Bar None: Pumpkin Butter Bars

The best part about pie is the contrast between that sweet, tangy filling and the flaky crust. My favorite part, especially with pumpkin pie, is where the filling meets the back corner of the pie, when there's just a bit of it left to go with the ever-so-slightly salty crust holding it up. It might not be for everyone, but thankfully, you get to choose—lots of filling, less filling, it's all up to you! I've experimented with these bars several times, and I had only one rule: the crust had to be sugarless, to mimic that pie-like flavor. But I must warn you, these bars are somewhat addictive, and frighteningly easy to make!

Pumpkin Butter Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup very soft butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2-2 cups pumpkin butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and salt together, then add flour and stir to combine as much as you can. At that point, scrunch the mixture between your fingertips to ensure the butter is evenly distributed and there are no dry pockets of flour left. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumbs, then spread the remainder evenly into your prepared pan and press firmly to form the base. Bake for 15 minutes to set, then remove and (carefully) spread the pumpkin butter over the base, and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Return to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until just slightly golden and the edges of the filling start to bubble. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Cover and store any unused portion in the fridge, but let the bars come to room temperature before trying to cut them again.

Notes: Use whatever fruit butter, fruit spread or preserves you like best—and feel free to use half as much filling if you prefer, as the sweetness will still carry through quite well. You can easily double the recipe, reserving a full cup of crumbs for the top, and bake in a 9x13-inch pan for the same times as given above. What flavor will you try?

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