Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Since it's fall, I wanted to make some with pumpkin. After searching some blogs I found this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars from Two Peas and their Pod's blog. As tasty as these looked just on their own I decided that they needed a frosting of some sort. That's when I decided to add an easy chocolate ganache to them. They were such a huge hit! I will be making these every fall now. Below is the recipe. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

 

Ingredients:

Bars:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache: 
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. With a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. The mixture will look somewhat curdled. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
4. Cool bars completely in pan.

5. For the Ganache: Pour 1/2 cup milk or cream into a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until hot. (Milk will begin to bubble on the sides).

Add the whole bag of remaining chocolate chips and remove from the heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until all the chocolate is melted.

After waiting a minute or two for the ganache to thicken, pour the chocolate ganache over the bars. Let the ganche harden for about 2-30 mins. Cut into squares and serve.