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Tips and tricks for Halloween treats

Whether you're throwing a fall festival, a spooky soiree, or a trick-or-treating after party, these treats will satisfy guests of any age.

Pumpkin dulce de leche bars

The Runaway Spoon
Old fashioned, moist, cake-y pumpkin squares with a new-fangled swirl of decadent caramel dulce de leche.

By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon 
Makes about 16 bars

You’ll find canned dulce de leche at the grocery in the Latin foods section, or with the condensed milk. If you can’t figure out what to do with the leftovers, I just don’t know what to do with you.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup canned dulce de leche

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pie spice in a small bowl. Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined. Beat in the pumpkin puree.

3. Measure the dulce de leche into a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave for 30–45 seconds, stirring halfway through, just to loosen it up. Drizzle the dulce de leche over the top of the pumpkin batter. Using a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl the dulce de leche through the batter.

4. Bake the bars for 25–30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Tightly covered, the bars will keep for several days.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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