Guest Blogger KATY: Adventures in Cooking #4

Hi all! First off, let me introduce myself for those of you who may not know me :) I am Abby's younger sister, Katy. When Abby approached me about being her "guest blogger", I was so excited! I think her blog site is pretty frequented, so I hope I can do a decent post!

I am going to share another recipe with you, including step-by-step instructions on how to make Pumpkin Pie Bars! This delightful fall/winter treat brings back childhood memories from when I would spend the night at one of my best friends Laura's house growing up. Therefore, this recipe is courtesy of Liz Williams :) We brought this recipe out during our wonderful trip to Wimberley during the Thanksgiving holiday. It continues to satisfy our taste buds during our fall/winter cravings!

Okay, let's begin! You will need the following ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c. brown sugar, packed firmly
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
• (1) 16 oz. can pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/4 c. buttermilk baking mix
• 2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
• 2 tsp. milk

Also, hopefully the pictures will assist you in understanding the following instructions :)

Step One: In a large bowl, combine brown sugar* and butter. *Make sure when measuring out the brown sugar to pack it tightly in the measuring cup by pressing it firmly with your fingers. A helpful tip I would recommend is to put the measuring cup inside the bag and pound it with your fist.

Option one ^ (packing b. sugar with your hands)

Option 2 ^ Pounding b. sugar with fist inside bag

^Combining b. sugar with melted butter/margarine

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Step Two: Beat the above ingredients until light and fluffy.

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Step Three: Add pumpkin, eggs, baking mix, and spice.

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Step Four: Beat at low speed until blended.

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Step Five: Turn batter in lightly-greased 13 x 9 in. pan.

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Step Six: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

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Instructions for making the Glaze (to drizzle on top of pumpkin pie bars-yum!)

Step One: Combine sugar and orange peel in a medium-sized bowl.

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Step Two: Stir in milk to make glaze you can drizzle. Let it stand for 30 min. to set glaze.

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Step Three: Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled pumpkin bars.

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I hope this recipe helps you in celebrating holidays and creating special memories like it has for me! Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Katy :)