Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pumpkin Pie Bars
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Chicago chef Sarah Jordan’s bars have all the spice and warmth of classic pumpkin pie without all the work of rolling out dough and crimping crusts. They’re a fun, surprising way to feed a crowd. — from Desserts by the editors of Food & Wine
Servings
20
servings
Ingredients
  • 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 cup all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown 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 pure pumpkin puree
  • one 12-ounce can evaporated milk
  • crème fraîche, for serving
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with both sugars at medium speed for 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the sifted flour-and-salt mixture.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the 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 with the bottom of a measuring cup.) Be sure the corners are not too thick. Refrigerate until firm.
  3. Bake the crust for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown; halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon to smooth the sides and corners of the crust. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool before filling.
  4. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk both 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.
  5. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F 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 crème fraîche.
  6. Excerpted from Desserts by the editors of Food & Wine (Oxmoor House, 2017).Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
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