Enjoy the fruits of the harvest.
Does the cooler weather seem to get into your brain, urging you to buy cranberries and pumpkins at the store or farmer’s market? If you’re ready to put some fall in your food, here are a few reader-tested recipes best enjoyed beside a warm fire while the leaves fall outside.
Pumpkin Bars
Contributed by Katie Dreyer – “This is a hit at any gathering! You can substitute one cup of whole wheat flour for one cup of the all-purpose if you wish.”
Makes 24 bars
Bar Ingredients
4 eggs
1²⁄³ c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 16-oz. can puréed pumpkin
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Frosting Ingredients
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
¼ c. butter, room temperature
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Pour into an ungreased 15x10x1 rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely. Beat cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla with a mixer. Add milk to desired consistency. Frost the cooled pumpkin bars.
Kitchen Tip
If you don’t have a rimmed cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan, substitute one 9×13 and one 8×8 pan. Cooking time may be slightly less.
Pantry List
baking powder, baking soda, butter, cinnamon, eggs, flour, milk, powdered sugar, salt, sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil
Shopping List
cream cheese, pumpkin puree
Cranberry-Apple Casserole
Contributed by Joy Garrett – “We always make this dish on special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially because cranberries are fresh at that time. It’s always a hit with family because it makes us want to smile.”
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
3 c. raw, unpeeled, chopped apples
2 c. raw cranberries
¾ c. sugar
¼ c. water
½ c. butter, melted
½ c. old-fashioned oats
¼ c. flour
½ c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. chopped nuts
Directions
Place apples in bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Add cranberries and water; sprinkle sugar over top. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, oats, flour, brown sugar, and chopped nuts. Sprinkle on top of the fruits. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbly and browned.
Kitchen Tip
Using several different kinds of apples adds a nice note to the dish. Consider mixing a tart Granny Smith with a sweeter Jonathan or Jonagold, and maybe a Golden Delicious thrown in.
Pantry List
brown sugar, butter, flour, nuts, oats, sugar
Shopping List
apples, cranberries
Pumpkin Oreo® Bars
Contributed by Kara Rodriguez – “I first made these for a party and really appreciated that they were festive for fall but (surprisingly) not super sweet. The texture is very much like brownies.”
Makes 16 bars
Ingredients
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. baking powder
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. butter, melted
¾ c. pumpkin puree
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ c. Oreos, chopped
Directions
Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave some overhang so that the brownies can easily be lifted out of the pan. In a large bowl, stir together the spices, baking powder, and flour. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and vanilla until no sugar lumps remain. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Stir in the chopped Oreos. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let bars cool completely before cutting.
Kitchen Tip
When shopping for pumpkin puree, make sure you buy the can that is 100 percent pumpkin, not prepared pie filling. For some extra fun, use the fall Oreos that are black with orange filling.
Pantry List
baking powder, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, flour, nutmeg, vanilla
Shopping List
Oreos, pumpkin puree
This article originally appeared in HomeLife Magazine. HomeLife is looking for family-friendly, budget-conscious, original recipes from readers like you. Simply email us your recipe, name and contact info to homelife@lifeway.com. We will pay $25 for each recipe that is printed. We regret that mailed submissions cannot be accepted. Recipes become the property of HomeLife and may be edited prior to publication. Share your recipe with HomeLife!