Nutty Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Perhaps you’re a lovely lady, or fine fella that enjoy the occasional sweet treat.  Perhaps the thought of a fluffy cake-like bar filled with pumpkin, nutty goodnesss, topped with decadent cream cheese frosting… makes you a little weak in the knees.

Or, perhaps you want nothing to do with a sugary snack, but enjoy the idea of sharing baked goods that make the intended think you slaved away all day, as the flour and sweat flew.

Well, here’s the answer friends.

These delightful little bars are packed with pumpkin, cinnamon, nuts, with Fall goodness written all over them.  And atop the fluffy cake mound – a not-too sweet, not-too rich cream cheese icing.

She’s quick.  She’s easy.  She is the perfect no muss, no fuss, snack for any Fall get together.  And now she’s yours.  Enjoy.

Nutty Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Frosting

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon half-and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, pumpkin, eggs, and butter.  Stir well

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in pecans.

Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jellyroll pan. Pour the batter into the pan and gently smooth out. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack until cool.

When cake is cooled, spread frosting and cut into squares.

For Frosting:  Mix together all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until smooth.

Slightly adapted from America’s Best Recipes: A 1990 Hometown Collection.