Scarecrow Bars for a Late Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween. Its been dark for an hour now as I write this, so most of the little goblins should be off the streets. But I wanted to share the Scarecrow Bars recipe that I made this afternoon for the three neighborhood trickers that come by our house. Of course, it didn't all go into their bags, so we're enjoying the treats too! This is a fun Halloween cookie/candy, but would also be good and seasonal for the next few weeks as well. This recipe has a variety of fall flavored ingredients, and the real surprise was that I had them all on hand! Or most of it - for the mini marshmallows I used the left over bag of Halloween shaped and colored marshmallows. The bag of candy corn I had was the 'autumn mix', including pumpkins which I cut into halves to make smaller pieces.

simple ingredients

HEAVENLY SCARECROW BARS

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

½ cup softened butter

2 eggs

3 cups mini marshmallows

½ cup corn syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups salted peanuts

1 cup candy corn

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat cake mix and butter until combined.

Add egg and beat until well mixed.

Press into the bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Bake until the cake/crust sets and the edges are lightly browned (15-20 minutes).

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows over the hot crust.

Bake 2-4 more minutes until the marshmallows puff up, and remove from the oven.

Combine the corn syrup, sugar, and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Stir in cereal and peanuts.

Spoon over marshmallow topped base and spread to cover.

Sprinkle candy corn over the mixture and gently press into the top.

Cool and cut into bars.

crust + marshmallows + corn syrup, sugar, cereal and nuts mixture

Completed - ready to cool and cut

Food for a Perfect Autumn Day

What a great Autumn Day it was in Kansas State land today. This is ideal football weather - temps in the 70's, no wind, clear skies, and a mid-day game schedule. And a K-State Win  over Texas! 

An added delight were the white gulls that flew in by the hundreds (thousands?) from Lake Tuttle north of Manhattan. They streamed in, circled and swooped over the stadium as the band played the National Anthem and the KSU alma mater. They seemed to be dancing to the Pride of Wildcat Land's music. At the end of "long, long may thy colors fly", the birds flew away. 

Our day in Manhattan started with brunch at the Human Ecology White Tent. In a place called "Cat Town" near the Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Wildcat fans gather to share fun and friendship before heading in to watch the game. Often we eat at the College of Agriculture's Animal Science (my husband's alma mater) tent - good hamburgers and brats. But on 3 special Saturdays a season the College of Human Ecology (my college major) hosts a White Tent. The menu is prepared by the students in Hotel and Hospitality Management and demonstrates their skills for later careers. 

yes, that is a whole roasted pig!

                        

Today's menu: Pulled pork breakfast slider on petit jalapeño cheese buns

Harvest Sweet potato rolls with maple icing

Orange, raisin, and almond peach scones or fresh cranberry scones with orange glaze

Potato stratta

Baked pineapple

Fresh Fruit

Here's a recipe for Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin) Rolls 

From the National Festival of Breads and Kansas Wheat Commission

Ingredients

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin 

3 tablespoons margarine or butter 

1 package RED STAR® Active Dry Yeast 

1 ¼ cups lukewarm water (110-115°F)

1 egg 

1 teaspoon salt 

3 tablespoons granulated sugar 

5 ¼ - 5 ½ cups bread flour 

Instructions

1. In large mixing bowl, blend lukewarm (110°F) sweet potatoes or pumpkin together with margarine. 

2. Dissolve yeast in water; stir into potatoes or pumpkin. Add egg, salt, and sugar; blend. Gradually add 4 cups flour. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. 

3. Knead until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes, being careful not to add extra flour. (The dough will be sticky.) Place dough in a greased bowl; turn to grease top.* Cover; let rise in warm place until double. 

4. Punch down dough; cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into desired shapes. Cover; let rise in warm place until double. 

5. Bake in preheated 400°F oven 15 to 16 minutes, or until golden. 

*note: Dough may be covered and refrigerated at this time for later baking. Punch down whenever double in size. Use within 2 days. To use, keep covered and let dough reach room temperature. Proceed with directions as stated. 

Easy Pumpkin Spice

And - more Pumpkin Spice recipes! This seasonal flavor has gotten to be very popular and is a celebration of fall. This year even breakfast cereals have gone 'pumpkin spice'. Here's a recipe that is quick and easy - a revision of a popular no-bake cereal bar. A couple of things I've learned with this type of recipes help make the preparation fool-proof. First - this is not the place to skimp and use less expensive than name-brand marshmallows. It does make a difference. Also, as much as I like to use my microwave for melting and some other stove top preparations, the butter - marshmallow mixture melts and blends best on the stovetop. So with those tips, enjoy....

Pumpkin-Spice Cheerios Marshmallow Bars

 

Simple ingredients

Ingredients:

½ stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter

 1 bag marshmallows (the mini-marshmallows melt more quickly, that bag was 10 ounces)

7 cups Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ginger

¾ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.

Add marshmallows to saucepan and stir until melted.

Turn off heat and add Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until Cheerios are completely coated in marshmallow.

Fold in white chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and let sit for about an hour to cool and harden.

Cut into squares.

I've already started cutting! I like to use a 'rocker' knife
(sometimes called a ula knife) to cut bar cookies.

Pumpkin Spice Season

It's finally fall - the calendar says October, and even the weather has decided to drop the temperatures. At last we can get out the sweaters, boots, and rich colored clothing of autumn. And that means its Pumpkin Spice Everything Season! The cooler mornings call for a warm cup of pumpkin spice coffee and a fresh made pumpkin muffin.

Here's a recipe that my family enjoyed on a recent cool day:

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Muffins

Ingredients for muffins:

1¾ cup flour (blend of all-purpose & whole wheat

   or all-purpose)

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1-15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup vegetable oil

Latte Glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons coffee

(or 2 tablespoons pumpkin spice coffee creamer)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil.

Gently combine the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, fold with a rubber spatula until it is smooth.

Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, blot away extra, and scoop the batter into each slot with an ice cream scooper.

Bake in a 375° oven for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack placed over wax paper.

Mix glaze ingredients together, whisk until smooth. Spoon glaze over each muffin allowing the glaze to coat the tops and run onto the waxed paper. Let set for 5-10 minutes and enjoy.