10.30.2011

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars-best ever!

This is only the best pumpkin recipe I've yet to make. Hands.down! I made D take some to work, and I took some as well, for the sole purpose of getting them out of the house so that I didn't finish them all off myself! They were THAT good. This recipe was adapted from www.bakeat350.blogspot.com

I was very iffy about mixing pumpkin (which I love) and chocolate (which I also love) together in one dessert, but I heard it was good. Plus, brownie-type desserts are my favorite, so I gave it a shot. I also had to make a few changes to the original recipe list (see footnotes) and it still turned out delicious, and a bit healthier, too!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
This was before they went into the oven

Ingredients
2 c all purpose flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1 c unsalted butter @ room temperature
1 & 1/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 tsp pure vanilla
1 c pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
12 oz chocolate chips (11.5 oz bag)
 
* To simplify, I used 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice instead of what the recipe called for: 1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp cloves

*To cut the sugar, I used 1/2 c Splenda, 3/4 c sugar

*I only had 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp butter, so I added 1/4 c canola oil + 1/4 c unsw. applesauce to round it off 
to 2 cups

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 & line the bottom and sides of 13x9" pan with foil (you want the foil to come up over the sides so that you can easily remove it from the pan later)
2) Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
3) Cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high. 
4) Add the egg & vanilla to the creamed butter/sugar and beat until incorporated. 
5) Do the same for the canned pumpkin/pumpkin puree (may look lumpy-don't worry!)
6) Add the dry ingredients (1/3 at a time) on low speed until just combined. 
7) Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
8) Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread with rubber spatula until smooth. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
Cool completely in the pan, then cut into bars!
Fresh out of the oven. I wish I would've taken a picture of the inside! So good!

I wasn't sure how these would turn out  with all of the substitutions (intentional and unintentional) that I made, but they were absolutely amazing!!

*Click HERE to view/print the original recipe from bakeat350

1 comment: