Browned Butter Frosted Pumpkin Bars

Browned Butter Frosted Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries (optional)

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and ginger. Stir in pumpkin, butter, and eggs; mix well. Stir in cranberries (if using).
2. Spread batter into ungreased 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:

1. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat,  melt butter, stirring constantly and watching closely, until butter just starts to turn golden brown (3 to 5 minutes). Immediately remove from heat. Pour into a bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla to cooled browned butter and mix well. Stir in enough milk for desired frosting consistency.
2. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Cut into bars.