Fall Recipes from The Parlor

There is no season when such pleasant and
sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce
so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now
in October. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I started the forums on Old Fashioned Living, which we call The Parlor, many years ago before my daughter Emily was born, and I have made lifelong friends there. The recipes below are some tried and true fall favorites from our members, and as always, are keepers.

My sister gave me this Recipe and it is wonderful and makes a lot. ~Karen, OFL Desserts & Baking Moderator

Pumpkin Bars & Frosting

Ingredients:
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.) or 2 cups
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine melted
2 Cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or a little more to your liking)

Butter and flour a jelly roll pan. Preheat oven to 325* F. degrees. Mix together the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and butter. In separate bowl mix together: flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to pumpkin mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

FROSTING
1 block cream cheese softened
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBSP milk
3 C. powdered Sugar

Mix all together and frost pumpkin bars. These always disappear from the serving platter as soon as I put them out.

This is my favorite recipe for apple bread. It works well with fresh apples or with frozen apples. ~LeAnn

LeAnn's Apple Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup sour milk (add 1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon juice to milk)
1 teaspoon soda
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped apples
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (at times I have to bake the loaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped). Note: Batter will be stiff.

I found my favorite shortbread cookie recipe and I wanted to share it with you. These are one of my favorite cookies and everyone seems to like them. I hope you do too...~Mary

Mary's Favorite Shortbread

Ingredients:
1 cup butter...softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar...packed
2 tsp.. lemon extract or fresh lemon juice
zest from a whole lemon
(I don't like to waste anything)
2 cups sifted flour

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer, scraping sides of the bowl. Add lemon juice and zest and mix thoroughly on low speed. Shape level tablespoons of dough into logs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until cookie spreads and is very lightly browned. Cool. Cookies may be dipped in soft lemon frosting on one end.

Since I LOVE apples we have pages of apple recipes on OFL. Start with this page and follow the to the others: http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/apples3.html