Pumpkin Pie Squares

I’m getting right into posting pumpkin recipes… and the best part is… no one can stop me!
These pumpkin squares are a different take on the classic pumpkin pie we all know. They’re sweet yes, but also have a great amount of hidden spice… and here’s the kicker. Use black pepper! Who would have thought we’d be putting pepper into our baking but it brings such a great subtle spiciness to the crust and it compliments the other spices used in pumpkin pie like cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.

CRUST

1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of Biscoff cookie crumbs
2 tbsp of granulated sugar
6 tbsp of melted unsalted butter

FILLING

3 1/2 cups of pure pumpkin
1 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 tbsp of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of fresh ground pepper (weird, but yes)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper with extra hangover on the sides so that it will be easy to remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.

I don’t actually have a large food processor, so I opted to take the graham crackers I had and place them inside a giant Ziploc bag. Next, I would place the bag between two kitchen towels, and using a rolling pin, bang out some frustration! Do the same with the Biscoff cookies and then add to a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and melted butter and mix until combined until it looks like wet sand.

Press the crumbs tightly down into the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 12 minutes, remove, and allow it to cool, Keep the oven on as you will need it still.

Next, using a stand mixer or whisk, combine the rest of ingredients together in another bowl until smooth. Pour it into the crust and then bake for an hour. The center shouldn’t be jiggly and the top of the filling should be a warm golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wired rack to cool completely.

Once cool, remove the chilled bars from the pan by using the overhang and cut into even squares. They’re best served chilled with a dollup of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.