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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Pumpkin Pie Bars - One More Thanksgiving Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

Are you still looking for a last-minute dessert idea for Thanksgiving? 
Worry no more, because I am going to save you the trouble of scrolling through Pinterest, or googling "Thanksgiving desserts.
You need look no further than the bottom of this page.

You're welcome.  

Two years ago, I tore a page out of the November 2013 issue of 
Better Homes and Gardens.  
Pie Bars, eh? 
All three recipes -- pumpkin, lemon-cranberry, and pecan sounded good to me.



I'm forever collecting recipes, but I probably end up making only about 10% of them.
Do you do that?
These three I've always intended to make, 
but just never got around to it...until Sunday.

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

Since I bought a few too many cans of pumpkin puree, 
I figured I'd start with the pumpkin pie bars.
 All three recipes use the same basic crust,
which -- can I tell you? -- is delish!
The brown sugar makes it so tasty, and it's ridiculously easy, too.
The four ingredients come together quickly.

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

The pan is lined with parchment paper, with a couple of inches of overhang.
   The crust gets pressed into the pan...
No rolling required!
I covered the dough with plastic wrap, and used my 
fondant smoother to press it in, and flatten it out.
 (Pretty clever, right?)
The parchment "handles" come in handy when it's time to cut the cake into bars.
I lifted the entire thing out of the pan, for easy cutting. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

 I decided to cut the crust off all four sides
because I think the bars look nicer when they are all uniform.
Plus, the crust scraps made for a nice lunch :)
The crust was so tasty, 
that rather than throw away the remaining scraps, I froze them!
I figure I can have it as a snack, like a cookie when I want a little something sweet.
Hmmm...maybe I'll invent something -- crust cookies!

I just googled it, and wouldn't you know it, they already exist.  
Harrummph!!!
Is there nothing left to invent? 

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

The recipe says that these bars can be made ahead, 
and refrigerated for up to two days.
I wanted to see if they froze well, so I put some in the freezer as a test,
and they defrosted beautifully. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

One thing these pumpkin pie bars won't do, is win a beauty contest
They are definitely not what you'd call cutie pies.
Even though I shot the photos in natural light,
the bars are a putrid shade of orange, 
and aren't very photogenic, no matter how I tried to brighten them. 
 However, what they lack in looks, they make up for in taste.
A little whipped cream, or cream fraiche helps to pretty them up a bit. 
After all, we all look better when we get a little dolled up, don't we?

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving


Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving
Pumpkin Pie Bars


To make the crust:

2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with the sugars at medium speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the sifted flour and salt mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the 2 long sides. 
Transfer the dough to the pan and press it over the bottom, and 1 1/4 inches up the sides. (You can cover the dough with plastic wrap and press it with the bottom of a measuring cup, or fondant smoother). Be sure the corners are not too thick. 
Refrigerate until firm. 
Bake the crust for 30-35-minutes, until golden brown; halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon (or fondant smoother) to smooth the sides and corners of the crust. 
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool before filling.

To make the filling:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree  
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 425°. 
In a small bowl, whisk the sugars with the spices and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.

Whisk in the sugar mixture, then whisk in the pumpkin puree and the evaporated milk until smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350° and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until the filling is fully set.
Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

Cut into bars and serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream. 
Make ahead: The pumpkin pie bars can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature. 
The bars can also be frozen until ready to use.    

Pumpkin Pie Bars - a new twist on pie. All of the deliciousness of pie, but none of the hassle of rolling out dough. So easy to make! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving

Now that that's done, I can relax until it's time for Thanksgiving.
Oh wait - we're going to my cousin's, but I'm bringing the turkey! 

I wonder if I should put it on a leash. 

 Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving
Pardon the quality - I took this with my cell phone. (Photo from June 2014)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

You may also like:

Mini Pumpkin Pecan Cups | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving



Nutella Pumpkin Pie | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #Thanksgiving


 

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Best of the Weekend


18 comments:

  1. No kidding, a wild turkey on your deck? ;-)
    You are such a temptress, the bars looks delicious.
    And yes, I still have a binder full of recipes I intend to try some day. Maybe we should create a support group, encouraging each other to try one a month?
    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,
    Merisi

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  2. Tooo funny Amy the Turkey on the deck. I was driving down the street out in the country the other day and I saw three huge wild Turkey's sitting on this ladies porch. It was so funny to see her real life decor lol!
    Happy Thanksgiving.
    Kris

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  3. ROFLMAO!!! You're a riot Amy! We have TONS of turkeys around here, but never on our deck!

    Pumpkin food is hard to photograph, but you did it justice. The crust cookies sounded like you could be on to something, but you're so right...seems like everything has been done before. But let's keep trying, shall we ;)

    Enjoy your day!

    xxx

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  4. Sounds delicious and look just as good to me! You better get busy plucking that turkey for tomorrow! ;-0

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  5. Used to say pumpkin anything looks like baby poop!Centuries ago when first learning to bake, a smidge of ground cloves,made the color noticeably less baby cuckaish,at least that was what the mom in law said. Pleas do NOT add too much, or the pumpkin takes on a bitter taste, giving you an actual cucka pie! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, watch out for those wild turkeys during mating season. Crazy funny!!

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  6. Used to say pumpkin anything looks like baby poop!Centuries ago when first learning to bake, a smidge of ground cloves,made the color noticeably less baby cuckaish,at least that was what the mom in law said. Pleas do NOT add too much, or the pumpkin takes on a bitter taste, giving you an actual cucka pie! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, watch out for those wild turkeys during mating season. Crazy funny!!

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  7. Happy Thanksgiving to you! Loved the way you taught us to do these bars!!

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  8. Amy I'm laughing over the turkey photo... Your recipes always look yummy, love pecan pie, with them being mini must mean hardly any calories? Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
    xoxo

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  9. Wow - those bars sure do look yummy! I think the are quite pretty and especially when they are dolled up. I had to laugh with the thought of "bringing the turkey on a leash" - lol!

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  10. My daughters would love these pumpkin bars!! Me? I'll take the pecan or lemon cranberry any day!! Love your pet turkey - ha ha!!

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  11. They do look delicious ....

    Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

    All the best Jan

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  12. They do look delicious ....

    Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

    All the best Jan

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  13. Love this recipe, been making it for years,

    Thanks for sharing it. Hope others will enjoy it.

    linda

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  14. It looks yummy! I hope you still had the turkey for Thanksgiving ;)

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  15. I'm a recipe collector, too, although I've been trying to restrain myself more lately ... too many recipes, too little time! ;) These look delish, and I actually have some pumpkin left. I can never have enough pumpkin pie!

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  16. Wow Amy these pumpkin pie bars look amazing.
    Thanks for sharing this recipe with us at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.

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  17. Goodness sakes, my brain no longer works. I was salivating over this recipe, got to the part where you mention the mini Pumpkin Pecan Cups and then realized I actually have some in my fridge that I forgot about. I'll take a look at the recipe though for when I run out.

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  18. These sound heavenly!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    ReplyDelete

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