Spicy Pumpkin Bars

I don't remember ever eating anything made with pumpkin as a kid.  Even on Thanksgiving, growing up in an Italian-American family, pumpkin never made an appearance at our dinner table.  We had plenty of anise cookies, pizzelles, and ricotta pie but never pumpkin.  As a matter of fact, I never even tasted pumpkin pie until about ten years ago when my mother started making it.  To me pumpkin was a decoration, something you carved or painted a face on.   That idea did change when I tasted the pumpkin pie.  I loved the creamy texture and delicious spices in the pie.  

These bars are filled with all of those yummy pumpkin pie spices that remind us of fall, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves.  To me they taste like a cross between pumpkin pie and gingerbread.   Though they are called bars, the texture is more like a cake.   They are moist and delicious and best of all easy to throw together.  If you are looking for something to make with pumpkin, give these a try.  They say fall in every bite.

To make these bars, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.


In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of allspice, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together with an electric mixer 1 cup of butter (softened) and 1 1/4 cup of sugar until pale and creamy.

Next, add 1 egg and mix well.  Then add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix well.  Add 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree and mix on low speed.  It will look curdly; that is okay.

  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  If you like, you can mix in 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips.  I made it with chocolate chips and without and liked it both ways.   Spread batter evenly in pan.

If you look closely, you might see a chocolate chip.  I made this one half plain and half with chocolate chips.  Both ways tasted very good.

  
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool before cutting into squares.


Spicy Chocolate Pumpkin Bars The Golden Book of Chocolate
Printable recipe
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of butter, softened
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup of canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips (optional)




Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter and flour it.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt.  Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and creamy.  Add the egg, beating until just combined.  Add vanilla. Mix well.  With the mixer at low speed, beat in the pumpkin.  It will look curdly.  That is okay.  Gradually add the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Fold in the chocolate chips if using.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  Cut into squares.


I am linking these up to Sweets For a Saturday, Not Baaad Sundays, These Chicks Cooked, Tasty Tuesdays, A Little Birdie Told Me, and Sweet Tooth Friday!  Click on the link so see some delicious recipes:)