If you love pumpkin pie, you'll love these pumpkin pie bars...You might even like them better. With a crust made from ginger snap cookies and pecans, what's not to love?
Course Dessert
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 12servings
Equipment
9 x 13 inch pan
Ingredients
Crust:
12ouncesginger snap cookies,about 2 ½ cups of crumbs
4ouncespecan halves, or one rounded cupabout 1 cup of crumbs
¼cupsugar
½teaspoon salt
½cupbutter,melted
Pumpkin Filling:
1 cupbrown sugar,packed
1teaspoon salt
2teaspoonscinnamon
1teaspoonginger
½teaspoon cloves
4 eggs
1canpure pumpkin,15 ounces
1 canevaporated milk,12 ounces
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line only the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil, folding the foil so it just covers the bottom. This helps to keep the crust from burning during the long baking time. On top of the foil, add parchment paper, allowing for enough overhang to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
To make the crust:
Using a food processor, pulse the cookies and pecans together into crumbs.
Add the crumbs to a medium bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Then add the melted butter, and stir with a fork until everything is evenly incorporated.
Press tightly into the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Leave the oven on for baking the bars.
To make the pumpkin filling:
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the eggs well. Stir the canned pumpkin and the sugar mixture into the eggs. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk.
Pour the pumpkin mixture onto the warm crust, and return to the oven, baking for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is no longer jiggly - and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the filling does stick to the knife, bake for an additional 5 minutes and check again.
When done, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Remove the chilled bars from the pan by pulling up on the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream and chopped pecans.