Pumpkin Bars

This is a great fall recipe. Easy to make, easy to eat and easy to share! I saw this recipe at Food Network (Paula's best dishes) and decided to try it. The original recipe calls for Cream Cheese Icing, I wanted to make the Pumpkin flavor the star, so I changed a little bit the recipe.


Ingredients:

- For the Bars:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

- For the Icing:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/8 tspn. ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbspn. dark Rum


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together and add the sugar mixing at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum. Mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Enjoy!


Source: Food Network/Paula Deen