Mom's & Grandma Lynch's Shortbread Cookies

Creamed corn

20 ounces frozen corn 

8 ounces whipping cream

4 ounces whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

1 pinch of white pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT butter and flour in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn to low and simmer for 5 minutes. In another (small) pot, melt butter and add flour stir for a minute until melted and mixed well. Add butter/flour mixture to corn and mix well until thickened. Remove from heat and serve.

Hannah Bryan thanksgiving corn 

Fudgy Pumkpin Bars

Fudgy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars (Pumpkin Blondies)

These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are FUDGY just like brownies! You could also call them Pumpkin Blondies. They have the perfect balance of pumpkin flavor, cinnamon-y spices, and warm dark chocolate. They're made in a pot on the stove and are super fast and easy! The melted butter makes them so soft and fudgy. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, (2 sticks) ( BROWN THE BUTTER- BY BOILING IT. ADD SPICES TO THE BUTTER ONCE BROWNED SO IT HEATS UP THE SPICE)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 (8-oz) cup pumpkin, canned (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, I like Mexican vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

ICING: 

1 pack cream cheese

2C powder sugar

1/2 C butter 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup of butter** over medium heat. I used salted butter, but unsalted works great too!
• When the butter is still bubbly and hot, add in 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice* (see notes for other spices). Let the spices toast in the pan for just a few seconds, then remove the pan from heat.
• Stir in 1 cup sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar.
• Add in 1 cup pumpkin puree from a can. Don't use pumpkin pie filling! (Use the other half of the can to make pumpkin cookies!)
• Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
• Add 1 egg and stir vigorously right away so that it doesn't curdle. If your butter/sugar mixture is still super hot, you might want to consider waiting a couple minutes to add the egg.
• Add 2 cups flour, spooned and leveled, but don't stir yet. Add 1 teaspoon baking powder to the flour and use the teaspoon to stir it into the flour.
• Stir in the flour until most of the lumps are gone, but do not over beat. Just like brownies, you want to get all the ingredients incorporated, but you don't want to mix it so much that you end up with tough pumpkin bars. See photos. Don't add the chocolate chips yet.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges.
• Sprinkle 1 cup semisweet and 1 cup dark chocolate chips over the top. Use your spatula to gently fold them in so that they are incorporated into the batter. (If you mix the chocolate chips into the warm batter, they will melt right away)
• Bake at 350 for about 25 MINUTES. They are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. The edges should be pulling slightly from the sides of the pan.
• Let cool before lifting the paper from the pan and slicing. (or just dig in while they're hot, I'm no judge.)
• Ice them and we like them refrigerated
• These bars freeze well! Store in a sealed ziplock and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the sealed bag on the counter.

Notes

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use:

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice, optional

Pumpkin Sheet Pan by Noel

 Pumpkin Sheet Cake

2C granulated sugar

1 1/4 C vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 C flour

3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 C chopped walnuts

bake at 350. mix wet ingredients, add dry. bake for 30 min

ICING 

1 3oz cream cheese 

1/2 C butter

1tsp vanilla

2 C powder sugar

Creamy Penne Pasta with Artichoke Hearts

8 oz uncooked penne pasta

2 Tbl olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips

8 oz mushrooms sliced 

2 cups quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 Tbl flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tbl chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup romano cheese (or Italian cheese blend) 

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.  

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil.

Add red pepper, mushrooms and artichokes.

cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Reduce heat 

Add flour and salt

Cook and stir 1 minute.

Add basil and heavy cream

Cook stirring frequently until mixture thickens slightly (about 2 minutes)

Toss hot pasta and sauce

Sprinkle with cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Wild Rice Soup

 4 stalks celery

4 carrots (chopped or a bunch of mini carrots whole)

1 onion chopped

2 boxes wild rice a roni (cook per instructions)

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (or rotissery chicken shredded)

6 cups chicken broth

1 pint heavy cream

saute veggies in butter

cook until tender in broth and cream

add chicken and wild rice when done

simmer until thick. Even better the next day

Halloween Chili

 2 cans kidney beans

2 cans black beans

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 lb hamburger browned with 1 chopped onion and garlic 

1tbs chili powder

1/2 tbls cumin

salt pepper

Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

 This goes great with sloppy joes and Shredded BBQ Chicken sandwiches. To decrease the work with the vegetables a bit, I buy a coleslaw mix that already has the carrots and cabbage shredded. Then I add in the bell pepper, purple onion, and cilantro. For a 16 oz bag of coleslaw mix, I double the dressing, and the bell pepper. 

Ingredients
Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Few dashes Bobby Flay's Hot Sauce, or your favorite

1/2 cup olive oil

Slaw:

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 medium head green cabbage, shredded

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. For the dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. For the slaw: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss with the dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste.