Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

Mild and sweet with super yummy frosting and a little pecan crunch. I might add a little pumpkin pie spice next time just to jazz them up, but there's something nice about their simplicity, too.

Hazel (4) had a piece one night for dessert. I asked what she thought, and she replied, "Mmm! Whatever would be best of the world if we didn't have these?"

I leave you with that final thought on this last day of Pumpkin Week.Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup dairy sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Browned Butter Frosting (see below)

1. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until combined. Add flours; beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup nuts.

3. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Prepare Browned Butter Frosting; spread immediately over cooled bars. Cut into bars. If desired, top each bar with a pecan half. Makes 32 bars.

Browned Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk plus a little more if needed
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until butter becomes brown and fragrant. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. Transfer butter to medium mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, 2 T milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in additional milk, 1 tsp at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Use immediately. Makes about 1 cup.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2009