Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

NYT Cooking

slice dessert

These bars are as rich and chewy as the center of a chocolate chip cookie.

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Servings

24 Servings

Prep time

20 Minutes

Cooking Time

45 Minutes

Calories

--- Kcal

Ingredients

  • 170 grams unsalted butter
  • 385 grams packed light brown sugar
  • 170 grams pumpkin purée
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 320 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsps ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 250g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. In a small (preferably light-colored) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent the milk solids from burning, until the butter foams, darkens into a light amber color and becomes fragrant and nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes more. (Watch closely to make sure the butter doesn’t burn.) Immediately pour the butter along with any of the browned milk solids into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes then wisk in sugar for 30 secs, rest for 3 mins and then wisk again.
  2. While the butter cools, heat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 30x20 cm lamington tin or glass baking pan with cooking spray or oil and line with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides to create a sling.
  3. Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the cooled butter and whisk until smooth and glossy. Stir through 3/4 of chocolate chips. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg and stir with a spatula just until a soft dough forms with no pockets of unincorporated flour. (Try not to overmix.)
  4. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer using a spatula or clean hands coated with nonstick spray or oil. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips, pressing them in so they stick. Bake until the bars are puffed, the top is lightly browned and a skewer or knife inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached or with smudges of melted chocolate, 30 to 35 minutes.
  5. Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 24 squares. The cookie bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.