Oatmeal Fudge Bars – Recipe from Amanda

I have had great success with this dessert recently.

OATMEAL FUDGE BARS

Note: To prepare baking pan, oil baking pan (or use baking spray) and line with aluminum foil, allowing excess foil to overhang pan edges. Oil foil again. Once cookies have been baked and cooled, use foil overhang to lift from pan.

Crust and Topping (this is a single portion, but I have taken to doubling this)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate)
1/8 teaspoon salt
125 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 160C. Prepare baking pan (recipe says 9 inch x 9 inch, but I used a 9 x 13 or a lasagna size pan). Whisk flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Stir in butter until combined. Set 1 ¼ cups oatmeal mixture aside for topping (I think I only set aside 1 cup because I didn’t seem to have that much in my bowl in the first place.) Press remaining oatmeal mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until light brown, about 6-8 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or espresso powder (I left this out because I didn’t have it and thought kids might not like, but I think it would be good!)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate (I used three bars of Slovak baking chocolate, chopped)
65 grams unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 large eggs

2. For the filling: Whisk flour, sugar, instant coffee, and salt in bowl. Melt chocolate chips and butter in large bowl (I used the microwave); whisk in eggs, then stir in flour mixture. Pour filling over cooled crust and sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture.

3. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 30-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least one hour. Cut into small squares.

Can be stored in the refrigerator up to three days.

Pumpkin Muffins – recipe from Valeria

PUMPKIN MUFFINS
(from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 ¾ (330 g) cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ( 10 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (4 g) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (200 ml) cooked pumpkin
¾ cup (150 ml) fat-free sour cream
1/3 (75 ml) fat-free milk
¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon (10 g) granulated sugar
1 ½ (5 g) teaspoons brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit or 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Lightly spoon flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin and next six ingredients (pumpkin through egg white), add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
4. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar, sprinkle over muffins.
5. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit or 180 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Remove muffins from pans immediately, cool on a wire rack.

Notes:
1. Metric measurements are approximate.
2. If you want to use the whole can of pumpkin, double the recipe.