Tunisian Pumpkin Bars

These delicious gourd plants, make even more delicious cookies. Fill your senses with this sugary spiced treat that evokes the mysteries of Africa!

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 beaten eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Directions:

In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Pour batter into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, spreading evenly.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool completely by placing pan on a wire rack. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting. Let frosting dry. Cut into bars.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl beat half of an 8-ounce package cream cheese - softened; 1/4 cup softened butter; and 1 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium to high speed. Beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, beating well.  Gradually beat in additional sifted powdered sugar (1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups) until frosting is of spreading consistency.

African Date Bread

This dark, soft, and delicious loaf is guaranteed to please even the most discriminating taste!

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons shortening
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 egg beaten
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups pitted fresh dates
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped black walnuts

Directions:

Cut the dates into small pieces with scissors. In a large bowl place dates, shortening, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, orange peel, hot water and orange juice.  Stir to mix. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Add egg and mix well.  Sift in flour, baking soda and salt, stirring just enough to moisten dry ingredients.  Fold in nuts.  Pour mixture into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan.

Bake in a slow oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour (until bread tests done with cake tester inserted into center of loaf). Let stand in pan 10 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool.  Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and store in a cool place overnight before slicing.

Dried Fruit & Buttermilk Scones

Children love these wonderful scones that have a moist and light interior and a golden crusty exterior!

 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 mixed dried fruit (raisins or currants, dried blueberries, dried cherries or cranberries, dried apricots or pears)
Cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle

Directions:

Position rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  In a separate medium bowl whisk egg, buttermilk, melted butter, dried fruit. Add wet mixture to flour mixture all at once and stir entire mixture with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  The batter will be quite sticky.

Use a spoon or ice scoop to drop the batter in mounds 2-1/2 inches in diameter at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack or serve warm.

Chocolate-Orange Tea Crumble

Talk about a luxurious, moist and chocolaty cake and you would be talking about this one!

 

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe Crumble Mixture (see below)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3" loaf pan. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl whisk together melted butter, sugar, yogurt, eggs, orange peel, and vanilla until well blended.

To make the cake, pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon just until blended.

Spread about half of the batter in the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with half of the Crumble Mixture. Cover with the remaining batter. Top with the remaining crumb mixture. To marbleize the crumbs and batter slightly, hold a table knife upright in the batter at one end of the pan. Zigzag from side to side of the pan six to eight times until you reach the other end.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out moist, but without any uncooked batter clinging to it., about 1 hour.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake. Turn out onto the rack and turn over.  Let cool completely. Wrap airtight and keep 1 day at room temperature or freeze.

Crumble Mixture:  1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons butter (cut in small pieces), 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel.. Put all ingredients for the crumb mixture into a small bowl and work with your fingertips until the mixture is blended and in small particles.

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