PUMPKIN BARS
These delicious (and very popular) Pumpkin Bars were served at our Sixteenth Annual Holiday Tea on November 26, 2011.
Bars:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Penuche Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/8 cup whole milk or light cream
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
For bars:
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Lightly butter and flour a 13x9x2-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix to combine. Add pumpkin; mix well.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; mix to combine. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well. If desired, add nuts or raisins; mix until dispersed evenly.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool in pan before topping with frosting.
For Penuche Frosting:
- Combine butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium high heat; bring to boil. Lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk and return to boil, stirring constantly. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; cool to lukewarm.
- Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, stirring until incorporated. Beat mixture until thick enough to spread; adding additional confectioners’ sugar if needed. If frosting is too thick, add a little hot water. NOTE: Work quickly – icing sets up fast!
- Frost cooled bars with warm frosting; let frosting set completely before cutting into squares. Store finished bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 24 servings
GINGERBREAD WITH CARAMEL PEARS
From Country Home Magazine, November 2007
This is the recipe Toni Christianson mentioned in her cover story in the 2011 November-December issue of our Garden Gazette newsletter.
Prep: 50 minutes
Bake: 55 minutes
Cool: 30 minutes
Oven: 325º
Gingerbread:
1 cup butter
1 cup milk or water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses or dark-flavored molasses
1/2 cup honey (full-flavored)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs
- Grease a 9 x 9 x 2″ pan and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine butter, milk, brown sugar, molasses, and honey. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, 1 at a time, into cooled butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed just until combined (batter may be lumpy).
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a 325° oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
- Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm with Caramel Pears (recipe follows) and Pumpkin Ice Cream, if desired.
Caramel Pears:
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup cognac or orange juice
3 to 4 pears – cored and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
Pinch of sugar
- In a small bowl soak dried cherries in cognac or orange juice for 30 minutes or until softened.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté pears in 3 tablespoons butter and a pinch of sugar until golden brown and cooked.
- Drain cherries. Stir cherries into pear mixture before serving.
Per serving Gingerbread with Caramel Pears: 492 cal., 20 g fat (12 g. sat. fat), 103 mg chol., 295 mg sodium, 71 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Makes 12 to 16 servings
HOLIDAY TEA SCONES
Served at the Sixteenth Annual Holiday Tea at Christianson’s Nursery, November 26, 2011
The scones for our Sixteenth Annual Holiday Tea were prepared by our staff member, Jonelle, and we received rave reviews. Here are a few of Jonelle’s tips for making exceptionally yummy scones:
- The dough will naturally pull away from the bowl once the ingredients are mixed and ready to be kneaded. It is easy to over-work the dough. The more you knead it, the stickier it becomes so resist the urge.
- I have the honor of working with coworkers who are also talented bakers so I am able to get their opinions while I bake. Joanne Romann suggested I use powdered sugar instead of flour while folding the dough. We think it added a hint of sweetness to the dough and didn’t risk drying the dough out.
- Between each of the tea servings I would refrigerate the dough. When it was time to bake the next batch, I would add a touch of whole milk to re-hydrate the dough.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Combine 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water and one full package of Fisher Scone Mix (small box) in a medium bowl. Note: Some people prefer to use milk instead of water. The scones served at the Holiday Tea this year were made with water.
- Stir with a spoon until blended. Dough will be slightly sticky.
- Knead dough 5 to 6 times on a generously floured board (we recommend using powdered sugar instead of flour), folding dough in half on top of itself each time. Do not overwork dough.
- Divide dough into 3 pieces. Pat each piece into a 5-inch diameter dome, with the center slightly higher than the outside edge. Cut each dome into 4 wedges.
- Place scone wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve scones warm from the oven. Split halfway and fill with butter and jam.
Makes approximately 12 scones
This is the Fisher Scone Mix recipe from the smaller box. For more tips and recipes visit www.fisherscones.com.