It’s hard to believe, since we were already caught up in our busy, busy, busy Christmas plans, but 10 Forum cooks took the time and trouble to answer Frances Duncan’s call for pumpkin bars.
Among the 18 recipes sent in, two stand out because they’re totally different from those already published.
Lorri Brager of Everett tells us, “Here is a favorite pumpkin bar recipe I’ve been making for over 25 years. Whenever I serve them, I hear rave reviews and they disappear. I’ve also made them with some of the sugar replacements such as Splenda, and they work well with this recipe.
And Karen Hume, also of Everett, says, “I’ve got lots of pumpkin pie recipes, including a chiffon one, but I didn’t think I had something pumpkin in the bars category to contribute.” After mounting a search, though, she managed to find one, and mentions, “I’m not crazy about baking with Bisquick, but I know some folks are.”
1 cup flour
1/3 cup golden brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh pumpkin, steamed until soft and mashed)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
In small bowl, mix flour and brown sugar, then cut in butter to make a crumb mixture; stir in nuts. Set aside 3/4 cup of mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into 8-inch-square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar, pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, blending until smooth. Pour over baked crust, sprinkle with reserved topping and bake at 350 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut into bars.
Note: Some sugar replacements, such as Splenda, work well in this recipe.
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 101/2-by-151/2-inch jelly-roll pan; set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs on medium speed with electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally, for 1 minute. Stir in baking mix, cinnamon and raisins. Pour into pan. Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting. Cut into bars, about 3 inches by 1 inch. Bars must be kept refrigerated.
Cream cheese frosting
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine or butter, milk and vanilla until creamy. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth.
The Forum is always happy to receive your contributions and requests, so send them along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. Please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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