Sparks from the Kitchen

This past weekend was the autumnal equinox and it’s finally fall! I can’t think of any other time of year that I like more. That being said it’s time for pumpkin.  Husband and I were heading over to my Grandmother’s house for lunch on Saturday with her and my Mom and I wanted to bring something with me for all of us to have as a treat after our lunch. This was a perfect recipe to make! I started a little later than I wanted to on Saturday morning so the tasties didn’t have time to cool completely but it was ok-I put them in a container with an ice pack and they were nice and cool by the time we got to her house.

They’re not overly spiced or overly pumpkin and using dark chocolate is the right way to go. They’re just right.

Make sure you buy pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling (has the spices in it).

And how cute is this photo? That’s Timothy, our dog,  and while he really wanted a piece I couldn’t give him any because of the chocolate. He got a biscuit instead and was fine with it.  I think I should rename these Timothy squares-they’re the same colors as he is.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1&1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• (you may sub 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice for the last 5 ingredients above)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1&1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 12 ozs semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.  In an 9/13 baking pan or dish lay one piece of aluminum foil the long way and press into the pan. Then lay another piece of foil the short way. In both directions leave enough extra foil to have a  bit of an overhang so that you can pull the squares out easily. Set it aside.
2. In a medium bowl add the flour, pie spice or spices, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together using medium-high speed until smooth.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined then add the pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled but that’s ok). Change the speed to low and add the dry ingredients a bit at a time until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand, add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter using a spatula. Be careful to not over-mix.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared dish-spread to even out. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
5. Move pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

From marthastewart.com