Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin is good. It's creamy and not-too-sweet. It makes you feel all warm inside. That's why it's so exciting when you see it start filling the shelves in the fall. And that's why I then fill my shelves with it at home. If you're like me, you have a few extra cans of pumpkin laying around (or put away properly if you're not like me). Here's a delicious way to use them up.

Pumpkin Bars
from Better Homes and Gardens

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 eggs, beaten
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Spread batter in an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into bars.

Makes 48 bars.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

1. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar to a frosting of spreading consistency.

I looked back now and saw that the recipe didn't call for me dirtying another bowl to mix together the wet ingredients separately. I'm just going to chalk it up to my newly found baker's instincts. I do such things out of habit now.

The prepared batter. I love the orangeness pumpkin brings to anything it's in. It's pretty and reminds us that life won't always be so white, dull and lifeless (can you tell I'm ready for winter to be over?).

The pumpkin cake cooling.

Frosting before the powder sugar was added. Mmm...it smells nice.

Finished product: classically good. This isn't an astounding new recipe. It's more of an old favorite. It's a classic but a classic is a classic for a reason...mainly because it's good. Each bar is moist and yet still light. The frosting adds just enough decadence without making it heavy or too rich. Enjoy!