Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars

It's been rainy and dreary recently in the Seattle area, so while I was at first hesitant to make a cookie with so many flavors of fall, it just seemed appropriate. I had planned to make these last fall and I simply ran out of time. I had already scouted out some pumpkin butter, as it isn’t the easiest thing to find, and I was ready. Maple and pumpkin flavors in February? I figured it wasn’t too much of a problem.

While I am not the biggest fan of the texture of pumpkin puree, I have used a few varieties of fruit butter and I prefer that texture. It isn’t quite so heavy, and I prefer that. Initially, I was worried that I might not be able to find pumpkin butter, but one of the local jam/preserves vendors had it and I was thrilled. If you are unable to find pumpkin butter, feel free to use another type of fruit butter. Pumpkin puree nay work, but the texture of the bars would be different.

I have found that when I get home from work, I either get lots and lots of things done, or I sit on the sofa and get little accomplished. I wanted to get things done so I made these bars as soon as I got home. They mix together quickly, as long as you have the ingredients on hand. The original recipe had you brown the butter, but I skipped that. I also simplified the glaze, making a powdered sugar/maple syrup glaze which worked beautifully. These are typically what I would make in the fall, but these are so good that they are enjoyable any time of year.

Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup powdered sugar
 3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, pumpkin butter, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium until the ingredients come together. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. One the flour almost disappears from the dough, remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in the white chocolate chips by hand and ensure that the dough is cohesive.

Spread the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top as best you can.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bars are set and begin to brown along the edges. Remove the bars from the oven and allow the bars to cool before adding the glaze.

Once cool, take the bars from the pan and remove the foil. Make the glaze: in a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk to start combining the ingredients. Continue whisking and add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, adding additional milk until the glaze is thick but smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the bars. Allow the glaze to set before cutting the bars into squares.

Recipe from Half-Baked Harvest