Creme Anglais

Ingredients:
2 cups cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean

Directions:
Separate egg yolks and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Bring cream to a boil (with vanilla bean scrapings) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile whisk yolks and sugar until well combined and slightly thickened. Slowly whisk in 1/3 of the hot milk mixture (removing from heat) until egg mixture is slightly heated, then continue whisking remaining milk mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and place over medium heat; cook, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches between 170º-180º.

Remove from heat and pour into a bowl and place in ice bath, adding vanilla (if you didn't use a bean). Let cool about 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days before using.

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg. (3 oz) cream cheese
1/2 cube butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:  Mix pumpkin bar ingredients and pour into greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cream together ingredients for the frosting. Spread on pumpkin bars and cut into bars.

Notes: Do a little less sugar than it calls for and more cream cheese than it calls for. Plus, add cinnamon and fresh nutmeg in the frosting.

Source: Kristen Cooley

Whipped Frosting

Not a lot of flavor to it like a cream cheese frosting, but it was so fluffy we rather liked it.

3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a new bowl and beat on high until fluffy. Beat on low and add vanilla.


Source: Martha Stewart