Cooks Corner Recipe: Pumpkin Bars

For Gina: (The Candid RD)

When I think of pumpkin, I think of my friend and fellow colleague, Gina-- The Candid RD.  She absolutely loves pumpkin and I dedicated this blog post to her, today.  Eating homemade is a wonderful thing and this recipe is so delicious that I want to share it with you.  It’s great for people of all ages and so yummy, too. 

Servings: 25 (1 bar each)

Carbs per serving: 11g

Prep: 25 minutes

Bake: 12 minutes

Oven: 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup vegetable oil spread, softened
2. 1/2 cup packed brown sugar*
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
5. 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
6. 1/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed or 1 egg
7. 1 1/2 cups flour
8. 1/2 of an 8 oz package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened (Neufchatel)
9. 1 cup frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour a 9x9x2 baking pan.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil spread, brown sugar, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well-mixed.  Beat in pumpkin and egg.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can.  Stir in any remaining flour.
• Spread dough into prepared pan.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
• Meanwhile, for frosting:  In a bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in half of the dessert topping.  Fold in remaining dessert topping.  Spread over cooled pumpkin layer.  If desired, sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.  Cut into bars. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

* Sugar Substitutes:  We do not recommend sugar substitutes for this recipe.

Source:BHG Diabetic Living Issue September 21 2010

Per serving:

90 cal, 4 g total fat (2g sat fat) 3 mg chol; 75mg sodium; 11gcarb; 0g fiber;1 g pro; Exchanges: 1 carb; 0.5fat; Carb Choices:  1