Okay, so here is my first "recipe" post. I had made some super chocolatey bars that were similar to these earlier this week and wanted to try something different.  I did talk about them a little bit with a few people, but wanted to save it for here.  These are inspired by the ending of summer and the anticipation of autumn...apple picking, leaves turning color, cool nights...you have to have something to look forward to when the weather has been so hot and we've had so little rain this summer.  As for my recipe creating; I have a feeling I am going to get all covert secret-like when I am coming up with something new.  

As I am new to this, I am totally open to constructive criticism and/or ideas.  Just so you know. But anyway, here goes....

Take you dry ingredients and whisk together:

 

Take your wet ingredients and whisk those too:

Combine the dry and wet ingredients:

Press into pan:

Beat the cream cheese and caramel sauce:

Spread cream cheese caramel mixture:

Sprinkle chips and remaining mixture and bake:

And look what you get!

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope that you give this recipe a try.

Pumpkin Caramel Butterscotch Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 box of a spice cake mix (15.25 ounce)
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (or milk is fine too)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup caramel topping (right next to hot fudge in grocery store, for me anyway)
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

How to make

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9 x 9 pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. Weigh out the 1/2 of box of cake mix (7.6 ounces on my digital scale).
4. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, graham cracker crumbs and pumpkin pie spice.
5. In a smaller bowl, whisk the canned pumpkin, egg, heavy cream and vanilla extract together and add to the cake mix mixture.
6. Stir until combined. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixture for topping.
7. Transfer remaining mixture to 9 x 9 pan and using a piece of waxed paper (too keep from getting mixture stuck to your hands), gently press to cover bottom of pan.
8. With your mixer, beat together your cream cheese and caramel topping until smooth. Spread over the top of the crust.
9. Evenly sprinkle your butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips and remaining crumb/crust mixture on top.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and left cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Move to refrigerator until ready to serve (at least 3-4 hours).

Helpful hint: Keep stored in refrigerator but best enjoyed at room temperature.

(Updated 8/29/12) Another hint: You can also make this in a 9 x 13 pan. I would double everything in the recipe...it's amazing the things that will keep you up at night.  The crust will be a little more crumbly, but it'll still be just as good...maybe just a little more dense.

Greetings!

Hi!  My name is Nicole and I love to bake.  Cakes, cupcakes, breads, cookies, bars, etc...the list goes on.  Baking is therapeutic for me.  Plus, I have the added bonus of seeing peoples smiling faces after they've tried something that I have made.  It makes me happy. :-) 

I have been reading a lot of bakers blogs recently and thought that maybe I should give it a try.  I do like to try different recipes and switch them up to make it my own.  I am not looking to be Pioneer Woman by any means.  Just thought it would be fun. 

So without further ado...welcome...I hope you enjoy my creations as much as I enjoy coming up with them.

Thanks!
Nicole