Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

Another great one brought to you by Red Vines for Breakfast (and Martha Stewart, but I don't like her nearly as much). You can find the original recipe here, but I made a few adjustments in mine. They were absolutely delicious, I made them for our "Friends' Thanksgiving" AND when I went home to visit family over Thanksgiving break, and I fully expect to be making them again in the next week or so!

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp of Cinnamon***
3/4 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp each of Allspice and Cloves
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Can Pumpkin Puree (ABout 1 1/2 cups)
12ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips

(***Or instead of all of these spices use 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie spice and an extra sprinkling of cinnamon)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9x13in baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.


Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla. Add pumpkin puree and mix thoroughly. Add in dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined, and then fold in chocolate chips.



Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake approximately 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few crumbs (or chocolate) attached. Allow "cake" to cool completely.

Lift "cake" from pan by the foil and set on counter top, and cut into 24 squares.

ENJOY!

Bourbon Fried Apples

Sooner or later Mr. Jack Daniels is just going to need his whole own recipe section on this site. This is a recipe passed down from mommy dearest, and has always been one of my favorites growing up! It goes as a side dish for just about anything... barbecues, fancy dinners, you name it. I made the recipe for our friends' Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday at our apartment.

Ingredients

6 Granny Smith Apples, cored and sliced
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup water
2 Tablespoons of Jack Daniels (Or more!)
A gooood sprinkling of cinnamon (At least 2 teaspoons)



Directions

Mix water, sugar, butter, and Jack together in a pan on medium high heat just to combine and melt the butter a little. Then add the cut up apples (I have an apple slicer and I cut them into 16 pieces with it, but 8 will also do!), sprinkle the cinnamon over them, and then mix it up.



Cook down for approximately 15-20 minutes until apples start to become slightly mushy, stirring occasionally.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Ganache Topped Dark Chocolate Brownies

(Whew, that's a mouthful!) This is a recipe I first made with a layer of Peppermint topping, but I went the simpler route when I made these for Saturday's tailgate. I did of course add Red sprinkles in IU spirit! It should be noted, however, that Kelly just informed me that they make edible glitter which would totally have covered these if I would have been able to find it in time. These aren't too incredibly difficult to make, but judging by their 100% consumption rate by everyone at the tailgate, I'd say they are a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

10 tablespoons butter

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3 Eggs

1½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup dark cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

8 oz semisweet chocolate

1 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. In a medium saucepan, stir butter and bittersweet chocolate over very low heat with a heatproof rubber spatula until just melted (do not let simmer or boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then whisk together. With a clean rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.

3. Spread batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownies are firm, beginning to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

4. In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Cook, stirring often, until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let ganache cool until just warm.

5. Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan and allow to set until firm, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!