Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Well this post almost didn't happen!  I had it all ready to go and somehow my darling husband managed to delete the whole thing! But these bars were just way to good not to share so the extra effort of rewriting it was definitely worth it!

The moment I saw these on Sparks from the Kitchen, I knew I just had to make them! And that usually doesn't happen.  I have a ton of recipes bookmarked and pinned, and I know realistically that I probably won't get around to lots of them.  But every now and then a recipe like this comes along and catches my eye and gets pushed to the top of my "to make" list.

These were every bit as good as I expected them to be.  The pumpkin spice flavor is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the chocolate chips.  And the texture of these squares is absolutely perfect-soft and chewy with a little bit of crunch from the chocolate chips.

This is also my post for the 6th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Blog Hop hosted by Meal Planning Magic.  Yes folks, you read that correctly-we are halfway through the blog hop! The holidays are coming! These squares are delicious for this time of the year and would be just as delicious if you made them for a holiday gathering-I love baking with pumpkin and continue to do so through Christmas! 

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
(you may sub 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice for the last 5 ingredients above)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 3/4 of a 12 ounce bag)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper or lay one piece of aluminum foil the long way and press into the pan. Then lay another piece of foil the short way. Leave enough extra foil on all sides to have a bit of an overhang so that you can pull the squares out easily. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pie spice or spices, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together using medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined then add the pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled but that’s okay). Decrease the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in small batches and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand, add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula. Do not over-mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread to even out. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Move pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.