Halloween Snack Mix

Halloween Snack Mix

from Munchkin Munchies

In a big bowl dump in,

cheese crackers

salted peanuts

pretzel squares

Reese's pieces

caramel corn

honey nut cheerios

cocoa puffs

candy corn

mellowcreme pumpkins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love this time of year for the pumpkin alone. I love pumpkin everything. My friend Brittany posted this recipe and I had to try them. They were super moist and oh, so yummy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon•
1 c. pumpkin (canned)
• 2/3 c. chocolate chips

Put beaten eggs in bowl and add sugar and oil and mix. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add pumpkin and mix. Stir in chocolate chips.Fill muffin cups and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Pumpkin Rolls

I've always been a little scared to try anything like this. I'm not good at details, everything sticks when it shouldn't, and my finished product is never pretty.

I was pleasantly surprised when these turned out to be really easy to make. And even more surprised when my end result didn't look like I had let my 6 year old make them.

Pumpkin Rolls The Girl Who Ate Everything

Beat 3 eggs on high speed for 5 min
Slowly add 1 Cup Sugar
2/3 C Pumpkin
1 t. Lemon Juice

Add:¾ C Flour
2 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Baking Powder
½ t. Salt
1 t. Ginger
1 t. Nutmeg

Filling:
1 8oz Cream Cheese
¼ C Butter – soften
1 C Powder Sugar
½ t. Vanilla

Grease and flour cookie sheet – pour batter rectangular shape (don’t fill the sheet) Bake 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle ¼ C Powder Sugar on terrycloth towel. I would put more just to ensure that your roll doesn't stick to your cloth. Loosen with spatula and flip on to the towel, gently roll with towel and let cool in fridge. When cooled unroll, put in filling, and roll back up and refrigerate. It's really hard to not crack the dough when rolling but if it does don't stress. Also, slightly dampening the cloth helps. It'll all go back together when you put it in the fridge. It is way better the next day after it's been completely refrigerated. Cut into 1 inch slices to serve.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie

I've been making this pie for years. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is the most requested dessert of my family. Cream cheese and pumpkin...proceed with caution. It doesn't get much better than this.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

1 extra-serving size graham cracker crust
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. milk or half and half
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. cool whip

Mix cream cheese, milk and sugar together. Fold in cool whip. Spread in bottom of graham cracker crust.

1 cup milk or half and half
2 pkgs. (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding and pie filling
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Pour 1 cup milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Stir in pumpkin and spices with wire whisk; mix well. Spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 3 hours (I don't always do this). Garnish with additional whipped topping and almonds, if desired.

Pumpkin Bars

We had friends over for lunch the other day and someone brought these pumpkin bars that were fabulous. She e-mailed the recipe but, it never came through so, I had to go in search of it on my own. I don't think these were the exact same but, they were pretty darn good anyway. They were more of a bread than a bar but, I later remembered that I had misread the recipe and instead of doubling the required amount of baking soda, I quadrupled it. Maybe that's why? Didn't matter in the end, it was still good.

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 oz. 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 oz. package cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 359 degrees. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine 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 for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

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.

I actually wanted a lighter icing so went with a whipped icing:

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks.

Esther's Gingersnap Cookies

These are some of my all time favorite cookies. I love them this time of year. My friend Esther usually gifts me with some and then I have to turn around and make them myself because I never get enough.

Gingersnaps
Esther Boyer

1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Blend all together. Roll into balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 375. The trick is not to over cook, that way they stay soft and chewy, about 9-10 minutes.