Thanksgiving Recipes
Penuche Pumpkin Bars
Yield: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
Bars
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup toasted nuts, chopped (optional)
Fudge Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup whole milk or light cream
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Bars
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using an electric mixer.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix to combine.
- Add pumpkin; mix well.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; mix to combine.
- Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well.
- If desired, add nuts or raisins; mix until dispersed evenly.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow bars to cool in pan before topping with fudge frosting.
Fudge Frosting
- Combine butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium high heat; bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add milk and return to boil, stirring constantly.
- Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; cool to lukewarm.
- Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, stirring until incorporated. Beat mixture
until thick enough to spread; adding additional confectioners’ sugar if needed. If fudge is too thick, add a little hot water.
- Frost cooled bars with warm fudge; let fudge set completely before cutting into squares.
- Store finished bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin