Pumpkin Pecan Dessert Squares

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix

8 TBSP unsalted butter, melted

4 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 eggs

1 jar Muirhead Pumpkin Pecan Butter

2 TBSP milk

1 TBSP All-Purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

Reserve 1 cup of cake mix in a small bowl.

In a bowl, stir together remaining cake mix, 8 TBSP melted butter and 1 egg. Pour into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the jar of pumpkin butter with the remaining 2 eggs and the milk. Spread over the cake batter in the baking pan.

Add the flour, sugar and cinnamon to the small bowl with the reserved cake mix and stir together. Add the 4 TBSP of cold butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter until pea-sized crumbs form and the mixture clumps together. Crumble over the mixture in the baking dish.

Bake until golden, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

This is an enjoyable treat that warms up your home with the fall scent of pumpkin pecan. Enjoy!!!

Butternut Squash

Cut the butternut squash in half and lay face up in 9x13 pan. Fill pan 1/2 inch with water. Generously spray insides of squash with spray butter. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon. (maybe a little ginger)

Cook at 400 for 1 hour. Leave in longer if needed.

Spoon squash into serving bowl. Spray with more butter or use real butter, add more cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle with salt. Lightly mash so it is chunky. Serve! That is the lowfat version. If you think your family may not eat it, let them sprinkle some brown sugar on their portion.

(sorry about the funny picture positioning, haven't figured out how to move them around...I wanted the one in the bowl at the bottom, oh well, I guess you at least get the idea, :) right?)

Pumpkn Pancake & Cider Syrup

Pancakes: Beat 2 eggs Stir in: 3/4 cup pumpkin, 2 TB sugar, 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt; 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 cup oil, and 1-1/2 cups flour.
Stir in about 1-1/2 cups milk, until desired consistency.

Syrup: Mix well and boil 1 minute: 1 cup sugar, 2 TB cornstarch, 2 cups apple cider or juice and 2 TB lemon juice.

Stacia's Treat

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my "must make at least twice" Fall recipes
that I got from one of my fabulous college roommates.

1 1/2 c. shortening

3 eggs
4 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 large can pumpkin
7 1/2 c. flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. nutmeg
3 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

BEWARE! IT MAKES A TON!

If you don't need 150+ cookies - you can always cut the recipe in half.

And here's a recipe card I made last year for a recipe exchange. Enjoy!

Roasted Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza

I know this kinda sounds strange, but seriously it's so amazing!

Ingredients for roasting:

A 2lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

1 red onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

3 large red new potatoes, peeled and quartered

salt and pepper

olive oil

Ingredients for pizza:

Olive oil, for baking sheet and drizzling

Flour, for dusting surface

1 pound pizza dough, fresh, or thawed if frozen
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Roasted Fall Vegetables, coarsely cut (you will have extra)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 tsp. of dried (optional)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 chicken breast, grilled and chopped (optional, but not an optional item for Wayne)

First:

You need to roast the veggies.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide vegetables and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets (line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup); dividing evenly, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. (To store: Let cool, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Pour off any accumulated liquid before using.)

Next:
Preheat oven to 475°. Brush a large baking sheet (preferably rimless) with oil, or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup. I like to sprinkle a little cornmeal on the pan after oiling it to add a little crunch to my crust. Totally optional.
On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough as large as will fit on baking sheet; transfer to sheet.
Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables and chicken on top, and dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and, if using, rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

I like to brush the edges of the crust with a little olive oil before baking. And I grill the chicken breasts with the rosemary on them instead of sprinkling it all over the pizza. And there you have it! A delicious and filling fall dinner.