Guest Author - Monica Talley

PUMPKIN BARS FOR A CROWD

Makes 49

4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin, * Not the pumkin pie filling!
1 cup plain all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mini chocolate morsels

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (to follow)
1/2 cup toffee bits ( I use Heath English Toffee Bits. Found in Chip/baking section)

Preheat oven to 350 degree oven. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a
15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inch with a bakers release spray. (I use Bakers' Joy)

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin in a large bowl until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients, except for walnuts and chocolate morsels. Stir the dry ingredients, one-half at a time, into the wet ingredients. After the dry ingredients are incorporated, fold in the walnuts and mini morsels.

Spread into the jelly-roll pan. Tap the pan several times on the counter top to release any bubbles. Place pan in the preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, when lightly brown. Place on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons vanilla caramel liquid Coffee Mate Coffee Creamer

Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix until smooth on low speed. Add flavored creamer 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting reaches a desired spreadable consistency.

Spread over the cooled pumpkin bars. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Cut into bars by scoring 7 times by 7 times. Cut all the way through.