Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

 Pumpkin cheesecake bars

Yield: one 9x13 and one smaller (6x8) dish

Adapted by: Kristen W

   (*This amount uses the whole can of pumpkin, 3 whole packages of cream cheese and two whole sleeves of grahams. It keeps it simpler.)

Crust:

18 whole rectangular graham crackers, finely crushed (for me this is two complete packages)

¼ c sugar

10 TB butter, melted

*add optional 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

1 ¼ c pumpkin puree (one can)

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice. similar.)

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 TB all purpose flour

3   8-oz packages full fat cream cheese, @room temperature (SO much easier to get a good texture. Don’t skip. Place sealed package in warm water if necessary))

1 ⅔ c. sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

½ c. full fat sour cream (full fat makes it smoother)

⅛ tsp salt

3 large eggs at room temperature (place in a bowl of warm water if you didn’t read that part in time!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray your baking dishes (9x13 and a 6x8 or similar)

Crust:

In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and stir until combined. Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and press it into an even layer (use the back of a measuring cup, etc to press down).

Bake the crust for 10 +/-  minutes until it is just beginning to turn golden brown and fragrant. Place the crust on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the filling.

Filling:

In a large bowl (that you used for the crust…less dishes!)  whisk pumpkin puree, spices, and flour. Set aside.

Using mixer with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, sour cream, and salt, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, and turning off the mixer as soon as the last egg is fully incorporated.

Measure out 1 ½ - 2 c of the cream cheese mixture and add it to the reserved pumpkin mixture, stirring until just combined.

Alternate scoops of cream cheese filling and the pumpkin filling all over the top of the crust. Use a knife to drag/swirl the two mixtures together but not mix it together. Be careful not to drag the knife all the way down into the crust.

**I like more crust to filling ratio, do the amounts you like in the 9x13 and put all the leftovers in the extra dish

Bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the center still has a very slight jiggle but the edges are set. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours. It seems like a long time, but the texture is smoother. Its a great thing to make a day ahead!

Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting

 Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting

Yield: one 9x13 pan

Courtesy of Mels

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pumpkin-bars-cream-cheese-frosting/

3 large eggs

1 ¼ c granulated sugar (265 g) 

¾ c canola oil

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (425 g) 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ c  all-purpose flour (213 g)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8- oz package cream cheese, softened

4 TB  salted butter, softened

2 c  powdered sugar (228 g)

1 TB  sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin and vanilla until well-combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until there are no more lumps.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the bars is set and springs back lightly to the touch.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan.

For the frosting-

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese and butter until very smooth and light, 2-3 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for 2-3 minutes until very light and fluffy.

Spread the frosting on the cooled bars.

Banana Bread (Mels)

 Banana Bread (Mels)

Yield: 1 loaf

Courtesy of Mels:

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/sour-cream-banana-bread/

1 c granulated sugar (212g) (can reduce to ¾ c if using very ripe bananas)

½ cup oil (or melted butter, can also sub up to 50% with applesauce)

2 eggs

1 c mashed ripe bananas, about 3 ripe bananas (227 g)

½ c sour cream (113 g)

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c all-purpose flour (213 g) (can use up to 50% whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

Grease and flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan (or several mini loaf pans).

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. 

Add the eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla; blend well.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool for five minutes in the pan. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. 

Store covered at room temperature (the bread also freezes great).

Pato Spicy Dip

Pato Dip

yield: about 3-4 cups (one recipe has always been enough)

Janelle W.

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, somewhere between room temp and fridge temp

1 (7.75 oz) can El Pato Mexican tomato sauce

Put both ingredients into a mixer with whisk or paddle attachment and mix until smooth other you have the desired texture. 

Enjoy!

Use to dip:

pretzel bites

crackers

tortilla chips

bread slices

pretzels

pita

Pretty much anything!

Pretzel Bites

 Pretzel Bites

Courtesy of Sally’s Baking addiction

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-pretzel-bites/#tasty-recipes-74980

Yield: 60-70 pretzel bites (I like to double this recipe)

-single recipe makes 2 baking sheets worth

DOUGH

1 ½ c warm water (360ml)

2 ¼ tsp instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet, 7g)

1 TB brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 TB unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool (14g)

3 ¾  – 4 c  all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), (469-500g)

topping: coarse salt/coarse sea salt

BAKING SODA BATH

½ c baking soda (120g)

9 c water

Make the dough: 

Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer (dough hook). Cover yeast mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy on top (yeast is activated). 

Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed, then add ¾ cup of flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. (if dough is super sticky add 1 TB flour at a time until it isn’t as sticky (up to 4 TB)

Knead the dough: 

Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 tsp of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. 

-After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. 

Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes and get baking soda bath ready

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats (or greased parchment paper.) 

Shape: 

With a pizza cutter, cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle work surface very lightly with flour. Roll each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope. If the ropes keep shrinking and stretching the dough becomes difficult, stop what you’re doing, lightly cover all of the dough, and let it rest for 10 minutes so the gluten can relax. Then, return to rolling it into ropes. Cut each rope into 1 – 2 inch pieces to make bites. (I like to fit all the cut pieces from 1 recipe on 1 baking sheet for ease of putting them through the baking soda bath)

Baking Soda Bath: 

Mix water and baking soda together in a large sauce pan or fry pan (low sides). Bring to a boil. 

Place 2-10 pretzel bites into the boiling water for a quick 10-15 seconds. (Any longer and your pretzels could take on a metallic taste.) Using a slotted spatula or spoon, lift the pretzel bites out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place bites onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt while they are still wet or leave plain if using cinnamon sugar topping. Repeat baking soda bath with remaining pretzel bites.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

-you can serve with:

Queso

Pato dip

Spinach artichoke dip

Nacho cheese dip

Pizza sauce

Pretty much anything!

(If needed, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked bites for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also refrigerate the dough before shaping. Just shape and allow an extra 30-60 minutes to come to room temp once shaped before baking.)

Cinnamon Sugar option: Bake the pretzel bites completely plain without salt in step 7. As the pretzel bites bake, melt 4 TB unsalted butter. Set aside. Combine ¾ c granulated sugar and 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside. Once the pretzels are done and still warm out of the oven, brush each with melted butter then generously dip into cinnamon sugar. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are best served that day because the melted butter topping causes them to become soggy after a few hours.

Kanelbullar Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

Kanelbullar

Yield: 12-14 buns

Adapted by Kristen

For the dough:

1 c. warm water (to activate yeast in)

1 tsp sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant-rise yeast

½ c. powdered milk

3 ¼ c. all-purpose flour (405 g)

¼ c. white granulated sugar (50 g)

2 tsp ground cardamom

¾ tsp fine sea salt

¼ c.  melted butter (56 g)

Filling Ingredients:

½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick, or 113 g) 

½ c.  packed brown sugar (100 g)

2 TB ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping before baking:

1 egg (whisked together with 2 tsp water)

pearled sugar (like Lar’s)

INSTRUCTIONS-

Activate the yeast in the warm water and tsp sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, ground cardamom and salt and mix briefly.  Add yeast mixture and melted butter and stir until the dough begins to form. Knead in mixer for 6-8 minutes, adding a touch of flour if the dough continues to stick to the sides and won’t form.

Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm space for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients in a separate mixing bowl until evenly combined.

SHAPING--

Once the dough is ready to go, turn it out onto a large floured work surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 22 x 15-inch rectangle.  Carefully and evenly spread the filling mixture across the entire surface of the dough.  Then (as pictured above) fold the left third of the dough in towards the center, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the center, like you’re folding a business letter.  Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles.  Then roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 15 x 8-inch  rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter or a knife, slice the dough into even 2 x 20-cm long strips. Take one strip and twist it several times, gently stretching it as you do so until it nearly doubles in length.

Grab one end of the twisted strip and loosely wrap the dough around two fingers twice, like a bandage.  Then loop the rest of the dough perpendicularly around the dough so that it forms a knot, and tuck the loose end in at the bottom.  Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips.  (twisting tightly will help filling stay in during baking)

(Here is a great visual for twisting the dough) https://www.jamieoliver.com/inspiration/beautiful-vegan-swedish-cinnamon-buns/

Loosely cover the dough buns with sprayed saran wrap clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 45-60 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Brush each bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of pearled sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls reach your desired level of golden brown.  (I like mine just very lightly golden, so that they stay super soft.)  

Transfer to a wire baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes.  Then serve warm and enjoy!! 

 

These rolls are best enjoyed the day that they are baked. If there are leftovers, cover tightly and reward in the oven to eat the next day.

*If you want to prep the knots the night before, make the dough and form the knots, then place immediately in the fridge overnight. Place out on the counter for 60-90 minutes to return to room temp and let rise. Then bake.

Lemon Poppy seed Donuts

 Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts

• Author: Sallysbakingaddiction.com

 
• Yield: 12 mini donuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 TB poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TB (28g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (any works)
• 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 TB (15ml) lemon juice
• 1 TB lemon zest

Lemon Glaze

• 2 TB (28g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1-2 TB (15-30ml) milk
• 1 TB (15ml) lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk the melted butter, egg, sugar, milk, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest until completely combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
3. Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag for ease. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup