Pumpkin bars

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Yield

20 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• 4 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
• 1 cup frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed

Cook

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the margarine, 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 flour. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

FOR FROSTING, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer 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 nutmeg. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Photography: Bill Nellans

Food stylist: Jennifer Nellans