Pumpkin Spice Frosted Snack Bars

Ingredients:

1 pkg (2 layer size) spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 c. Miracle Whip dressing
3 eggs
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 pkg (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cake mix, pumpkins, dressing and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Bake 32 to 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended. Spread over cooled cake. Cut into bars to serve. Store any leftovers in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Personal Observations: I was really looking forward to this rather simple recipe for use at work potlucks. Boy was I fooled! First off, let me say you can cut the frosting portion of the recipe in half! I had enough left over that I was nibbling on frosting for about 10 days...and I don't even like cream cheese frosting! Also, despite my "toothpick test" coming out clean, I discovered that the cake was not done. In fact, it was way underdone and ended up in the trash because I didn't want to poison my coworkers with partially raw cake! AND, the final insult...the oh so tasty dough became bland nothing after baking! What the heck!! I suppose some might say it ruins a good spice cake mix. In my opinion, however, it ruins a perfectly good can of pumpkin!!

Gidget's Rating: 2 stars

Pudding Sugar Cookies

Maybe better with lemon flavor...

Ingredients:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. confectioner's sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 package (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix (or flavor of your choice)
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, oil and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla and dry pudding mix. Mix in cream of tartar and baking soda. Gradually mix in flour.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

Yield: 7 dozen hobbit cookies (approximately 4 dozen normal cookies with 2 T dough drops)

Personal Observation: Don't do the chocolate fudge flavor of pudding mix. Trust me. It's like chewing a sea sponge -- the kind that crumbles into dust at the slightest pressure. Even freezing these cookies couldn't make them retain their shape. If I were to make another attempt, I'd use the lemon pudding mix and substitute lemon juice instead of vanilla extract to give it some extra flavor. Then I'd have lemon dust. ;)

Gidget's Rating: 2 stars.