frost on the pumpkin

Or is it frosting?

Happy first day of fall!

Even though it was completely summer-like this weekend, that doesn't mean you can't celebrate fall by whipping up a pan full of Pumpkin Bars.

Did you know that they do not have any concept of "bars" on the East Coast? They also call pop "soda" and a water fountain is a "bubbler". In addition, they have no idea what a "hotdish" is.

Who knew that living in the Midwest made life so much simpler?

For those of you feeling the need to bake a little Midwest Fall Flavor, I proudly share my recipe for Pumpkin Bars:

2 cups sugar (yup, 2 entire cups)
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, grease a 10" x 15" jellyroll pan. In one mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin. In another, combine the rest of the ingredients. Combine the wet and the dry, pour into the pan, and bake for around 25 minutes. Let them cool.
Here's the frosting-the best part:
4 oz. cream cheese, soft
1/3 c butter, soft
2 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp half and half
1/2 tsp vanilla
Whip it all up with a handheld mixer (start with 1 Tbsp of cream, and add more as you need it for spreadability) and frost the bars. If you like, sprinkle some toasted pecans or walnuts over the top. yum yum yum

One of the foods that make fall worth experiencing!