A love letter to fall.

I equate fall with baking, it's just that simple. Lately I find myself choosing to spend more time indoors lately - nesting, reading, puttering and even better, nesting in my kitchen.  I have written a couple love letters to fall, this one in particular, is a keeper. Like the last post, this recipe for pumpkin pie bars was something I repinned on Pinterest and baked over the weekend for friends.

After popping this into the oven, I recognized that I have held "bars" (as in dessert bars) at arms-length.  Not squite sure why, but I think that I subconsciously filed "dessert bars" in my "do not attempt" dessert category. Boy, I  have been missing out. To every season, turn, turn.....it all comes full circle and now I'm obsessively looking through recipes and cookbooks in collection that include more dessert bar recipes.

These pumpkin pie bars are easy to make (in fact, I think this would be a fun one to make with kids) and they are effortless.  Most of these ingredients are staples in your pantry and I'm stocking up on canned pumpkin this fall (it will be on sale closer to Thanksgiving) as I know I will be making these again and again.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/3 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. chopped pecans


Filling Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. vanilla 

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
In a food processor, combine crust ingredients and pulse two or three times until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 2/3 cup of the mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of an 8x11 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool slightly.  

In a medium bowl, combine filling ingredients. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, blend until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining crust topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until firm.

KooKoo for Coconut.

Pinterest is all the rage. A friend of mine has referred to Pinterest as the "new black".  It has instantly become one of my "online happy places" and also a resource for recipe inspiration! I recently tested a recipe I found on Pinterest for Coconut and Chicken Curry Soup from a site called Cooking for Seven. You can find the original recipe here but I adapted it to fit Madame Munchies' tastebuds. I wanted to incorporate more vegetables and I also kicked it up a notch or two in my cookbook.

Easy peasy is the name of this soup, it came together swiftly and is a great meal to make for the autumn season (that is if you are lucky enough to enjoy cooler temperatures right now).  As I have become more comfortable in the kitchen, I find myself feeling more comfortable to change recipes to not fit only fit my taste buds but also what I may have on hand that I could use or needs to be used.

Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup (Makes 4 hearty servings)

Adapted from a recipe posted on Cooking for Seven

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lb (give or take) skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cups chicken broth, low sodium

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk, full fat

2 teaspoon curry powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded, minced

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

Kernels of corn, from one ear of corn

½ tomato, chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups freshly cooked rice (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken to the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through and golden. Remove chicken and set aside. Sauté the onion, adding more oil if necessary, until tender.

2. Return the chicken to the pot with the onions. Add the ginger and garlic - cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper, tomato, corn and cilantro and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice or lemon juice, cilantro and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Optional: Spoon rice into 4 bowls. Top with two ladles of soup. Serve.