Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Perfect fall desert treat paired with a cup of coffee!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray with cooling spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together (with an electronic mixer or by hand) butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

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

Lift bars from pan, using foil as an aid. Cut into squares.

Notes:

I used spices per my own tastes. The original recipe calls for 1 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice.

Both semisweet and bittersweet chocolate work well in this recipe.

I have made the recipe in two 9-inch cake pans. For a more elegant dessert, serve the cake drizzled with chocolate ganache.