Turkey Day Troubles - Installment #5

Forrest volunteered to deliver the Thanksgiving meals his office had donated to two needy families today. Everyone in his office contributed by donating gift cards, non-perishable food items, and Christmas gifts for the children in the families. He suggested that I bake a Thanksgiving treat so they had something homemade. I knew exactly what I wanted to make after seeing Paula Deen whip up these pretty goodies.

Pumpkin Bars
Paula Deen

Igredients

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

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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 sugar and mix at low speed until combined.

Stir in the vanilla and mix again.

Spread on cooled pumpkin bars (I piped them for a cleaner presentation).

I didn't try these treats because I don't eat Pumpkin. But of course Forrest had to try them and he loved them. I also brought a couple leftover bars to work and everyone who tried them seemed to really enjoy them.