Golden Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars...

I love you. You are the perfect treat. You are decadent, dense, beautiful, brown sugary-sweet and a tiny bit healthy (but no one needs to know this last part...it'll be our secret). Won't you be mine every fall?

Fall is among us – and so are the pumpkins! We took our first trip (of many, I imagine) to a local pumpkin patch yesterday afternoon. Being surrounded by such autumn wonderfulness kept reminding me of my favorite fall treat, Golden Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars. I made a batch last week and froze half - because if I didn't freeze them, I would have eaten all of them by myself. They're perfect for a snack, dessert, and since they're whole-grain - they're great for breakfast, too. If you love pumpkin pie, you're guaranteed to love these.

I'd like to give big props to King Arthur Flour for creating this intoxicating concoction of fall flavors. And, many thanks to Anna over at Cookie Madness for posting this recipe in early 2009! I could eat any food containing pumpkin year-round, but saving these for fall make them more special – and somehow more authentic.

I've posted the recipe below, but you can view the original recipe at Anna's site here, where you'll get to read everyone's fun comments about their obsessions with pumpkin recipes. My only change is using white chocolate chips instead of nuts and cinnamon chips.

Golden Cinnamon-Pumpkin Bars

6 oz unsalted butter (168 grams)
1 1/3 cups packed light or dark brown sugar (280 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla (5 ml)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder (3 ml)
1/2 teaspoon salt (2 ml)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (3 ml)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ allspice)
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin (9.5 oz)
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour (170 grams) — weight out 170 grams white whole wheat
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 inch metal pan with cooking spray or line with foil and spray foil.

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the sugar. Return the bowl to microwave and heat for another 30 seconds or just until it starts to bubble. Let cool until it’s comfortable to touch, then stir in the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and egg. When well mixed, stir in pumpkin. Add the flour, cinnamon chips and nuts or raisins and stir until mixed.

Pour into pan and bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

This makes 2 dozen 2-inch bars.

I'd also like to acknowledge the lovely cake platter on which these treats rest. I received this platter as a birthday gift from my very dear friend Amy, who has impeccable taste with home goods. I was even more amazed when Amy told me that she knew the talented woman who made it! The artist? Katie Reed of Mish Mosh Design. They have beautiful creations, and among their recent selection is some precious hand-stamped jewelry that I have my eyes on...

This cake stand is, by far, my favorite piece in our home because of its versatility and beauty, so you'll probably be seeing it here many more times.

Thanks to all who contributed to this post - you ladies are great!

Now go make some pumpkin bars, sit in a pile of leaves with your loved ones, and enjoy this weekend!