Pumpkin Gingerbread bars

Hey guys!

First off, I wanted to thank everyone who’s been checking out my blog! I’m so excited to have some now followers, and I just wanted to welcome you guys!  As I mentioned last time, pumpkin season is upon us!  A few days ago my best friend called me and as we usually do, we discussed what we had recently been cooking and baking.  I’ve been on a cake spree, since there’s been a bunch of birthdays recently, and she was making some pumpkin gingerbread bars.  I of course immediately insisted that she share the recipe with me, because the sound of a pumpkin gingerbread bar sounded seriously amazing.  I’ve been dreaming of making these since she told me about them, so today when I finally had some time I immediately got to it!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bars adapted from Peaches Please!

Base

2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 and 3/4 cup of sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Pumpkin Layer

1 and 1/4 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Gingerbread Layer

2 tablespoons of  flour
1/3 cup of molasses
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1/8 of a teaspoon ground allspice
a pinch of ground cloves

To start, take a glass pan and grease with butter.  Line the pan with some parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

We’ll begin by mixing the base ingredients. Start by mixing your eggs and sugar together, beating until the mixture becomes light yellow and fluffy.

In a separate bowl mix your dry base ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg).  Use a whisk to evenly mix all the ingredients.

Slowly add your dry ingredients to your we ingredients and mix.  Add in the pure vanilla extract.

 

Now, you’ll need another bowl for the next part.  Take your base mixture and split it in two.  One bowl will be your pumpkin mixture, the other your ginger mixture.

Add all your pumpkin ingredients to one bowl (pumpkin puree, olive oil, cinnamon)

And all your ginger ingredients to the other.

Now pour your pumpkin mixture into your greased pan, and then slowly, pour your ginger mixture on top, evenly covering the pumpkin mixture.

Bake for 1 hour, and then, this is the most awful part… WAIT for it to cool before cutting it.  I know, it’s an awful thing to ask, as your house will already be smelling like heaven, but if you cut into it too soon, your bars are going to end up falling apart (take it from an impatient person who already had that happen to them >_>…).

I promise, it’s completely worth the wait!  Sprinkle some powdered sugar and try to stop yourself from eating the entire plate!

 

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the season, if not this is the perfect way to start!  These are so amazing that once again, even my ever picky brother even enjoyed them!  Happy baking everyone : )!

– Nikki