SAVORY OR SWEET PUMPKIN TREATS
Hello to all you Fall Phillies out there! We’ve seen your apple picking, your hay riding, your haunted housing… it’s Fall at its Finest! This weekend most people will be celebrating Halloween (which is on Monday), so we are giving you two pumpkin recipes that are sure to be hits at your Halloween party!
PUMPKIN CHEESY MAC… AND IT’S VEGAN!
AU: Anyone else love that boxed pasta dinner where you brown a pound of ground beef and throw in the powder packet? Yes I’m talking about Hamburger Helper… it was a childhood favorite. Well, I was craving that nostalgic flavor, but I don’t necessarily eat processed stuff like that anymore (I mean… there ARE exceptions), so I went into the kitchen to experiment. The secret to getting the rich body of a cheesy sauce without the dairy? Canned pumpkin puree!
EK: AMAZING!! And it’s Vegan?! You are becoming an expert in cheesy non-dairy situations!! I am impressed! It looks so creamy and so cheesy!
AU: You could use fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, but then you’d have to roast it, peel it, and scoop it when you’re just gonna blend it all up anyway! Pumpkin is high in fiber, and packed with nutrients like potassium, vitamin A, and iron… but paired with some spices, plant-based milk (oat or almond), cashews, and nutritional yeast it becomes as creamy as American cheese!
Let me be clear: This dish does not taste like pumpkin. It tastes like hamburger helper from the 1980s. And that’s why I love it.
The recipe is simple: sauté onions, garlic, and sage… add your favorite plant-based meat to brown… and then toss cooked pasta and meat with the “cheese” sauce.
I actually prefer serving it right out of the pot, because it’s creamier, but if you’re someone who needs a crispy breadcrumb topping (like in a baked mac ‘n’ cheese), I wrote steps for that in the recipe.
TWO THINGS:
The sauce thickens as it sits, so if you’re making this ahead, have some water or vegetable stock to thin out the sauce to keep it creamy and saucy.
In the notes to the recipe, I include the option to add about 2 cups of cooked vegetables to bulk up the dish (and make it a more complete meal). If you’re looking for more of a pumpkin-y flavor, I would add some cubed, roasted butternut squash… but mixing in steamed/roasted broccoli florets or spinach would be great choices, too!
AU: This would be a perfect cozy casual dinner to have before you go out trick or treating with the kiddoes! And I cannot WAIT to make Elizabeth’s pumpkin recipe!!
SHORTBREAD PUMPKIN BARS WITH PECAN STREUSEL
EK: It’s Pumpkin season! The real pumpkin season of yummy pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin bread, muffins, cakes and of course, pumpkin pie!!
I went to the Farmer’s market with my good friend Kirsten last weekend and we bought some pumpkin squares from a local baker that were dotted with pecans and a cakey crumb topping. They were delicious but they didn’t have any crust on the bottom so they were difficult to eat. And that got me to thinking…what if I used the shortbread crust from my lemon bars, my pumpkin pie filling, and made a streusel topping with pecans?! So, that is exactly what I did!
This recipe is not difficult, but you do need to make the crust, the filling and the topping. If you are overwhelmed by the amount of steps, just make the three parts in advance and assemble them. It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3—Shortbread crust + Filling + Topping.
AU: This sounds like a delicious way to make something pumpkin pie-esque for someone who’s intimidated to make a full-fledge pumpkin pie! And frankly, it sounds even tastier!
EK: Making the shortbread is the first step. I wanted the pumpkin bars to be full of warm Autumn spices, so I added a pinch of cinnamon to the shortbread and used dark brown sugar. Likewise, I used dark brown sugar in the streusel topping to achieve that rich molasses depth of flavor. (It makes a dark cinnamon-colored pumpkin bar that is part of that group of delicious brown food that tastes better than it photographs!) :-)
EK: You can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour, or a fork…or just use your hands. If you work fast, your hands are actually the easiest way to get the butter coated with the flour-spice-sugar mixture so that it resembles peas or (gravely) sand.
I saw Isaac Mizrahi demo how to make pie crust and he said, “The (pebbly) sand in St. Tropez, darling, not Main Beach East Hampton…” where the sand is very fine. I’m a big Isaac fan, and I loved going to his eccentric performances when I lived in NYC.
Back to the shortbread…Once the crust is mixed, all you need to do is transfer it to a 9 x 13 pan and press it evenly up the sides and the bottom. Now, the hardest thing about shortbread is getting it out of the pan. I usually use silicone bakeware for this because it doesn’t stick, or you can use a parchment paper sling. If you make the bars in a glass pyrex baking dish without anything between the glass and the crust, the sides will stick to the pan—-guaaarrrannnteed!
Here is an example of a parchment paper sling. Take 2 pieces of Parchment paper that is cut for a 1/2 sheet pan. Fold each one in half lengthwise and place them opposite ways in the 9 x 13 pan so they form a cross. I clip the sides so they don’t slide around. Once you have the shortbread dough in the pan, and pat the crust into place, you can remove the clips. This way when the pumpkin bars have cooled, you can take the entire slab out and cut them with a bench scraper, knife, or dough cutter.
Next, you need to pre-bake the crust until it is cooked through. Lemon bar recipes tell you that you don’t need to let the crust cool, but I think it gets soggy if you pour the filling on the hot shortbread, so even though it takes more time, I suggest cooling the crust.
While the crust cools, make the pumpkin pie filling. I’ve streamlined the recipe to use pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, it’s easy to make and I am giving you a recipe. It’s basically all the spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves—you use for pumpkin sweets mixed together.
Once the crust is cool, you pour the filling in the crust and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the custard is set and you can add the streusel topping. If you put it on in the beginning, it will all sink to the bottom. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or so and your bars are ready to cool. Cooling these bars takes quite a while and you will have to be patient. I like to bake them, let them cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate and cut the next day—I know that is a long time to wait!
Once I am ready to cut the bars, I cut them in individual squares and wrap them individually before storing in the refrigerator.
These pumpkin bars are a great option for dessert or a snack, and no one would hate it if they replaced the Thanksgiving pie! They are good straight out of the fridge, but even better with the chill off. When they warm up, you can taste all the spices and appreciate the different textures and flavor in each of the three layers. Store in the refrigerator and take out a couple of hours before you want to eat them for maximum YUMM and a softer crust!
This just screams Fall! I can’t wait to try the pumpkin bars…Elizabeth’s mini pumpkin pies are my all time fave—so I know I’m going to love these!