Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

These taste so much better than they look in this picture. I was too eager to photo them and cut them before they had cooled completely.
I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars on Megan's Cooking, a couple of weeks ago and put them on my baking list. I love pumpkin and I am not sick of it yet. I didn't know when I would bake them, and when my mom was here she talked me into it.
Basically this is a thick layer of cookie dough that is topped with a pumpkin pie type filling and then a cinnamon-sugar layer is sprinkled on top. So kind of a twist on pumpkin pie.
I made 1/2 a recipe in a 8x8-inch pan.
My kids loved them. My mom loved them. We each had a small slice and then I packed them up and put them in the fridge. I made my hubby take them to work the next day. They were a hit.
I think these would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving dessert menu, still nice and pumpkin-y but a little bit different.
Megan had a white chocolate drizzle on her bars, which made them a bit cuter, but I didn't have any, so I left it off.
Delish!

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Recipe by Julia, author Of Dozen Flours

Snickerdoodle Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle

1 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later

To make snickerdoodle layer:

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

To make pumpkin pie filling:

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar. A dd the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.
Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.
After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it’s completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.