Sugar Cookie Bars

I echo the sentiment of the person who posted this on their blog. It's my new favorite blog to look at. http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/

Click here for the recipe that I want to share with you today! It's so yummy. And so easy. I don't enjoy cutting out sugar cookies and the whole process it takes to make them so this recipe is for me. Try it out! You won't regret it...

The Neelys' Whoopie Pumpkin Pies

I just made these today. Oh yum. Easy. Not very involved and delicious. My kind of cookin'! I do not eat pumpkin pie because I don't like it, but I like these. :) Just FYI for anyone who avoids this recipe because they don't like pumpkin pie. You'll be missing out...

Active:45 min
Total:55 min (plus cooling)
Makes: 12 whoopie pies

For the cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of kosher salt

For the filling
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt

1. Make the cookies: Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

2. Drop 8 scoops of batter, about 2 Tablespoons each, onto each prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake until the edges are set but the cookies are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks and let cool completely.

3. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with a mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar until smoother. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and beat until smooth.

4. To assemble the whoopie pies, spread a heaping tablespoonful of filing on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Caramel-Soaked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Above is a photo of the layers after being drizzled with the buttermilk caramel.  It soaks in and makes the layers moist and YUMMAY!!

Before I post this recipe I need to say a couple of things that I would do differently if I made it again.  1. I didn't see that the recipe calls for THREE 9-inch cake pans.  I may try three pans next time, but it worked fine doing two, I just baked them for the maximum time.  At a lower elevation it may take a little more bake time.  2. I didn't have a fine grater and I would definitely grate the carrots more finely if I did it again.  Nobody mentioned it though, they were too busy eating, so it's probably a matter of personal taste - mine!  3. The recipe says to pour the caramel over the layers while they are in the pans.  Unless you have springform pans, I wouldn't do that again.  It was a mess getting them out!  So I'll change the instructions on this recipe accordingly.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (3 1/2 oz) can flaked coconut (I used toasted)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax or parchment paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

After taking cake out of oven, cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and set bottom layer on serving plate.  Set other two, face down, on wire racks.  Drizzle buttermilk glaze evenly over baked layers.  Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

1 (3oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

I froze the layers so they were easier to frost and it worked out perfectly.