It’s that time of year, where pumpkin, apple, and spice fill the air, trees turn into a canvas of color, and we unpack our cozy sweaters and scarves for those chill autumn days.   I don’t know about you, but this season is hands down my favorite.   And, as the weather turns, there are a few key things that I love to do:

1. Buy a new pumpkin flavored candle (right now I am loving the Harvest Pumpkin Ale we have at the store).

2. Decorate the pumpkin 

3. Change out the Planter (I love to copy Maribeth’s planters at the store, they are amazing)

4. Pack away summer clothes and  bring out the fall clothes

5. Bake pumpkin anything.

The last item on my to-do list includes an amazing recipe that I have to share with you for Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, compliments of Paula Dean.   I made these for one of our jb and me meetings, and then again for some friends for a dinner party.  It is really easy and oh so delicious, a crowd pleaser for sure. 

INGREDIENTS

Bars:

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

15 -ounce can pumpkin

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Icing:

8 -ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

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 andmix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Enjoy!

-Dani 

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe.html