SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BARS (Adapted from Midwestliving.com)

I was searching around for a pumpkin recipe (since it IS a week away from Thanksgiving after all!), and when I stumbled upon this recipe and it had a brown butter frosting, I was hooked.  I love Brown Butter anything: frosting or sauces over veggies or seafood, whatever!  It just adds another dimension to whatever you’re serving.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Additional chopped pecans or walnuts to top (optional)
Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP  milk
1 tsp vanilla
CAKE:
Grease a rectangular baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined.
Add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk, and vanilla; beat until combined.
Add the all purpose white and whole wheat flours; beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup nuts.
Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
Prepare Browned Butter Frosting (see below), and then spread over cooled bars. If you like, sprinkle with additional chopped nuts. Cut into bars. Makes roughly 48 bars depending on what size you want.
FROSTING:
In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted.
Continue heating and stirring occasionally until the butter turns a light brown.
Remove from heat and pour butter into a medium mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting.

Categories:  Tags: 

Photos: