Pumpkin Squares

Pumpkin Squares

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dry Ingredients: Sift dry ingredients together and set aside

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups sugar

In a separate bowl beat together the following ingredients

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin (1 can)

1 cup oil

Once combined, add dry ingredients and mix well.

Grease and flour 11X17 cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes and let cool

Frosting – mix together

3oz Cream Cheese

1 tbs milk

6 tbs butter

1tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

I love peanut butter bars. I'm not sure why I don't make them more often. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came from HERE. They were super easy and fast.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.) 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Peanut Butter Bars

I've seen this recipe all over Pinterest, but the one I followed came from HERE (mybakerlady.com)

 Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind)
 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter (4 tablespoons is for the frosting)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

S'mores Pie

I saw this on Life as a Lofthouse. This is my new favorite dessert. I have been making chocolate chip pie a few times a month because I love that recipe, but this was so good too so now I will alternate. This one is a MUST try!

S'mores Pie
slightly adapted from: Cookies and Cups

1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (7 ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme (don't use regular marshmallows)
4 Regular sized Hersheys Bars, broken into pieces
wax or parchment paper

 DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a *9 inch glass pie pan with baking spray. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy and combined. Add egg and vanilla until incorporated. On low speed add in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough in the bottom and sides of the prepared pie pan. Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom of crust. Spread the broken chocolate pieces on top of the Marshmallow Creme. Form the remaining dough into a ball and place it on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Top with another piece of wax or parchment paper and flatten into a 9 inch circle with a rolling pin. Carefully peel off the top piece of wax paper. Flip the crust onto the top of pie and peel off the other piece of paper. Pinch the dough together to form the crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and then slice and serve.

*The first time I made this I used a pie tin, the second time I made it I put it in an 8X11 inch pan.

No Bake Cookie Bars

I am so far behind on my receipes. I have probably 15 -20 recipes in draft, just no time. These were incredibly rich, but so yummy. They were easy, but a little time consuming. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookie Bars by Sweet Treats and More

For the cookie bar:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick margarine (approx 56 grammes)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 TBS cocoa
2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and cocoa. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 90 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, then oats one cup at a time. Pour mixture into a greased 8 x 8 in. glass pan. If you want a thinner bar you can use a 9 x 13 in. glass pan. Place in the fridge and let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1/2 cup peanut butter
Once cooled completely spread 1/2 cup peanut butter over the top of the bars. Next make your chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 tbs cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
6 tbs milk
4 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir in cocoa, vanilla, and milk. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Immediately stir in powdered sugar, mixing in one cup at a time until smooth.

Spread the frosting over the bars, cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Bars

I used to order pumpkin bars from a local catering place. I won't say where because that would be tacky, but the last time I ordered them they were so awful I couldn't even gag one down. I got this recipe from a mailing that comes in a local monthly flier and thought I'd give them a try. We had just gotten back from a movie and my husband asked me what I wanted for dinner. I told him I wasn't hungry but a few minutes later was cooking these. Of course I can always find room for dessert. I liked these, but next time I won't use as much vegetable oil. Is it possible to taste the vegetable oil? The recipe called for a cup and I thought that was a lot. But, I swear I can taste it. Plus for some reason the middle didn't get cooked all the way but about 2 inches on all sides was cooked and would have been way over cooked had I left them in longer. It was strange. Could old vegetable oil cause that? After I made them I checked the date on the oil, since I thought I could taste it, and it was expired. Probably shouldn't have used it. Maybe next time they will turn out better. I will make them again.

Ingredients:
Bars

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (this seems like way to much)

1 15 oz can pumpkin

2 cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Icing

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin and mix well. Add dry ingredients an mix at low speed until batter is smooth. Spread into a greased 9x12 inch baking dish.

Bake at 30 minutes or until done.

Cool completely before frosting

Ooey Gooey Cheescake Bars

I was browsing recipes the other day and went to my sister in law's friends blog that I visit from time to time. She actually has a lot of stuff I want to try but these caught my eye and I had to try them since I already had all the needed ingredients. My husband says I'm trying to kill him with all the junk I keep in this house. Although it's far from the truth I really do need to stop baking! This are so easy though and way good. I actually over baked these just a little but oh well, it won't stop me from eating them. (please excuse my horrible food pictures...It's so hard to get a good picture but I like having pictures better than not even if they don't look great.) I got this recipe from HERE

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick of butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar (1/2 of regular bag)
1 pkg (8 0z) cream cheese, softened
Combine yellow cake mix, one egg, and stick of butter to form a crust. Press into bottom of 13x9 pan.
Combine two remaining eggs, powdered sugar, and cream cheese and pour mixture over crust.
Bake for 35-40 min in 350° oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and allow to cool.

Pumpkin Blondies

Also from The Girl Who Ate Everything Blog. I haven't decided yet if I love them or if they are just OK. I keep eating them. I know strange, it's like they taste good but I don't take a bite and think they are the best thing ever so I just keep taking bites.

Pumpkin Blondies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate and butterscotch chips (and pecans, if using) with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Again, from The Girl Who Ate Everything Blog. I'm tired of linking to her, but her link is on the right side of my blog. I love sugar cookies. I hate how long it takes to roll the dough, cut the, cook them. This was much faster and easier, and just as yummy. It's basically the same thing I would do if I were to make Fruit Pizza, which is also a favorite of mine. I don't know why I never thought to just do this instead of cookies. Karson wanted green frosting so that's what we did.

