I also like graham cracker crust about a hundred times more than regular pie crust, so this recipe has that going for it too.

The recipes I found for pumpkin pie bars all had an oatmeal mixture and buterscotch chips sprinkled over the top, but I wanted to keep it simple. The filling isn’t overly sweet, but it goes perfectly with the crust. I think these should replace pumpkin pie as the standard Thanksgiving dessert.

Mike and I made the mistake of putting the pan on the table and taking turns cutting pieces. Over half the pan disappeared within about ten minutes. Oops.

Yeah, another cake. I will eventually post healthy recipes again one of these days, but I’ve been making a lot of repeats lately, or just giant salads that definitely aren’t worthy of a blog post. So you get cake again!

Ellie got to meet her great-grandparents this weekend. They flew down from Oregon for a few days and we marked the occasion with beer and cake. Mike even introduced them to beermosas (beer + orange juice…we’re classy like that).

Any time there are extra people around, I like to make cake, because it means I won’t end up eating the whole thing. Except this time I kind of wanted to.

I normally require a LOT more frosting than this on cake, but the brown butter is so rich and flavorful, it was actually perfect in such a small dose. The recipe was originally written to make a single-layer 9″ cake, but I baked it in two 6″ pans instead because stacked cakes just seem more festive.

Recipe
(from Martha Stewart via Shutterbean)

cake
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup warm (110 degrees) milk

frosting
4 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk

Grease a 9″ pan (or 2 6″ pans) and line the bottoms with parchment.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sift the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time.

Add the milk and pumpkin and mix until smooth.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan(s) and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the frosting, sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it’s nut-brown (don’t let it get too dark!)

Pour the butter through a mesh strainer into the sugar, and add the vanilla and one tablespoon of milk. Beat on medium until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to reach a spreadable consistency.

There are a few phrases that have quickly become the most beautiful music to my ears:

“I’ll take the baby, you can nap” (which was followed by a blissful, uninterrupted 90-minute nap)

and

“I’ll take the baby, go for a run” (which was followed by a delightful 50-minute run)

It probably helps that the baby is outrageously cute.

The fact that Mike said both of these things within a few hours of each other on Sunday meant I wanted to do something nice in return. Like bake cookies for him. Even though Mike isn’t vegan, he appreciates a good vegan cookie.

I made the original version of these last week and realized they’d be easy to veganize. I love how they turned out!

Recipe:
(adapted from Annie’s Eats)

makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpmkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch allspice

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpats.

Beat the Earth balance and sugars together on a stand mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pumpkin and vanilla. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Add to the dough and mix on low until the dough comes together.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a small bowl.

Roll about a tablespoon and a half of dough into a ball, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flatten slightly on the lined baking sheet, then bake for about 10-12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Thanksgiving started with a very hilly, very COLD (okay yes I’m lame and 30 degrees is really cold) 4 mile Turkey Trot at the Oregon Zoo.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to race it or just stick with my family, so I started out with them and decided to see how it went. Not well. My face was numb and I just never really felt “on.” The run basically goes down a big hill the first 2 miles, then you turn around and run back up it and into the zoo. The last 2 miles were HELL, but I pretty much kept up with my dad and finished in 31:10 (7:47 min/mile). It was just nice to be done!

After that it was time to head to my cousins’ dairy. I don’t know what it is about Holsteins, but I think they are some of the most photogenic animals on Earth.

There were SUCH cute calves!
Curious.

Thirsty.

Shy.

My sister tried to bond with one of them.

After taking way too many pictures, I came inside ready to eat. My family clearly does not mess around when it comes to dessert.

Two kinds of cranberry sauce (my sister will only eat the kind from a can).

My uncle is the best salad-maker of all time. This was mesclun mix topped with roasted beets, avocado, walnuts, and blue cheese. Best thing I ate all day.

This morning was gray and rainy (like most mornings in Portland) so baking cookies seemed like a natural activity.

I’m sure a lot of us still have a few cans of pumpkin, and obviously dark chocolate and rolled oats are pantry staples so you can whip up a batch of these right now!

Recipe:
(adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles)

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease two cookie sheets (or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat). In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. When the mixture is light and fluffy, scrape down the bowl and add the egg. Beat for about a minute, then mix in the pumpkin.

Gently stir in the flour mixture followed by the chopped chocolate.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto the cookie sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes (until golden brown around the edges). Cool on wire racks

I think this is at least my tenth loaf of this bread since October 1st. I just can’t help myself! It has that perfect pumpkin spice flavor and tastes rich and decadent without sitting heavily in your stomach. I think I will continue making it at least once a week until I can no longer get those giant cans of pumpkin for super cheap at Target.

I will now go off on a tangent, so if you’re here for the recipe…scroll down a little bit.

Mike and I decided on Saturday night that Sunday would be Technology-free day. That meant no email-checking, facebooking, tweeting, taking or editing pictures, or blogging. It actually wasn’t as hard as it sounds, although I know I’m seriously addicted to both my laptop and my phone. Instead of spending tons of time glued to a screen, I actually managed to acomplish a few things:

- Read a few more pages in Everything is Illuminated. It’s a seriously terrible book and I can’t stand it, but I’m only 80 pages from the end so I can’t give up now, as much as I want to.

It’s a huge bummer too, because I absolutely adored Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

- Ran 23 miles with Mike (a run that spanned 3 counties, and crossed over the Golden Gate bridge and back!) I really wish I had my camera because it was a PERFECT day, but technology-free Sunday prevented that. I’m sure I’ll do it again, though!

- Took an ice bath after said run. Ice baths are never pleasant, and no matter how many I take, the first 3 minutes are always unbelievably painful!

