Pumpkin Spice Bars
Today, my home has the wonderful aroma of pumpkin spice from this super simple recipe for pumpkin spice bars. Moist, pumpkin bars with vanilla cream cheese frosting with my morning coffee. Oh, yes…please.
Why is it that when fall hits one starts thinking about pumpkin this and pumpkin that? Oh, right! I am no different, and there is no rhyme or reason for craving pumpkin. I too have been hit by the fall pumpkin craze, we just can’t hide from it.
The bars are denser than a traditional cake but lighter than a cookie bar. The bars are moist, and sweet and go well with a cup of coffee.
I’m multitasking today, my raspberries decided to butt up against the garden box walls, instead of staying in a nice, neat row. Before heading outside to transplant the raspberries correctly, I mixed up a batch of pumpkin spice bars and threw them into the oven. I went outside with a timer in my pocket to give my raspberry plants a new home.
PUMPKIN SPICE RECIPE
Materials:
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 pkg. Double-moist yellow cake mix
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 nutmeg
1 can vanilla frosting
3oz pkg of cream cheese
Note: Have pumpkin pie spice? Substitute 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Directions For Bars:
1.) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F
2.) Grease and flour 15×10 jelly roll pan
3.) In a large bowl or mixmaster combine sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin.
4.) Add cake mix and spices. Mix until well blended, scraping down sides.
5.) Pour into pan.
6.) Bake 350 degrees F for 25 – 35 minutes.
The bars are fully cooked when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
Set the pan aside to cool. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator and allow to soften while the bars are cooling.
Frosting:
1.) Mix the can of vanilla frosting and softened cream cheese together in small bowl or mixmaster until creamy and smooth.
Frost the bars.
Store:
Store the bars in the refrigerator.
A pan full of pumpkin spice bars fresh from the oven, box one of two of my raspberries complete for the day – I’m doing fairly well knocking out the do to lists. Time for a quick lunch and then back out to complete the second box. Busy, busy. ALWAYS.
