Date Pecan Pumpkin Squares Food

DATE PECAN BARS

Steps:

• To prepare filling, mix together dates, sugar and water in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Allow to cool. Add pecans.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and brown sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture until well blended. Press half of the filling into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Spread with cooled filling. Cover with remaining filling mixture, patting lightly. Bake until lightly browned (approximately 25 to 30 minutes). Cool and cut into bars.

PECAN PUMPKIN CRUNCH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
• Combine the pumpkin, cream, eggs, sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, bourbon, if using, ginger, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until evenly combined and pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and add to a medium bowl. Stir in the pecans, flour, and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and mix until it holds together somewhat but still crumbles. Scatter the topping over the pumpkin mixture and bake until the edges are puffed and the filling is set in the center, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature. Serve with the Bourbon Whipped Cream and/or ice cream.
• Add the heavy cream to a medium bowl. Beat the cream with a hand-held mixer until thick and frothy. Add the sugar and bourbon and beat until medium peaks form.

PUMPKIN BARS (PAULA DEEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth.
• Spread batter in an ungreased nonstick 13-x 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
• For frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and beat at low speed until combined. Add vanilla and beat until desired consistency is reached.
• If desired, garnish with ground cinnamon.

PUMPKIN-PECAN SQUARES

Steps:

• Optional- substitute 2 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
• Optional- substitute 3 cups (435 gms) of bleached all-purpose flour for the unbleached& cake flours.
• Line a 9x13 aluminum baking pan with heavy duty foil.
• Leave 2-3 inches of foil sticking out of the pan on the short sides to aid in lifting the finished product out of the pan.
• FOR THE PASTRY: In a small bowl or plastic bag measure and mix flours and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (can be done with a hand mixer), mix the butter, vanilla extract and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add flours 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition.
• Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
• Press dough into prepared pan about 1/4-inch thick.
• Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork or a wooden skewer.
• Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• While the pastry is resting, Place rack in center of oven.
• Preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and roast for 5-10 minutes, unitl hot and aromatic (do not burn them!) Allow to cool Bake pastry until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
• HAVE FILLING READY WHEN CRUST COMES OUT OF OVEN.
• Lower oven temp to 350 degrees.
• FOR THE FILLING: Mix spices, salt and sugar in a small bowl, whisk to combine.
• Whisk pumpkin, eggs, yolks, extract, evaporated milk in a large bowl until smooth.
• Slowly add sugar/spice mix and beat until well combined.
• Pour over HOT crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until just set and still jiggles in the center.
• HAVE TOPPING READY WHEN BARS COME OUT OF OVEN.
• FOR THE TOPPING: Combine topping ingredients, when filling has set remove bars from oven and evenly sprinkle topping over filling.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, you just want the topping to be browned and about 1/2 melted The filling may start to crack and get a bit puffy.
• Cool on a wire rack for several hours, refrigerate overnight, remove from pan, cut into 24 squares, sprinkle sugar on bars.
• Keep in refigerator until ready to serve with a dollup of slightly sweetened whipped cream.

DATE PECAN PUMPKIN SQUARES

Steps:

• Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the cloves, and the salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter and the sugar, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating, and beat in the pumpkin, the vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. In a small bowl toss the dates with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture until they are coated well. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, beating slowly, and stir in the date mixture and the pecans, stirring until the batter is combined well. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan, 13 by 9 by 2 inches, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack, cut it into 12 squares, and serve it with the nutmeg ice cream and the bourbon burnt sugar sauce.