- Made THE BEST CHEESE PIZZA I HAVE EVER MADE. Cheese pizza is seriously underrated. With the right technique it can be even better than those fancy-pants gourmet pizzas. I’ll post about it soon, I promise!

- Went to bed at 8 PM and slept for ten whole hours. Amazing how easy it is to relax and fall asleep when there’s no computer to distract you (or maybe I’m just really, really bad at tearing myself away from it most of the time).

As sad as I was to see the weekend come to an end, it turned out today was actually pretty great as far as Mondays go. My classes were all well-behaved and on-task, and I had time after work to make a total hippie snack (don’t knock it til you try it): Popcorn with nutritional yeast. I do not pop popcorn on the stove often enough!

Now I’m just sitting here watching Project Food Blog videos and eating pumpkin bread, hoping I don’t ruin my 4-mile recovery run or my appetite for dinner (but probably actually doing both). Self-discipline and I don’t have too great of a relationship these days.

Recipe:
(heavily adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp flax seeds
6 tbsp water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup almond milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Spray a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through brown sugar) in a large bowl.

Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder or small food processor and combine with the water. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Whisk together the remaining wet ingredients (oil through vanilla), add the flax-water mixture and mix well, then stir gently into the flour mixture.

Stir just until all traces of flour disappear, then fold in the raisins and walnuts. Spread evenly in the pan and bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then remove from th pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

First I packed a nutritions lunch for my hard-working husband.

Then I went to Target and bought some new boots and some plum nail polish. I painted my nails but didn’t wait long enough before doing dishes…manicure ruined. Housewife strike one.

I made myself a bowl of Anne’s pumpkin pie oatmeal. If you haven’t tried this yet, you’re missing out!

I did some laundry and hung it to dry in the middle of the living room. It’s what all the environmentally-conscious housewives without yards do.

I washed our mesh produce bags because they were getting kind of gross. Another environmentally-conscious housewife move.

I lounged around in my new boots for awhile, pretending I was going to work on lesson plans but actually just tweeting.

Determined to be slightly more productive, I headed into the kitchen to start baking (after eating a lunch that remarkably resembled last night’s dinner.

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are not the healthiest treat out there, but I LOVE them. Sweetened with a mix of maple syrup and brown sugar, they are just the right level of sweet and rich for a Fall morning.

Recipe:
(adapted from Healthy Food For Living)

filling
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

muffins
2 cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

First, spray a 12-muffin tin with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 375.

Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, and spices together until smooth. Set aside.

To make the muffins, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, syrup, oil, brown sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt and mix until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until all traces of flour disappear. Divide the batter among the muffin tins so each is filled about halfway. Drop a spoonful of cream cheese filling on top, then fill nearly to the top with the remaining batter.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I realize there’s a lot of controversy surrounding Christopher Columbus. Should we celebrate the fact that he missed his goal by so much? Was he basically a racist piece of crap that got the ball rolling on the slave trade? Maybe…but I’m glad we have a holiday in his honor because although I had to work, I got to go in about an hour later than usual which allowed me to run 7 miles AND make these pancakes before the work day started. Win.

Angela of Oh She Glows put the pancakes-for-one idea in my head but I put this recipe together on my own. Pumpkin fever has hit me hard, so I used pumpkin and the usual spices, buttermilk, and whole wheat flour to make these light, fluffy, perfect-for-fall pancakes. With a little Grade B maple syrup on top, you’ll have a hard time convincing me there’s a better breakfast out there, especially at this time of year!

Recipe:

makes 2 pancakes

1/4 cup pumpkin
1 egg white
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger

Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg white, pumpkin, and buttermilk. Stir into the dry ingredients and stir just enough to moisten everything (there will still be a few lumps and that’s fine).

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with nonstick spray. Pour half the batter into the preheated pan and cook until bubbles appear on the top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional minute or two. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with maple syrup.

After being in Southeast Asia from October to December of last year, I was sure I’d be DYING to start fall baking early this year but it didn’t exactly work out that way. The Bay Area finally got some sun, so instead of buying loads of pumpkin and baking all those quintessentially fall treats, I’ve been savoring this beautiful late summer with watermelon and other fresh fruit.

But now that my students are getting excited about Halloween and there are pumpkins everywhere, I guess fall baking time is here. I bought a few cans of pumpkin the other day but it took me a couple days to figure out what to do with them. These scones looked too good to pass up, and as an added bonus, I don’t think I’ve ever tried pumpkin scones before.

These are incredibly simple and they make a perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea. The flavors of the spice glaze and pumpkin are awesome together. I left out the egg and half and half and increased the pumpkin and was really happy with how they turned out. I don’t know if I would use both glazes next time I make them…the spice glaze seems like it has enough flavor to be on its own, but I’ll keep the recipes for both here and you can decide for yourself!

Recipe:
(adapted from Pennies on a Platter)

makes 12 small scones

scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp canned pumpkin

sugar glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

spice glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

To make the scones, preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Using a fork or wire whisk, stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like tiny pebbles or coarse sand.

Gently stir the pumpkin into the dry ingredients until barely combined, being careful not to over-mix. The mixture should still look a little dry and crumbly. Divide the dough in half and gently form each half into a 6″ round circle a little under an inch thick. Working on a floured surface, cut each circle into 6 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until the scones are beginning to turn golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely before glazing. When you’re ready to glaze, set the rack over a sheet pan.

To make the sugar glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle over the scones

To make the spice glaze, combine the spices and powdered sugar, then stir in the milk and mix until smooth. Drizzle over the other glaze, and let harden before serving.