Courtesy Vera Dawson
Love pumpkin pie? Hate making pie crust? Then these bars are
for you. Pumpkin pie filling, in all its glorious goodness, is baked on an
easy-to-make shortbread crust and crowned with a sweet, crunchy nut topping. Serve
them unadorned for a casual treat or top them with a whipped cream rosette for a
fine fall dessert. They’ll take you from Halloween right through to
Thanksgiving.
Little can go wrong — just be sure to line the pan with foil
or it’ll be almost impossible to remove the baked bars. For the best results,
use fresh, soft brown sugar and high-quality pumpkin puree. Want a richer
filling? Use half-and-half in place of the evaporated milk or substitute
whipping cream for part of it.
Crust
- 1/2 cup unbleached flour, spoon and level
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar, preferably bakers
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounces commercial pumpkin puree
- 12 ounces canned evaporated milk
Topping
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
- Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Sweetened whipped cream, optional
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Line a shiny metal 8-by-8-inch baking pan with 2-inch sides with non-stick or regular aluminum foil, extending it several inches on two opposing sides to use as handles when removing the baked slab. Grease any exposed parts of the pan and the regular foil with a baking spray that contains flour. Set aside.
2. Make the crust: Place the flour, pecans, salt and brown
sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely
chopped and the ingredients are blended. Cut the butter into small pieces, add
them with the vanilla, and pulse until the mixture is uniformly moistened and
crumbly. Stop before clumps of dough form. Pour the mixture into the prepared
pan, distribute it evenly, and gently press it into the bottom to form a flat
crust. Bake until the dough is set and golden brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes.
Remove to a rack to cool completely. Wipe out the bowl of the food processor;
you’ll use it again to make the topping.
3. Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk or beat the
eggs with an electric mixer, add the sugar, spices and salt and whisk/beat
again. Add the pumpkin and the milk and whisk/beat at a low speed (you don’t
want to create air bubbles) until thoroughly blended. Slowly pour the filling
onto the cooled crust; it will come almost to the pan’s top. If your pan isn’t
2 inches deep, you won’t use it all. Bake until the top is set but still
jiggles, 45-50 minutes. (It should be firm enough to support the topping but
not fully baked.)
4. Make the topping while the filling is in the oven: Add
the dry ingredients to the bowl of the food processor and pulse to combine them
and finely chop the nuts. Cut the butter into small pieces, add them, and pulse
until they blend into the dry ingredients. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle
the topping evenly over the set filling, return the pan to the oven and bake
until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, another 15-20 minutes.
Cool completely on a rack and then refrigerate until chilled, lightly covered.
5. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, between the foil and the filling, and then use the foil handles to gently lift the uncut pastry out of the pan. Cut it into bars with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, wiping it clean between slices. Then lift each bar off the foil with a metal spatula. Add a rosette of whipped cream, if desired, right before serving. Present them cold or at room temperature. They’re best the day they’re made but still good a day later.
Vera Dawson’s column “High Country Baking” publishes biweekly on Thursdays in the Summit Daily News. Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks. Her recipes have been tested in her kitchen in Frisco, where she’s lived since 1991, and altered until they work at elevation. Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.