I’m Still Obsessed

Holler ya’ll, I finally have a new recipe for you!  Sunday evening, I was really in the mood to bake, but not it the mood to go to the store and buy any ingredients.  So I pulled out the cookbooks, and got to searching for something I could make with what I had on hand.  I had the staples, sugar, flour, spices, eggs, and canned pumpkin from my days of hoarding in the fall.  Shockingly missing from my pantry was chocolate, or anything that would make a delicious cookie.  Who else would come to the rescue but Betty Crocker herself, and these delicious Pumpkin Spice Bars.

4	eggs
2	cups granulated sugar
1	cup vegetable oil
1	can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground ginger
1/4	teaspoon ground cloves
1	cup raisins, if desired (negativo)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1	package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	to 3 teaspoons milk
1	teaspoon vanilla
4	cups powdered sugar
1/2	cup chopped walnuts, if desired ( I did not desire)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray.  Then I got out my beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer and gave it a hug, because I missed it.
2. Mixed together eggs, granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin on a low-speed in the mixer. Gradually added the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Spread in pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
4. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low-speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable (don’t used granulated, it will not be smooth). Spreading frosting over bars. For bars, cut into 7 rows by 7 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Just a note, if you don’t have powdered sugar, regular granulated sugar will not work as a substitute.  Well I mean it will, if you like grainy icing.  Although it hasn’t stopped me or the roommates from eating them, icing and all.  They are delicious, the actual bar is moist like a cake, and the pumpkin flavor really shines through.  Love them.

As I said yesterday, it was National Margarita Day, and Dani and I had every intention of celebrating.  First I hit the gym for a tempo run.  Four miles, 2 at an 8:50 pace.  Nothing special, wasn’t too difficult and I felt good after.  I hurried home to the bottle of Jose and settled on the couch with a marg and dinner just in time for Glee to start. It happened to be Alcohol Awareness week, so the songs were all geared around boozing and partying.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Anyway, I had one Marg on the Rocks, and it was delicious and made me want to be sitting on a beach somewhere.  Not in the house with snow on the ground outside.

I stopped after one, despite how much I wanted a second, because well it’s Tuesday and tequila and I can get ugly together.  Maybe we will reunite again over the weekend.  Alright, well that’s way too much rambling for today.  So happy Wednesday!