Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

The kids and I decided we wanted breakfast for dinner. :)

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup milk

1 medium apple, diced

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Combine oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, syrup, milk, and egg. Mix with oat mixture. Fold in diced apples. Bake in an 8x8 baking dish at 350 for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with brown sugar on top. Yum!

Buckeye Bars

I have no idea where I got this recipe, but I make it a lot - especially on game day. Chris actually prefers these to the traditional Buckeyes.

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Soften peanut butter and butter in the microwave and mix together. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Pat mixture on the bottom of 9x13 pan. On low heat or double boiler, melt the chocolate. Stir in the vegetable oil. Pour over crust and refrigerate several hours. Cut into bars.

* I tend to think these are best served chilled - they get a little messy at room temp.

Milky Way Rice Krispy Treats

This recipe comes all the way from across the pond. My friend Kirsty, who is from England, brought this delicious treat to the Gov's office one day. Her cute "mum" made them for her growing up. This might actually be my favorite dessert of all time. You won't regret it if you make them.

4 (regular-sized) Milky Way bars

4 oz. butter

4 oz. Rice Krispies (just eyeball it)

1 Hershey's Symphony Bar
Splash heavy cream

Line 9x9 pan with lightly greased parchment paper. Melt together Milky Way bars with butter. Stir in Rice Krispies. Pour mixture into pan and refrigerate to set. Once cool, melt Symphony bar and stir in heavy cream. Cover the rice crispie treat with the chocolate topping and put back in fridge to set. Bring back to room temp before cutting and serving.

Pumpkin Bars

This one is for Tammy, especially since she loves Paula Dean. I saw Paula Dean make these and I had to try them. They are delicious! In fact, there is a half-eaten pan of these in my kitchen now. These were our dessert after our hearty bowl of turkey chili last night. Enjoy!


Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing - Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.