Pumpkin Bars with Chai Caramel & Cardamom Crumble

*screams into autumn*

Good morning from me and my *HOT* coffee with a *DASH* of oat milk with a *HINT* of cinnamon. It’s sweater weather, baby. (And if you are some of my friends down south and caught up in a bit of scarier weather, I hope you’re staying safe!)

Now this newsletter is going to be a shorter one, focusing mostly on a bonus recipe that you all get today and the plebeians get tomorrow (I have favorites and my favorites are you). Also because there are currently five batches of these pumpkin bars sitting in my house…so this recipe is top of mind.

This recipe is also a thank you

I am gearing up for the book launch, the book tour, the BOOK in general, and I know it’s a lot for an audience to handle. Some of you have heard about it twenty times, but it’s my job to make sure that the people in my audience who don’t yet know about it, do! So book yap continues, but I’m going to aim to take care of you all with a new recipe once a week, along with all the book recipes I’m posting!

It’s a big thank you for ordering the book. And if you haven’t ordered yet, I’d ask you to consider doing so here. It’s only $25 dollars, and you could be the reason I’m on the New York Times’ Bestseller list. Which would be very cool. I would cry.

And a quick Book Tour update

I AM BUT A 30 YEAR OLD TEENAGE GIRL TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH YOU ALL. And seriously, I can’t wait to meet you. This is not to be pushy, it’s just that we are selling out fast. Seattle has only 30 spots left (that event is free!), and if you would like to be added to the waitlist in Chicago, please email your name and phone number to words@bookcellarinc.com. It’s old school, but we love old school, no?

Now, these bars!

First, the other two recipes I posted this week are Figs in a Blanket and Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, but the one I’m most excited about? Pumpkin Bars with Chai Caramel and Cardamom Crumble.

First, we all know “chai” translates to “tea,” and so our Chai Tea Lattes are “tea-tea lattes,” which while incorrect, I always find a bit endearing. This pumpkin bar uses chai concentrate to mimic the sweet and slightly spiced flavor of Indian chai, and the cardamom crumble ties that flavor together with the pumpkin base.

Think of this recipe as a texture extravaganza. The pumpkin bar is dense and chewy like a chocolate chip cookie…just with no chocolate. The caramel is chewy and sweet, and the crumble topping is light, crunchy and buttery. It’s a rich dessert, which is why flaky salt tempers all the sweetness at the end.

And if you’re afraid of making caramel - DO NOT FEAR. I’ve made like five in the past four days and did not burn my fingers once! A triumph of food safety.

Pumpkin Bars with Chai Caramel and Cardamom Crumble

Makes one 8 by 8-inch baking dish, 16 bars

INGREDIENTS

For the pumpkin bars

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened, 113 grams

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 100 grams

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed, 50 grams

• 1/3 cup pumpkin purée, 75 grams

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, 140 grams

For the cardamom crumble

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 70 grams

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 28 grams

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, chilled, 42 grams

For the chai caramel

• 1/3 cup chai concentrate (I use Tazo as the brand), 88 grams

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 250 grams

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, 28 grams

• 1/3 cup heavy cream, 85 grams

For topping

• 1 teaspoon flaky salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Evenly stagger two racks in the oven and preheat to 350°F.

2. Make the pumpkin bars. Using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat together the 113 grams of butter, 100 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams brown sugar, and 75 grams of pumpkin. Mix on medium-high until fluffy and combined.

3. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix again. Add in the 140 grams of all-purpose flour and mix on the lowest setting until just combined.

4. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to evenly scoop the dough across the pan, then use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. It is sticky, but try to get it as even as possible! Set this aside.

5. Next, make the cardamom crumble. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 70 grams of all-purpose flour, the 28 grams of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom. Cube in the 42 grams of chilled butter.

6. Using your hands, toss the butter to get it coated in the flour. Then start pressing the butter into pieces, tossing to coat it in the flour as you go. As the butter breaks apart, it will start forming a crumble. It may feel dry at first, but keep smashing the butter in with your fingers and you'll start to see clumps form.

7. Transfer the crumble to a parchment-lined half sheet pan.

8. Bake the pumpkin bars on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes, then add the crumble to the bottom rack for the last 10 minutes. Remove when the pumpkin bars are dry but not golden and the crumble is just lightly golden at the edges. Set these aside to cool at room temperature.

9. While the bars and crumble are cooling, prepare the caramel.

10. Mix together the 88 grams of chai concentrate and 250 grams of granulated sugar in a medium pot. Swirl to combine. Set this pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Do not stir during this time. Let it boil until it starts to let off wisps of smoke and smell like a toasted marshmallow, about 5-6 minutes. This will be obvious when it happens, so if you're wondering if you are there yet – trust me, you aren't there yet!

11. Once you see the smoke wisps, immediately remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the 28 grams of butter. Very carefully pour in the 85 grams of heavy cream and whisk (it will let off some steam!).

12. Place the pot back over LOW heat and gently stir until the caramel comes up to 245°F. Then remove from the heat.

13. Now it's time to assemble. Once the pumpkin bars are cool enough to touch the tray, pour the caramel directly into the CENTER of the bars. Let it naturally spread to the sides, although you can ease it to the corners with a spatula if you'd like. This is to prevent it from pouring over the edges and getting your bars stuck in the tray. Let this cool for 30 minutes in the fridge.

14. After the caramel has cooled, sprinkle the crumble over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt. These will sink into the caramel.

15. Chill in the fridge for 5-7 hours or until the bars are set. Then, you can remove the bars, slice into 16 pieces, and serve!

16. Important note: These are best stored in the fridge. I recommend taking them out right before slicing and serving.

And that’s it for this week! I hope this recipe will make it into a few of your kitchens. And please tag me if it does! I would love to see the results.

In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend. And I’ll see you next week, or on book tour?! T-minus four weeks!

Xoxo,

Pumpkin_Snacks