Fall is officially here!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year!  It is the start to football, birthday, and holiday season around here, and I just love all the celebrating that goes on!  I love to bake...not cook...just bake, and fall is when all my best recipes make their way to our table.  Okay, so I take that cooking thing back...I love to cook when it's cold outside.  I make some mean soups and chilis!

I have derailed...back to the baking thing...

Fall means pumpkin.  And pumpkin is my FAVE ingredient in my baking this time of year.  It really gets me giddy thinking of all the wonderful dishes that can be made with this amazing gourd!  Today kicked off the pumpkin-packed baking season, starting with this amazing recipe...

Pumpkin Bars
I got this recipe from a sweet friend several years ago.  It is so yummy and super moist!

2 C pumpkin
2 C white sugar
1 C veg oil
4 eggs
2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Stir together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, and oil. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Pour on a lightly greased large cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, don't over bake. Cool on rack before frosting.
 NOTE: Different pan can be used, but I have found that it doesn't bake evenly. If you choose to use a different pan, check it often.

For the frosting:
3 oz cream cheese, softened (NOT warm)
1 tbsp milk
3/4 C butter, softened (NOT warm)
1 3/4 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
(I 1.5 times this recipe because we like extra frosting!)

Cream together cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and butter.  Stir in powdered sugar.  Beat with mixer until smooth.  Frost cooled bars and refrigerate until cool and chilled.

This is another of my favorite pumpkin recipes...

Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle
There are many variations on this recipe, but this is by far my favorite (partly from a recipe I found online and partly from trial and error with many other recipes)

Pumpkin layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened (NOT in the microwave)
1/2 tsp salt
1 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
15 oz pumpkin (1 can)

Package of gingersnaps, crushed
Toffee pieces, crushed (I buy crushed Heath you can find where the choc chips are!)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese for pumpkin layer until soft and smooth. Add sugar, brown sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Beat until smooth. Place half of crushed gingersnaps into trifle bowl. Cover with half of pumpkin mixture. Add remaining half of crushed gingernsaps.


 Cheesecake layer:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 C packed brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 C heavy whipping cream (I never said these were healthy!)

In another bowl, beat the remaining cream cheese until smooth.  Add the remaining brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla.  Beat until well mixed, about two minutes on high.  Pour over the second gingersnap layer.  Garnish with toffee pieces.

Enjoy friends!  I know I will!  ;D