Pumpkin Mocha Magic Bars
Alright ya’ll… I am so excited to be at the doorstep of the holidays! Eeeeek! My absolute FAVORITE time of year. I love, love, love the holiday season.
I love the cold and leaves and the snow (where it is at the moment, I have no idea but I would like it to get here soon….) and the pumpkin and the peppermint and the lights and the cozy blankets and parties and people (I am pretty much an introvert, so this feels weird to say but it’s true). Seriously. I love it all.
I thought it would be fun and a very accurate way to celebrate the season to post a new cookie recipe every week, seeing as there will likely be all kinds of fun cookie exchanges coming up here soon, you may be needing some new ideas. I know I do!
I’m starting this project out with a bar cookie. Remember those magic bars we all know and love? The ones with the graham crackers and the coconut?
Well this is a revision. A mixing up of flavors. A change.
And it’s delicious.
- FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 2 sticks room temp butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
FOR THE PUMPKIN - 4 cups shredded pumpkin (I just grated chunks on my cheese grater - it was super easy)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
FOR THE TOPPINGS - 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
- Butter and 9x13" pan and set aside.
- Preheat your broiler to hi.
- To make the crust, place the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on medium high for 7 minutes. Yup. That's 7 minutes, this makes it super light and fluffy and for some reason makes it taste like vanilla without actually adding vanilla.
- Add the flour with the mixer on low and run until you have lots of nice crumbs. Dump those into the 9x13 pan and press into an even layer.
- Next place your shredded pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with parchment, toss with the cinnamon, ginger and cloves until all the pumpkin is nicely coated.
- Spread the pumpkin out as best you can to get rid of as many clumps as you can, the idea here is that the pumpkin is replacing the coconut in traditional magic bars so that is the texture you are looking for, so get those clumps out!
- Place about 4" down from the broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes, toss and repeat until you have fairly crunchy pumpkin shreds.
- Pull out of the oven and set aside to cool a bit.
- Switch the oven to bake at 375˚
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips all over the crust in the 9x13 pan, then sprinkle the pecans all over.
- Next pour the sweetened condensed milk into a medium mixing bowl, using a scraper to get it all out. Add the vanilla extract and the instant coffee powder. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin all over the top of the chocolate chips and pecans then drizzle the sweetened condensed milk mixture all over the entire thing.
- Place in the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until it is bubbly and slightly browned.
- Place on a rack to cool completely before cutting and serving. I have found these bars taste best when cooled completely which so oddly opposite of most cookies, but nevertheless, cool them before you eat them.
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
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