Okay, I bought some pie pumpkins yesterday. I always cook some up for the dogs, making pies, & toasting the seeds, but I would love a good pumpkin bar recipe! Anyone willing to share?

Here is a naive question...How do you know the difference between a pie pumpkin and a pumpkin that you would use for carving?

My pumpkin bar recipe uses canned pumpkin and cream cheese frosting :)

ya know? i havent tasted pumpkin since i was a kid! how bad is THAT!?

I have a great recipe...somewhere!

I'll try to find it.

Edited to add:
Found it!

Spicy Pumpkin Bars:

For the cheesecake layer:
6 tablespoons butter
9 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons flour

For the pumpkin layer:
15 ounces canned pumpkin puree (I've used fresh before too.)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment, cream the butter. Then add the cream cheese and continue mixing. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and flour. Set aside.
To make the pumpkin layer, in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the pumpkin puree and eggs until well blended. Add the sugars and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until blended.
Line a 9 by 13-rectangular pan with parchment so that the parchment covers the bottom, sides and hangs over the edges of the pan. The over hanging parchment will be the 'handles' that will help you remove the bars once cooked and cooled. Spread the cream cheese layer evenly in the parchment-lined pan and bake for 25 minutes. It should be 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Pour the pumpkin layer over the cream cheese layer and continue cooking another 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan to room temperature, then refrigerate. Cut into bars. Serve cold.

Notes about the recipe: It's like having pumpkin pie with whipped cream only the "cream" is on the bottom

Here is a naive question...How do you know the difference between a pie pumpkin and a pumpkin that you would use for carving?

My pumpkin bar recipe uses canned pumpkin and cream cheese frosting :)

Pie pumpkins are small, and you usually can find them with the winter squashes at the store.

I will definitely have to try that spicy pumpkin bar recipe. Sounds yummy!

I have a good recipe but we are in a tornado watch right now and I want to keep an eye on the tv for now. I haven't used real pumpkin for it though - just canned. I'll write the recipe later!

Pumpkin pie dessert squares
Crust:
1 (18 1/2 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
Filling:
1 (1 lb. 14 oz.) can pumpkin pie mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Topping:
1 cup reserved yellow cake mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter
whipped cream
Crust:
Reserve 1 cup cake mix for topping. Combine remaining cake mix, butter and egg. Press into bottom of greased 13x9x2" baking pan.
Filling:
Combine pumpkin pie mix, eggs and milk; mix until smooth. Pour over crust.
Topping:
combine reserved cake mix, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Sprinkle over filling. Bake in 350 degree gas oven 45-50 min. or until knife inserted in center comes clean. Cool on rack. Cut into 3" squares. Serve with dollop of whipped cream.

Yield: 15 servings