Im Back!!! Pumpkin Crumble Bars

Wow it has been WAY TOO LONG!  I have totally fallen off the blogging bandwagon and I have missed it SO much!!!  So much has happened in the past couple of weeks.  We moved into our new apartment that we will be in for the next year till we move home to Utah for good :)!  

Also, we found out that we will be expecting another little one in May and we couldn't be more excited!!!!  I'm just hoping that I don't get sick with this one, cause I couldn't cook a thing for months when I was pregnant with Lily!  Everything except for chocolate milk, apple juice, and cheese made me sick!!! Plus, even blogger has changed since I've blogged last :)

So since it is September and pretty much starting to be fall everywhere except here in Houston :), I decided to make one of my VERY favorite desserts, Pumpkin Crumble Bars.  I could eat these babies in the middle of the summer they are so good!  I am totally one of those people though that don't feel that it has to be a certain holiday or time of year to enjoy good food.  If you like it then make it whenever you feel like it if you have access to all of the ingredients!

Recipe:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter (divided)

1 (16 oz) can pure pumpkin (Not pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon for topping

1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to *350.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Measure 2 cups of the cake mix and 3 Tbsp. of chilled butter into a bowl and using a pastry blender (or a fork) cut in the butter to the cake mix till it becomes a crumbly mixture.  Press firmly into the 9x13 baking dish.

Next, mix together the spices, eggs, milk, and pumpkin until well incorporated.  Pour over the crust.  

Next using a measuring cup, measure cup by cup, the remaining cake mix into a bowl.  For every remaining cup of cake mix, you will use 3 Tbsp. of melted butter to pour over the top to make it crumbly when it bakes.  (I had about 1-3/4 cups remaining cake mix so I used a total of 5 Tbsp. of butter, the rest of the stick)  Add the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to the cake mix and stir till well mixed.  If using nuts, add the nuts also.  

Sprinkle the mix over the pumpkin.  Melt the butter and pour over the top of the mix and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream.  Enjoy!!!

(recipe source: Our Best Bites)