By request, here is the recipe for the healthy, whole-wheat pumpkin bars. My mother suggests whole-wheat pastry flour, but I ground up 1.5 cups of wheat berries in a Bosch mixer (to make 1.75 cups ground flour). A Vita Mixer would work for that, too. Also, I think plain ol’ whole wheat flour would work just fine.

This afternoon I mixed up this same recipe but used mashed bananas instead of a can of pumpkin. I’ll let you know how they turn out that way. If you make any changes or substitutions that you like, give me a holler! I love tweaking recipes, even my mother’s recipes!

PUMPKIN BARS – Nov 15, 2007
1 cup oil
4 lg eggs (or 3 Jumbo)
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients. Beat till smooth. Pour into a greased jelly roll or stoneware bar-cookie pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. (I use my Pampered Chef bar cookie pan with a piece of parchment paper in the bottom. I haven’t greased it, though I might now that I am reading this recipe again more carefully.

Frosting:
Cream Cheese Icing
One 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. pkg. powdered sugar

Beat together vanilla, cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend powdered sugar using elec mixer on med speed. Spread on bars after they are cool.

P.S.  Banana update:  The pan of bars made with 4 mashed bananas and only a cup of sugar is tasting quite yummy!  I haven’t frosted it yet, and might just serve it with a little butter instead of frosting.  We’ll see.