Recipe - Pumpkin Squares With White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting

PUMPKIN SQUARES
1 cup Allpurpose flour
One half teaspoon Baking soda
Three fourths teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Three fourths teaspoon Ground ginger
One fourth teaspoon Grated nutmeg
One fourth teaspoon Allspice
Generous pinch of ground
cloves
One half teaspoon Salt
8 tablespoon (1 stick) unsalted butter;
such as Land O'Lakes, at
room temperature
1 1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 lg Egg; at room temperature
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
1 cup Solidpack pumpkin
One half cup Coarsely chopped walnuts or
pecans
One half cup Dark raisins
WHITE CHOCOLATECREAM CHEESE
FROSTING:
6 ounce White chocolate; finely
chopped
6 ounce Cream cheese; at room
temperature
One fourth teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter; at room
temperature

GARNISH; (OPTIONAL
1 ounce Semisweet chocolate;
coarsely chopped

Make the pumpkin squares:

1.Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350øF. Butter a
13by9inch stainless steel or nonstick baking pan. Dust the pan with
flour and tap out the excess. 2.In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, stir
together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves
and salt. 3.In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer set at medium speed,
beat the butter for 30 seconds, or until creamy. Beat in the brown sugar
and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light in
texture. Beat in the egg, beating until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture. Beat in the pumpkin in 2
additions. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat in the remaining flour
mixture just until combined. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the
walnuts and raisins until evenly distributed. 4.Scrape the batter into the
prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake for 25 to 30
minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes
out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:

5.Melt the chocolate according to Godiva's chocolate melting tips. Let cool
at room temperature. 6.In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer set at
medium speed, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2
minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the butter. Gradually beat in the
cooled white chocolate and beat until smooth and shiny. (If the mixture
looks slightly curdled at any time, simply continue beating until smooth.)
7.Scrape the frosting onto the top of the cooled pumpkin squares and, using
an offset metal cake spatula, spread it evenly over them. Refrigerate for
30 minutes, or until the frosting is slightly set.

Make the garnish (optional):

8.Melt the chocolate according to Godiva's chocolate melting tips. Dip a
fork into the melted chocolate and shake and flick it over the top of the
pumpkin squares to form a decorative freeform pattern, dipping the fork in
the chocolate as necessary. 9.Using a large sharp knife, cut the squares
lengthwise into 4 strips, wiping the knife blade clean after each cut. Then
cut each strip into 6 pieces, again wiping the knife clean, to make 24
squares. (Keep any leftovers covered and refrigerated.)

Posted to BakeryShoppe Digest V1 #448 by Shelley Sparks
ssparks@mailbox.arn.net on Dec 11, 1997