Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars (adapted from Healthy Seasonal Recipes by Cristie Mabey)

Ingredients

•    1 ½ rounded cup whole-wheat pastry flour

•    1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

•    ½ teaspoon baking soda

•    2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used Speculaas spice mix King Arthur Flour)

•    ¼ teaspoon salt

•    ½ cup aquafaba (juice in a can of white beans, original used 2 eggs)

•    1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

•    ½ cup applesauce (original used oil)

•    ½ cup dark pure maple syrup

•    2 tablespoons oil

•    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•    ½ teaspoon buttery sweet dough extract (King Arthur Flour)

•    ¾ cup mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life or other brand)

•    1/3 cup dark chocolate for topping

Instructions

1  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 by 9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, pumpkin, applesauce, oil, maple syrup, buttery sweet dough extract and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until moistened. Add chocolate chips and stir until just combined.

Spread the batter out into the prepared pan. Bake until the bread has risen and the center springs back when lightly touched, 40 minutes or until the cake is set and pulling away from the edges. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack. To make topping put small pieces of chocolate into a zip-lock sandwich bag. Microwave for 30 seconds, squish bag, return to microwave if needed. When chocolate is soft cut tip of corner off of the bag and stripe the cake. Let harden and serve.  Better eaten the same day as it’s made or frozen into individual pieces. Makes 16 bars.