Colonial Pumpkin Bars

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Servings: 36
Yield: 36 servings

Description

These moist pumpkin bars spread with cream cheese frosting are suitable to serve as finger-food.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2 In a large bowl, cream together 3/4 cup butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the pumpkin. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
4 In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually blend in sugar, then beat until smooth. Spread over cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into squares.