Pumpkin Dessert

This is a quick and easy pumpkin dessert for the holidays. The whipped cream really tops it off!

Note: No baking in between layers. Just spread each layer and bake all together at the end!

Bottom:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (minus 1 cup reserved to use in topping)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg

Middle section:
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup cake mix (reserved from box before making bottom layer)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Reserve 1 cup cake mix. Mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup butter and 1 egg. Mix well and spread in a 9 X 13 pan.

Combine pumpkin, 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk. Mix well. Pour over crust.

Mix remaining cake mix with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup softened buter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nuts. Spread over cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 miniutes, until set and slightly browned. Serve with whipped cream.

Grasshopper Squares

From Epicurious

For brownie layer
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

For mint ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, chopped -- not Ghiradelli!
2 tablespoons green crème de menthe
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For chocolate ganache
1 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Preparation

Make brownie layer:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make mint ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract. Poor over brownies and refrigerate for one hour.

Make chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Poor over mint layer and refrigerate until set. Freeze for 1 hour.

Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.

Radish and Cream Cheese Spread

Radish and Cream Cheese Spread

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 t. celery salt
Dash paprika
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup finely chopped radishes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

Mix cheese, butter, celery salt, paprika and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth. Stir in radishes and onions. Chill several hours to blend flavors. Makes 1 and 1/2 cups. Whole grain rye crackers (like RyKrisp) go great with this cheese spread.

I substituted fat free and 1/3 less fat cream cheese for the regualar cream cheese. I also substituted Smart Balance spread for the butter / margarine. Enjoy, Kim Farley

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars I made last week. Using a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan yields a lot of bars for a large crowd which is nice.

1(16 oz.) pkg. pound cake mix
3 eggs
2 T butter
4 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (Iused 1/3 less fat)
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
1/2 t. salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixer bown, on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, butter and 2 t. pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press onto bottom of 15 X 10 jellyroll pan. In large mixer bowl, beta chesse until fluffy.

Gradually beat in Eagle Brand milk then remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 t. pumpkin pie spice and salt; mix well. Pour over crust; sprinkle with nuts. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

O'Henry Bars Recipe - Michele

Here's the recipe for the bars I brought in last week. This is not my cookie exchange recipe though.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix Together and pat into 9 X 13 pan:

4 c. quick oatmeal
1/2 c. Brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. white corn syrup
1 t. baking soda

Bake at 400 degrees for 9 minutes. Cool completely, then frost with:

1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter

Melt together in microwave, stir and spread on cooled oatmeal mixture above.
Refrigerate until frosting is set then cut into bars.

Yield: 12 - 24 bars or more.

Enjoy this quick and easy recipe.

Cookie exchange - Recipes

Please post your cookie recipe here when you have a moment.

Cookie exchange -- Cookie type

Please comment on this post with the type of cookie that you will be making for the exchange.

All participants should comment by Wednesday, December 5.

Cookie exchange

Anyone up for a holiday cookie exchange? Cindy mentioned this last week and I have been thinking about it, too. For the uninitiated, usually each person brings a dozen (or half dozen if it's a big group) cookies per attendee plus a dozen for the party. Every attendee is then able to take home a dozen of each type of cookie.

If anyone is interested, I'll organize it (feel free to volunteer to help, too!). If you need cookie inspiration, My Recipes is running a cookie calendar for the holidays.

Blog Name Change suggestions

Hi Everyone,

It's so boring! A name change is in order for this blog. Please help me come up with a new name that is creative yet still identifies our blog as a RECIPE blog for our department. Post your suggestions on the blog please so we can all see and possibly generate even better ideas! Then we can vote on the most creative yet meaningful name.

Thanks for your help.

Checking in with new ideas

Hi!

It's been quite a while since anyone has posted a recipe here. Some of us have talked about it and one idea that came up was to make a general rule that if you post a recipe you need to prepare it and bring it in to work for everyone to taste. This could be done before posting the recipe or immediately after.

So, I thought I would get this note on the BLOG before the start of Fall Semester when I'm sure everyone will be clammering to bake and create their specialties to share.