Sugar Cookie Bars
Source: BreeAnn Fankhauser

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened
1 tsp vanilla (Or almond extract)
¼ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk! Spread over cooled cookie bars

Smore's Bars

Another recipe from HERE. I'm telling you, I think if her and I met, we would be good friends. Silly, what we have in common, food, but seriously she loves the same things I do and I have not been disappointed in anything I've tried. I have a million more recipes to try and lots that I've tried that I need to post, but here's another yummy one. Of course mine looked nothing like hers but they were good anyway. They were super crumbly so maybe they needed to be mixed better.


Smores Bars
Source: Lovin In the Oven

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This part can be tricky. I made little disks with the dough and formed them into a sheet on some parchment paper then transferred it over. Spread it around gently.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Makes 16 cookie bars.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I'm a lover of recipe sites. When I can't sleep at night I browse recipes and make lists in my head of all the food I want to cook. I love trying new things. One of my favorite recipe blogs is THIS. I goth this recipe here.

I liked these, but I didn't love them. I think the frosting would be very yummy on Betty Crocker brownies. I think I'll try that next time but I imagine it would be awesome. I made a mistake of using the smaller jelly roll pan instead of a regular size. They turned out super thick and with thick frosting. Also I was at the store searching for buttermilk and realized I have no clue what it is or where to find it and I didn't find any. And I looked everywhere. I found a substitution for buttermilk on line but didn't have what I needed so I just used milk, they may have turned out better if I used what was on the recipe.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
by Nina Jones

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting
Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter
Take off stove and add:3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake

Frosted Banana Bars

I think I've been cooking out of boredom lately. Sad, huh? To bad all I'm making is junk food...I had some old bananas and decided to try THIS recipe. Yummy! I'm completely addicted to these. I make them ALL the time. They are probably my favorite.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese frosting (I made my own frosting and I'll add the recipe at the end)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10X15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt: stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 pkg (16 oz) powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Caramel Bars

This recipe was in the Daily Herald on June 3, 2008. I've wanted to try them forever, and finally did tonight. They are good, but they seriously take FOREVER. I'm all about fast and easy and this was easy, but not fast.

Cooking Spray

Brownie Layer:
• 1 pkg. Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs

Peanut Butter Layer:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped (of course I left these out)

Caramel-Chocolate Layer:
• 1 bag (14 oz.) caramels, unwrapped
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 bag (11.5 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom only of 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.
Stir brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and water; mix well (if necessary, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture is smooth).
Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter mixture over cooled brownie layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle with peanuts; refrigerate while making caramel layer.
Heat caramels and water in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat; stir frequently until caramels are melted. Pour caramel mixture over chopped peanuts; spread evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until caramel is set.
Melt milk chocolate chips in an uncovered microwavable bowl on medium-high (70 percent) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 20 additional seconds as needed, then stir. Continue until melted and smooth. Once melted, pour evenly over caramel layer and gently spread. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is set before cutting.
Makes 24 bars.

Marshmallow Cookie Bars

1 18-oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
4 C mini marshmallows
3/4 C candy-coated chocolate pieces
1/4 C hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Press cookie dough in bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle even with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional 1-2 minutes or until puffy. Remove pan and sprinkle with chocolate pieces and drizzle with warm ice cream topping. Cool 1 hour and cut into bars.

Indoor S'mores

8 C Golden Grahams cereal
6 C mini marshmallows
1 1/2 C milk chocolate chips
1/4 C light corn syrup
5 Tbsp. margarine
1 Tsp. vanilla

Measure cereal into large bowl. Butter 13x9 inch pan. Microwave five cups marshmallows, chocolate chips, corn syrup and margarine uncovered in a large microwavable bowl for 2-3 1/2 minutes, stirring after every minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in bowl, quickly toss until completely coated. Stir in one cup marshmallows. Press mixture in pan, using buttered back of spoon. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Cut into bars.

Fruit Pizza

1 8-oz Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
1 8-oz pkg softened cream cheese
2 oz. softened Cool Whip
Powdered Sugar (From Jen, I liked her frosting better)

Fresh Strawberries
Fresh Kiwi
Fresh Raspberries
Fresh Bananas
Pineapple

Spread cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Cook on 325 degrees and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool. Blend together cream cheese & cool whip until light and fluffy then spread over cookie dough. Cut fruit into slices and place on top. You can use any fruit, I listed what I like to use.

Turtle Bars

I saw this on Studio 5 and they looked so good I had to try them.

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 C semisweet Choc Chips (I used milk chocolate)
2 C Pecans, chopped (I don't cook with nuts so I left these out)
2 C Almonds, slivered (I also left these out)
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 jar Caramel ice cream topping
1 C graham cracker crumbs (I buy the already crushed graham crackers)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press cookie dough evenly in bottom of ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle 1 C of the chocolate chips, 1 C Pecans, 1 C almonds over the dough, lightly press into dough. Set aside. In a medium size sauce-pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, caramel topping and graham cracker crumbs. Heat to boiling stirring constantly. Pour over crust in pan, spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and pecans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are a deep golden brown and pecans are lightly toasted. Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, loosen sides from pan but cool completely, about 3 hours, before cutting.

Special K Squares

This is a recipe from my mom. I remember making these when I was so young and they are still a favorite and so easy.

1 C. sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
1 C. creamy peanut butter
6 C. Special K cereal
1 C. milk chocolate chips
1 C. butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Mix well. Add Special K cereal and stir until well combined. Spread onto large cookie sheet. Sprinkle chocolate and butterscotch chips over the top of the cereal mixture. Place in warm oven for about 5 minutes until chips appear glossy. Spread chips like frosting.