Pumpkin Bars

Last summer my cousin's wife Cathy brought these amazing pumpkin bars to our Rigby Family Reunion. I seriously had never had a pumpkin bar as good as they were. I fell in love with them and I'm pretty sure that I ate 3 or 4 of them that day. I let her know that I really wanted the recipe for them, and about a week later it showed up in the mail. I was delightfully delighted!
Well, for some crazy, unexplainable reason, it took me 7 months to get around to actually making them. Who the heck knows why! But then, I made up for lost time and made 3 pans of these in 1 week. I tell no lie. 3 in a week! Now, don't worry, my little family didn't eat all 3 pans. Each of them were shared. But we definitely ate our fair share of them, and they were soooooo good. You don't need to wait until the fall to make this pumpkin recipe. Make it RIGHT NOW! They are amazing. Make sure you make the creamy, dreamy frosting with them. You can't substitute anything else! Promise me that you will NEVER put a can of store bought frosting on these delicious pumpkin pieces of heaven.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

Blend together sugar, oil, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add can of pumpkin and mix well again. Put batter in a sheet pan that has been sprayed well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool completely, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar

Mix together well until light and fluffy.

Indoor S'mores

These are to die for, unbelievable, and simply amazing. I don't even really like s'mores. I sit around the campfire roasting marshmallows and making s'mores for all the kiddos and never eat one. I will eat one (but only one) if we are making them with Keebler fudge stripped cookies, but not if we are making traditional s'mores. They just aren't appealing to me. My hubby isn't a huge s'more fan either, but let me tell you, my husband LOVES LOVES LOVES roasted marshmallows. Watching him eat them is an experience everyone needs to have.  He literally sucks them right of the stick... right out of the fire. Then with his mouth completely full of hot molten marshmallow, he exclaims how much he loves them.
Anyway, back to the Indoor S'mores. They are seriously good. I made them recently for the first time in about 5 years and remembered how much we absolutely love them.

Indoor S'mores

10 cups Golden Grahams Cereal
about 8 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup

Spray inside of a large bowl with non-stick spray. Measure cereal into bowl, set aside. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray, set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat, then add marshmallows, chocolate chips an corn syrup. Stir constantly until marshmallows are completely melted. Pour over cereal and  stir until completely coated. Spread into 9x13 pan. Let cool then cut into squares.

Creamy Lemon Bars

I am not really a fan of lemon bars. I usually like the first bite, but then they just leave a horrible taste in my mouth.  When I saw this recipe on Our Best Bites, I decided to try it and see if I liked them better than the regular ones. I did. These were really good. I tripled the recipe and made a big ol' pan of them because I needed to take them to two different gatherings; my niece's bridal shower and a BBQ with friends. I had tons of people ask me for the recipe, so I guess they were a hit! Next time I make them, I think I will try lime instead of lemon.

Creamy Lemon Bars

20 Nilla Wafers, crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temp.
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 inch square baking pan with foil (this isn't absolutely necessary, I actually forgot to do this. It just makes it easier for cutting and serving). Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour, and the brown sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and then cut into the crumb mixture with pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press this mixture firmly into bottom of prepared pan, and bake for 15 minutes.
While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 2 Tbsp flour, and baking powder. Mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp lemon zest, and lemon juice, then pour mixture over crust.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining lemon zest just before cutting and serving.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Marshmallow Brownies

Whenever I take these somewhere, I get asked for the recipe. They are always shocked when I tell them that the brownies are from a box.  I think the secret to this recipe is using this chocolate frosting, because it really is the best.

Marshmallow Brownies

1 brownie mix, prepared as directed for fudge-like brownies
1/2 package miniature marshmallows
chocolate frosting

Spread marshmallows in a single layer over the brownies during the last couple of minutes the brownies are baking.  Frost with chocolate frosting.

Chewy Homemade Granola Bars

These have been on my "to make" list for a few months now. I just hadn't made them because I kept forgetting to buy coconut (I know all you list makers are thinking right now "why didn't you write it on your shopping list?" or "Don't you shop with a grocery list?" Well, no, I don't.  See that little blurb in the "about me" section?  See where it says unorganized? Well, I wasn't kidding when I wrote that.  I am the most unorganized person I know.   In fact, that "to make" list I talked about, isn't really even a list...).  So the other day I decided that since I would probably never remember to buy coconut, I wasn't going to wait any longer to make these, and I would just make them without the coconut.  Boy were these a hit with my family.  I ended up making 2 batches in one afternoon, and they were all gone by the next day.  My kids and husband absolutely loved them... my husband especially. They are evidently his new favorite treat. They made the perfect after-school snack for the kiddos. I am not sure if I will ever make them with the coconut, but if I do, I will let you know. 

Chewy Homemade Granola Bars

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup rice krispy cereal
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8x8 pan. (I cooked one batch in a 11x7 pan and one in a 9x13 pan.  So you can really do any size pan you want, depending on how thick you want the bars.  Just adjust the baking time if you are making them thinner.  I think I did the 9x13 pan for about 15 minutes. The ones pictured are from a 9x13`) Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars. Let it set completely and then cut into bars.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

This is seriously one of my most favorite treats.  I lu-huv them. In the picture above, they are a lot thinner than normal.  I doubled the recipe and baked them in my jelly-roll pan, but I should have tripled the recipe for that pan.  They were still delish though.  I was reading the reviews for this recipe on allrecipes.com and one person said that they used peanut butter, that they had melted in the microwave, instead of the caramel.  Another person said that they used chopped apples instead of chocolate chips. A lot of people said they added either pecans or walnuts.  You may want to try one of those variations... but I will stick with the way they are... because you can't mess with perfection!

Oatmeal Caramelitas
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel topping
3 Tablespoons flour

Mix flour, oats, sugar, soda, salt and butter. Press half of the mixture into a 11x7 pan (or 9x9 square pan) and set the other half aside. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Blend the caramel topping with 3 T. flour. Pour (drizzle) over chocolate chips. Sprinkle the balance of the flour oat mixture over the dessert. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool and set before slicing.

Banana Sour Cream Bars

Yummy!  These bars are dangerous.  They are so light, and fluffy, and yummy, but the down side to them being so light and fluffy and yummy is that you can eat a ton of them before you realize that you have eaten a ton of them. I got the recipe from my friend Carrie Castleberry.  After I tasted them I knew I needed the recipe.

Banana Sour Cream Bars

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter (softened)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup smashed bananas
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Cream sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs.  Mix in bananas and vanilla, then add the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Pour into a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. hot water (add little bits of hot water if it is too thick)

Frost bars after they have cooled.

Peanut Butter Bars

I got this recipe from my friend Jaime Griffiths. I made peanut butter bars for years from a different recipe, but since I got this one from Jaime, it is the only one I have made. They are super yummy and one of Steve's very favorites.

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 lb softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 Tbsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal

mix butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter, then add dry ingredients. Spread on cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) and bake at 325 degrees for 20 min, or until the top is barely brown. Cool then frost with chocolate frosting.