, very long time.

I plan to give a tray of these to a neighbor at Thanksgiving, take some to my kids on an upcoming visit, and put a few on my Thanksgiving table for our family. They are wonderful!

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

1 box spice cake mix

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (or 1 cup canned pumpkin)

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream-Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package Neufchatel (cream-cheese substitute) cheese, softened

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together all ingredients until well blended. Drop by the teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets; press down cookie batter with a fork that has been dipped in sugar substitute. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on rack. While they cool, make cream cheese frosting by beating cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy. Gradually add sugar and salt; beat until blended. Stir in vanilla. When cookies are cool, frost with Cream Cheese-Pecan Frosting. Sprinkle on chopped pecans. Makes 3 dozen cookies.