Pumpkin Bars

I know pumpkin bars have been around for awhile. This recipe is from one of the best cooks in Muscatine, Iowa! The church we attended there had amazing pot lucks. It's one of my all time favorite recipes, especially in autumn and winter... so easy and it serves a lot.

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
16 oz. can pumpkin (I think they are 15 oz. now)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional) *

Cream sugar and oil; add eggs and pumpkin; mix until smooth. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until blended.

Pour into well greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 min (20 min. seems to work fine in my stove). Ice when completely cool.

ICING **

All ingredients at room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional but good)
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese; add vanilla and then powdered sugar. Mix until well blended. This is not as fluffy as regular icing.

Spread over pumpkin bars when they are completely cooled.  If desired, press toasted nuts into part of the freshly iced cake before cutting into squares.

** I often double the icing recipe, especially if I'm going to press nuts into it.  I double everything but leave the butter to one stick, which is more than enough.

 * I love checking out how professional caterers fix and display food, that's where I learned this trick of pressing toasted nuts into part of a baked good instead of putting them in the batter.  It is especially good for making one recipe for people who dislike nuts in their food and people who love them.

I was at an "After the Concert" open house for the youth symphony in the City.  The caterer had used this idea.   I have "borrowed" it in so many baked goods since then.