Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bars: Another Thanksgiving Specialty

In my yearbook class at my high school, we occasionally throw "food parties" to celebrate the holidays or really...just any celebration of something. This recent "food party" was for Thanksgiving! I had homework to do the night before the party, so I wanted to make a dessert that was simple, delicious, and Thanksgiving appropriate. After looking through many recipes on Food Network's website and Southern Living's, I found the perfect, tasty treat on Food Network! I'm sure you've read the title and know the winner was Pumpkin Bars! Honestly, any recipe by Paula Deen HAS to be great, lets face it. When I looked at the picture, the frosting on top of the bars is what really got me. Although, Paula Deen calls it a, "bar", it's more like a cake. Either way, they are delicious and perfect to serve for Thanksgiving. Yes, I know Thanksgiving is over...but doesn't hurt to try it, especially if you have a can of pumpkin that went unused! Now some people don't like pumpkin, and I'm somewhat the same. It depends on how strong the pumpkin is in the dessert. I used a little less pumpkin than what the recipe called for, because I don't like it to be strong. In the end, they turned out perfect! They had a wonderful taste and cut out so nicely.

Ingredients:

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
 
 
Frosting:
 
  • 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.

    (I added the dry ingredients a little at a time.)


     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.



    Recipe from:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe/index.html

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