Pumpkin-cranberry Bars

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree, not pie filling
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pur vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice, approximately

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 for the bars, in a large bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients.
• 3 stir in pumpkin, butter, eggs & vanilla until well blended.
• 4 stir in cranberries, then spread mixture into an ungreased 15"x10" jellyroll baking pan.
• 5 bake 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 6 cool completely in pan on wire rack.
• 7 for the frosting, melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until butter just starts to turn a golden color ~ do not let it burn!
• 8 remove immediately from heat & pour into a bowl.
• 9 let butter cool slightly, then stir in powdered sugar & vanilla.
• 10 stir in enough orange juice to form a frosting consistency.
• 11 when pan of uncut pumpkin bars is cooled completely, frost & cut into bars.
• 12 serve & enjoy & refrigerate leftovers.