Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

1 15 oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 bread pans. Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased pans. Bake 50 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

chocolate cloud pie

Chocolate Cloud Pie
from Kraft foods




Ingredients

1-1/4 cups finely crushed FAMOUS Chocolate Wafers (about 20 wafers or 1/2 of 9-oz. pkg.)

2 Tbsp.  granulated sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

2 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix wafer crumbs, granulated sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 min.
BEAT cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in chocolate; pour into crust.
BAKE 35 min. Cool completely. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

 

red velvet cake balls

I've also made them heart shaped for Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Cake Balls
from Bakerella

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

homemade quick bread

Homemade Bread Recipe (from pantrysecrets.com)

10 1/2 cups white bread flour or wheat flour (do not use all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs salt
3 rounded tbs saf-instant yeast (the kryptonite yeast)
3 tbs liquid lecithin (you can use 1/3 cup of oil instead)
4 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix for 5 minute. (do not add water or flour to dough after it has finished mixing) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let raise 25 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This recipe makes four loaves of bread.

YUM. It's good stuff. You could also make pizza, cinnamon rolls, regular rolls, or whatever your little heart desires. (within reason) Enjoy!

peanut butter cookie bars

They're pretty much awesomeness in a bite.

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter ( I used creamy, you could use crunchy if you prefer)
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups oatmeal

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars together in a large bowl. Add eggs and peanut butter. Mix well. Add salt, baking soda, and flour and mix well. Stir in vanilla and oatmeal. Spread dough in a greased 9x13 pan. bake 15 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and spread additional peanut butter over bars. (I think this over peanut buttered it, haha) When cool, melt 1/3 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of peanut butter and melt in the microwave. Let it cool for a minute, spoon into a ziploc bag and snip a little bit off of a corner. Drizzle over the top and let it cool and harden slightly. Cut the bars up and EAT!

fruit bars

I made these fruit bars yesterday, the first baking in the new house! So fun. Here is a pic and the recipe in case you want to try them, they are so easy and yummy. It's a recipe from Rory's mom, btw. We made them all the time while we were starving students in Utah. So we weren't really starving. Anyways...

Fruit Bars

1 Package cake mix ( I like french vanilla, but you can use white or yellow too)

2 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cup jam or preserves (any flavor your little heart desires)
1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9 x 13 pan. Mix melted margarine/butter, cake mix, and oats. Press half of cake mixture into pan. Mix jam and water until smooth. Poor over pressed cake mixture and smooth with spoon or spatula. Then sprinkle remaining cake mixture on top of jam. Press lightly. Bake for 18-23 minutes. Then gobble down!