These bars will melt in your mouth with a smooth, buttery crust and a sticky pumpkin candy filling.
INGREDIENTS
PUMPKIN CARAMEL SAUCE
12 ounces of store-bought caramel sauce
1/2 cup (123g) pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
BARS OF BUTTER
2 cups (4 sticks or 452g) of challenge butter
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (186g) of confectionery sugar
4 cups (500g) of all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
PUMPKIN CARAMEL SAUCE
Pour candy into a bowl. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin seasoning and stir well. Set aside.
BUTTER BARS
Heat oven to 325°F.
Prepare a 9×13 dish by spraying with non-stick spray or using the butter and flour method.
In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), spread the butter and sugars for about 3 minutes.
With the mixer turned off, add the flour. Turn the mixer on low and mix until the flour is fully incorporated or about 30 seconds. The dough will be very smooth.
Press half of the dough in the prepared pan and make sure it is a smooth and even layer.
Bake for 25 minutes. The crust is made when it doesn’t look shiny and starts to get light golden.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Pour pumpkin caramel sauce over the baked crust.
From the remaining dough, crumble between your fingers and sprinkle over the pumpkin caramel.
Bake for 25 more minutes.
Cool completely before cutting. (I usually refrigerate overnight.) These bars are sweet so I recommend cutting them into 24 smaller pieces when serving.