Christmas Baking - Week 1

Can you believe that there are only 8 weeks until Christmas?!?!  Me neither!  What I also cannot believe is that the Lowes in Rock Hill had a GIANT Santa inflatable on the roof this morning...and I heard Christmas music on the way into work.  Can't we get thru Thanksgiving at least!?! 

SO, since everyone is fast tracking the holidays, I decided to slow it down.  Every Sunday for the next 7 weeks, I'm challenging myself to bake something new.  By Christmas Day, I will know which of the 7 desserts I will bring to Christmas dinner.  My co-workers are now going to LOVE Monday's!

Week 1: Glazed Spiced Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

Bars:

2       Cups Fiber One Original Bran cereal

1/2    Cup vegetable oil

1/2    Cup Orange Juice

1  15oz. Can Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2  Eggs

1-1/2 Cups A.P. flour

1-1/2 Cups sugar

2 Teaspoons baking powder

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts

Glaze:

1 Cup powdered sugar

4-6 Teaspoons Orange Juice

Dry Team

Wet Team

Team Glaze

Directions:

1.) Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour pan. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or crush in food processor).

no wonder people hate fiber

nope, still not appetizing.

2.) In large bowl, beat oil, 1/2 cup orange juice, the pumpkin and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Stir in crushed cereal; let stand 10 minutes.

when is this going to look good?

now we're talkin'!

 3.) Beat in remaining bar ingredients except walnuts on low speed until well blended. Stir in walnuts. Spread evenly in pan. If you lightly coat the nuts with flour before mixing in the batter, they won't sink to the bottom!

this smells delicious!

nuts.

4.) Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

thick batter!

lucky number 33.

 5.) In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough of the 4 to 6 teaspoons orange juice for desired drizzling consistency. Then put the mixture in a ziplock bag and stash in the fridge til the cake is done.

shot of OJ anyone?

  6.) Cut the tip off the corner of the baggie and swirl glaze all over the bars.

snip snip

smells like fall

 

Ta Da!!!

Here is where I got the recipe if you wish to make these for yourself.  They're rich, delicious and have a little over 2g of dietary fiber in each serving!