Pumpkinpalooza!

So it's that time of year again! Yup, pumpkin season!! Yoga pants, fall bags, pumpkin spice lattes, Uggs, leaves changing and pumpkin picking!  Fall is my favorite time of year and with that I love to get in the kitchen even more and bake up some of my fall favorites for me and my husband (who never minds the taste testing)!!  During this fall season I am going to share with you some of my favorite pumpkin recipes: cakes, pies, smoothies and more!! Be sure to sign up to follow by email so you don't miss any of these recipes...who doesn't love pumpkin?!

 My first recipe is one of my all- time favorites and has become a Thanksgiving morning breakfast must have in my house! Freezer Friendly will have a Thanksgiving day go to meal plan, but I needed to bring this recipe to everyone’s attention early on in the season.  I guarantee that it will be made at least five times before turkey day!!  My first Fall Favorite pumpkin recipe is: Pumpkin Bars!!!

 I found this recipe a few years ago when I wanted an alternative to pumpkin bread and I have been in love ever since. I have made up my own topping for these bars. I got the idea from my pumpkin mousse trifle recipe which layers ginger snaps, whipped cream and pumpkin mousse, yea I know, why didn’t I start off with that but I swear this is just as yummy.  I don’t put the whipped cream topping on them unless I am making them for company or for a special occasion. I typically do not have the patience to wait for them to even cool let alone make the topping for them before I eat half the pan!! So try them both ways but make sure you make the topping because its delish! Enjoy these easy cake bars with a cup of pumpkin coffee and I promise your fall season will be started off right!!!  

Cook with love, 

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

-4 eggs

-1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

-1 cup vegetable oil

-15 oz can pumpkin

-2 cups sifted all purpose four

-2 tsp baking powder

-2 tsp ground cinnamon

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp baking soda

(recipe adapted from www.foodnetwork.com/pauladeen)

Whipped cream topping

- 1 cup heavy cream (cold)

- 2 TBP of powdered sugar

- 20 ginger snap cookies crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. 

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

I usually place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge at this time to get them nice and cold for the icing.  Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10 in baking pan. Bake for 30 min. Add both the heavy cream and powdered sugar into the mixer and whisk on low to incorporate both ingredients then whisk on high until you see peaks. After the whipped cream is ready, fold in your crushed ginger snaps. Spread evenly over the bars, cut and serve. Or you can cut the bars then pipe the whipped cream over each bar to make it pretty!!

To freeze:

I would typically not freeze this batter  I would try to make it fresh. But I have opened up cans of pumpkin puree before and not used it all and have frozen the remaining and that thawed perfectly.  You can also make the bars, cut, cool and then freeze them.  Wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap then place in a bag or tightly sealed Tupperware container.  You could freeze the icing though, make it in large batches then freeze left overs or doubled batches for future use.  To thaw icing:  Place in the fridge only, do not place on the counter because it can spoil, allow it to be smooth enough to spread.