Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I was excited that Christina invited me to participate in this blog.  I love cooking, trying recipes, tweaking recipes, and creating my own recipes.  I enjoy cooking, but I absolutely love baking.  Baking is a release for me, and I love sweets.  Therefore, baking a fun treat is a win-win situation.

I may live in Arizona and it may still be 100 degrees, but I love the season of Fall.  I miss seeing mountain sides of yellow aspens.  I miss the cooler mornings and days.  I miss places that actually have the all of the season.  However, I live in a place that doesn't really have Fall.  Well, at least we don't have Fall when it comes to the weather.  In my home we have come to welcome Fall with open arms.

I put out the cute fall wreath I made last year, and I start baking Fallish (yes, I believe that is not a real word) dishes.  Yesterday, I made Black Bean Soup and it was delicious, but I'll share that recipe a little later.  I think it's fitting I share a Fall treat b/c that's what I am all about.  Plus, when you think Fall don't you also think pumpkins.  Therefore, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars I just made is the perfect recipe to share with you all.  It's pumpkin-y, chocolate-y, sugar-y, and all around Fall-y (I do realize that that isn't a real word either).

Now, go ahead and make these delicious fall treats.  However, be aware that milk is the perfect companion for these treats that are sure to go quick.  This pictures literally shows the last two bars left in my house and I just made them Tuesday night.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I forgot to take them out of the fridge so the microwave soften them great and they turned out fine)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz) (If you don't like pumpkin as much as I do you can limit this down to 1 cup)
1 package (12 oz) milk chocolate chips (If you are a semi or dark chocolate fan then feel free to substitute b/c it will still taste delicious)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray with flour.  Pam has one just for baking, but if you don't have it then spray with the cooking spray you have and flour the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; then set it aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on low until smooth; beat in the egg and vanilla until it's combined. Follow with beating in the pumpkin puree. The mixture might look not so appealing but keep going b/c it'll look like perfect pumpkin goodness soon.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients you set aside until they are just combined.  Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.

Next, spread the batter evenly in your sprayed and prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  I cooked it for 25 minutes, but my oven is a little fast and hot.  The bars will be more like a cake texture rather than a cookie bar texture, but they are delicious nonetheless.  Cool completely in the pan, or at least wait until it isn't pipping hot so that it doesn't fall apart when you cut it.

Enjoy these Fall treats, but plan ahead to share with others so you don't eat all of them.

MeganRuth