Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bars

So I mentioned these little treats in my last post and of course they are still on my mind. Literally, whenever I think of them, I begin to salivate and envision eating one with a cold glass of milk. They are so simple and delicious… and include my favorite dessert flavors: autumn spices + chocolate. The two together may seem a bit strange at first, but trust me, they compliment each other perfectly. The pumpkin keeps the bar chewy and moist for days (if they last that long) and the chocolate chips become schmeared all through the chewy goodness, making each bite tinged with spice and sweetness. Mmmmmm, must… stop…. imagining…. them.

The recipe calls for lining the pan with foil, and I understand why as the bars are very ‘wet’ when they come out of the oven. The foil allows you pull it away and scrape any pumpkin goodness off fairly easily. Not sure what would happen otherwise. One more thing, it also says you should let them cool entirely before slicing and eating…and of course I did not do this. They are definitely better once they’ve cooled and set a bit, but if you are like me and cannot wait, you may want to use a spoon to eat the warm, pumpkiny chocolately mush straight out of the oven. These are perfect for Halloween treats, Autumn get-togethers or just indulging in while watching a sappy movie on a chilly Sunday afternoon.

This recipe is adapted from good ‘ol Martha… enjoy.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Bars
Makes appro. 24 bars

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and cloves (all ground)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (or make your own, learn how here… but note the straining part)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.
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