Pumpkin Caramel Bars Recipe

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Cook bacon in sauté pan over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Reserve 2 T. drippings. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt for the bars in medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk together pumpkin puree, sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg, melted butter, bacon drippings and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir in flour mixture and pecans. Spread pumpkin batter evenly into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Boil 2 cups brown sugar, water, and pinch salt for the frosting in large pan over high heat, 5 minutes, gently swirling occasionally to prevent scorching. Whisk in cream and butter pieces. Mixture will bubble furiously. Keep whisking. Boil 2 minutes more. Transfer caramel to bowl of stand mixer; whip on high speed until sides of bowl are cool to the touch and caramel is thick, 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add cream cheese, 1 cube at a time, until frosting is smooth. Frost cooled bars. Finely chop cooked bacon and sprinkle onto frosted bars with sea salt. Store bars in refrigerator up to 1 week. Makes 24 bars. Bacon adds out of this world flavor to these bars, but if you're not feeling adventurous, substitute chopped pecans for the bacon instead. Source: Cuisine at Home Yield: serves 24