Pumpkin Bars...Again!

(No, that empty space wasn't the size of my serving...)

Yes, I've already posted this recipe, but it was almost a year ago, before anyone was actually reading my blog, so I feel okay about re-posting. Plus, these are worth it, and after having made these recently, I feel a renewed excitement about their success.

It's already November! It is time to make these pumpkin bars! What could you possibly be waiting for? Sure, unless you're a family of at least 4, with half of you being sugar-hungry children, you won't possibly finish all of these and have to throw the rest out, but at least you will know a really good recipe. My solution would be to take these to the office party or neighbor's potluck and watch them disappear! These are my favorite way to warm up to the Thanksgiving season. Plus, I don't know about you, but I love that the recipe only uses the 1 cup, 2/3 cup, and 1 teaspoon measuring devices: less to clean, less to fidget with. The 1/4 teaspoon is just a few shakes, anyway, right?

Paul's Pumpkin Bars
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each nutmeg, clove, (and ginger, optional)

Beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients, including spices, and then slowly mix them into the egg mixture. Once incorporated, pour into a 10x15 jelly roll pan. (As I do not own one of these, I pour 2/3 of the mixture into a 9x13 and the rest into an 8x8.) Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes. Frost bars once cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add sugar in small doses, mixing to incorporate. Mix in vanilla once frosting is smooth. Using an electric hand mixer makes this easy.