October 30, 2010

Halloween Goodies!

DH is in St. Louis to see the band, Umphrey's McGee do their annual Halloween Mash Up show.  I sent along a box of goodies with him.

From MyRecipes.com: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001661173:

Cinnamon Pumpkin Brittle

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups toasted hulled pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)

Directions:
1. Lightly butter a 10- by 15-in. baking pan. In a small bowl, stir baking soda in vanilla to dissolve; set aside. In another bowl, stir together cinnamon and salt (to help the cinnamon distribute evenly when it's stirred into the sugar mixture).

2. In a 4- to 5-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to stir together sugar, 1/2 cup water, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup butter until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil sugar mixture, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep amber and measures 335° to 340° on a candy thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes.

3. Remove sugar mixture from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and cinnamon mixtures (they will bubble up). Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and pour into prepared pan, using spatula or wooden spoon to evenly spread and fill pan. Let brittle cool at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Gently twist pan to release brittle (if necessary, run a heatproof spatula underneath brittle to help release it), then chop or break it into chunks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

From McCormick Shilling at: http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Desserts/Caramel-Pumpkin-Oatmeal-Bars.aspx

Caramel Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
3/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ginger, Ground
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
7 ounces (1/2 of 14-ounce package) caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in large bowl. Add butter; stir until mixture is well blended and forms coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 (about 2 1/4 cups) for the topping. Add pumpkin and vanilla to remaining mixture in bowl; stir until well blended. Press evenly into bottom of greased foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan. Set aside.

2. Microwave caramels and milk in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after every minute. Let stand 1 minute. Pour over pumpkin mixture in pan, spreading to within 1/2-inch of edges. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Lift from pan. Cut into bars.

TipsTest Kitchen Tip: Prepare as directed, using 1 tablespoon McCormick® Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

From BettyCrocker.com at: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/caramel-smore-cups/9916aa44-083c-4507-8db9-49d0a92f62f7

Caramel S’more Cups

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
24 round chewy caramels in milk chocolate, from 3 (1.91-oz) rolls, unwrapped (Rolos)
72 mini marshmallows (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2.Make cookie dough as directed on package, using butter and egg. Shape dough into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place 1 ball into each muffin cup.

3.Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; firmly press 1 candy into center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each with 3 marshmallows. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen edges of cookie with small metal spatula and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

4.Place chocolate chips in small resealable freezer plastic bag. Microwave on High about 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over marshmallows. Let stand until hardened, about 10 minutes.

Also from Betty Crocker at: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cinnamon-bun-bars/b64ffc29-891d-493b-84cf-a330aff19697

Cinnamon Bun Bars

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2.In large bowl, beat cake mix, softened butter, milk and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until blended. Spread evenly in pan.

3.In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, caramel topping, melted butter, pecans and cinnamon. Drop by spoonfuls on top of batter, and spread evenly.

4.Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown and slightly puffed throughout. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered.

The last recipe I don't have a photo.  I simply took a pan of brownies, and spread the top with 7 oz. of caramels melted with 1 Tbsp. milk.  Then I pressed Autumn colored M&M's and honey roasted peanuts into the caramel.  It sort of looked like birdseed, lol!  Hopefully, it tastes better than that!

October 15, 2010

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes



Today is DH's last day at his current employer.  For his final Friday cake, he wanted Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes.

I got this recipe from the website http://www.bakeitinacake.com/
I won't reprint the recipe here.  Just follow the link.  Lots' of great goodies there!

October 01, 2010

Butterscotch Zucchini Cake

I haven't baked in awhile, but an excess of zucchini and the mention of this cake on a music forum prompted me to try this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 cake pan.
Sift flour, sugar, soda, powder, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl. 
Add eggs and oil and mix well.  Mix in grated zucchini and nuts.
Pour into pan.  Sprinkle butterscotch chips on top of batter.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.