Entry 8: Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients :

• Pumpkin puree - 1 cup
• All purpose flour - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 1/4cup
• Butter - 1/2 stick
• Baking pwd + Baking soda - 1tbsp or 2 eggs + 1/2 tsp baking pwd
• Cardamom pwd - 1/2 tsp
• Cream cheese for frosting - 4 oz

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk butter, 1 cup sugar and pumpkin puree.
• In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients ( flour, baking pwd, soda, cardamom pwd ).
• Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the puree mixture.
• Pour this on a baking dish and bake it for 30 mins at 350F.
• Let it cool for 30 mins and then cut it into bars.
• In the meanwhile, mix the cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar.
• Frost the bars with cream cheese and sprinkle some chopped nuts.

Notes :

• For pumpkin puree, peel the skin of the pumpkin, discard the seeds, cut it into pieces, pressure cook it for 1 whistle, drain the water and blend it until smooth.
• If using eggs, beat them along with sugar, butter and then add pumpkin puree. No need to use baking soda here.

Nutritional Benefits :

• Pumpkin is very rich in vitamin A.
• In this recipe, we haven't used much butter and cheese. so, it is a low fat dessert.

Preparation time : 45 mins - 1 hr

Cooking skill : easy

Stays fresh upto : 5 days if refridgerated

Yield : 12 - 14 bars.

Best of Luck.