🎃Pumpkin Shortbread Bars!

🍁Hey yall!!

🎃I lovvvve a yummy shortbread dessert with the soft, buttery bottom, a delicious creamy filling, and a sugary cinnamon spiced streusel crumble topping! It's a trifecta of YUM!! These would be amazing with a blackberry filling, pecan pie, chocolate, or lemon filling for different seasons of the year! But today, we’re making a pumpkin version for Fall!🎃🍁  I had to share this divinity with ya'll! Fall desserts are always the BEST!!🍁👻🍂

 

 

𝒮𝒽ℴ𝓇𝓉𝒷𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 ℐ𝓃𝓰𝓇ℯ𝒹𝒾ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓈:

2 cups butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

 

𝒫𝓊𝓂𝓅𝓀𝒾𝓃 ℱ𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝓰:

2 cups pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp clove

1/4 tsp cardamom

 

𝒮𝓉𝓇ℯ𝓊𝓈ℯ𝓁 𝒯ℴ𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝓰:

3 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used brown sugar)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp clove

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

 

 

 🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

𝒟𝒾𝓇ℯ𝒸𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃𝓈:

Make the shortbread crust.

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 2 cups of butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat another minute until soft and fluffy. There should be no butter chunks.
3. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
4. Add the 4 cups of flour 1 cup at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides each time. You might think this is too much flour but I promise, it's not! Just use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides and work in all the floury crumbles at the bottom.
5. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Divide the dough into two, one portion a bit larger than the other. Press the slightly larger portion of dough into the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the pan.
6. Chill the dough pressed in the pan for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Once the dough pressed into the pan has chilled, bake it at 350 for about 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool for a few minutes (it's okay if it's a little warm when you pour on the pumpkin.)

** Optional: add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the slightly smaller portion of dough. Mix it together, then cover and chill in the fridge. (I transfer this walnut-dough to a new bowl and store it in the fridge, so that I can use the mixer bowl for the pumpkin filling)

 

Make the pumpkin filling.

1. You can do it in the same bowl that you did the shortbread in if you scrape it out well. No need to wash. Add 2 cups pumpkin puree*, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (optional). Whisk it all together until smooth.
2. Pour the pumpkin filling into the baked crust. I spread it to within about a half inch of the edges.

Make the streusel.

1. Get the walnutty or pecany (or plain) dough out of the fridge. Use your hands to break up the dough into chunks about the size of a quarter, some bigger some smaller. Cover the top of the pumpkin, it's ok if some pumpkin peeks through.
2. In a small bowl melt 3 tablespoon butter. Add 1/3 cup sugar (I used brown sugar) and 1/3 cup flour+ spices and mix together with a fork to create small crumbles.
3. Sprinkle the streusel over the crumble evenly.

Time To Bake!

1. Bake the pumpkin pie bars at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until the streusel it lightly browning and the bars don't jiggle when you shake the pan.
2. Let cool completely before serving at room temperature or chilled. You can stick it in the fridge to speed this up!
3. Serve and ENJOY!!