Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

So I'm super excited today, I'm going to be an aunt, and I just found out that I'm going to have a niece in March!  Congratulations to my little brother, I am so so happy for him.

Have I discussed how awesome my family is?  I'm seriously so lucky.  

Speaking of family, it wouldn't be fall without my Grandma Ginger's pumpkin bars.

As you can see, they are Cricket approved!

I've been trying to gather family recipes for about a year now, attempting to put together a family cookbook. I originally thought I could do this really quickly, but I quickly found out that this was a massive undertaking.

As a wonderful contribution to this endeavor, my grandma sent me her own family cookbook, circa 1985.  It's yellowed and stained and bound with yarn and priceless.  

Anyway, these bars, infamous in my family, were in that book.  Of course I HAD to make them, obviously!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

(from my grandma)

2 eggs

1/2 (14.5oz) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1.5 oz cream cheese

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter and flour an 8x8 pan.  Preheat oven to 350.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Slowly add the flour to the pumpkin mixture, a little at a time until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into the prepared dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, mix together cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.  Spread over cooled bars.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.