Might turn orange from all the pumpkins we're using lately...

It has been quite the busy day around here... lots of people coming and going that are working on the kitchen - we are probably within a week or two of being done (hopefully!). I was not sure I was going to be able to make anything for tomorrow, but I found some time to throw together a new bar recipe for Jeff to bring into his co-workers for Wednesday Treat Day.

I'm all about pumpkins lately and today's baking of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin-Spice Bars certainly made a dent in my mashed pumpkin stash. The amount of certain ingredients may be a little shocking compared to what we would normally do, but keep in mind that these are cut into small squares. Three of my favorite spices, Vietnamese cinnamon, ginger and cloves infused their fallish aromas into the house while these bars baked - a few of the workers commented that they could work here everyday! I used mini chocolate chips in these bars as I find they are better dispersed in batters and are less likely to sink, but you could certainly use raisins or even no mix-ins if you prefer a plain pumpkin flavor. I highly suggest some chocolate though!

On top of these golden moist gems is a generous slathering of a luxurious sweet cream cheese frosting. In the interest of variety, I left some plain, topped some with chopped toasted walnuts and the rest were adorned with a grating of bittersweet chocolate.

These may just be my new favorite fall-time baked good. The pumpkin flavor is very present with just enough boost from the spices to heighten the flavors. It also gets bonus points for not being fussy and using up a bunch of pantry ingredients.

With all the activity, I only had a short time to prepare dinner tonight, so I opted to make Stracciatella Soup. This Italian egg drop soup took less than 15 minutes to make with most of the time just waiting for the pasta to cook. We simmered orzo in a mixture of vegetable broth and water - when the pasta was tender, we mixed in baby spinach and waited a minute for it to wilt down. A couple eggs and sharp Parmesan cheese are then whisked together and slowly drizzled into the hot soup. Be sure to do this off heat so the eggs don't cook to quickly - as they are drizzled in, they form little strands that fill the soup pot. While this was light, it was quite refreshing and filling being divided into two portions. I did serve this with some Sesame Twists I made early in the morning before it turned into a mad house, but I'll talk about those tomorrow!

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Recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin-Spice Bars
Stracciatella Soup