This season marks the appearance of one of my favorite squashes (yes, there are multiple) at my local farmer’s market….namely, PUMPKINS! Though most recipes call for canned pumpkin puree in the season's pumpkin pies, soups, breads, and brownies; these days the market is packed with smaller “Sugar” or “Pie” Pumpkin varieties which are perfect for making your own delicious pumpkin puree. Of course, yesterday being my favorite holiday of the year, Halloween, I decided it was time to put my pumpkin skills to the test! Halloween in my house means quite a few holiday parties – which luckily gave me the excuse to make these delicious pumpkin bites several times. The final recipe took some testing and tweaking but hopefully the end product will delight your guests as much as it did mine! My version of the recipe provides directions for making your own spice mix as well as your own pumpkin puree but if you are in a pinch you can certainly skip both of those steps and just use pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin puree. Happy baking!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix:
4 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ginger
¾ tsp ground cloves
¾ tsp nutmeg
Pinch cardamom
For the filling:
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree (from 2 Pie or Sugar pumpkins)
1 cup coconut milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice blend
1 tsp salt
For the crust:
¾ cup chocolate graham crackers
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup almond meal
Preheat oven to °400 F. Wash and cut two pie pumpkins in half, removing stem and seeds. Place the halves skin (rounded) side down on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft – if you can easily stick a fork into the flesh of the pumpkins, they are done. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. The flesh of the pumpkin should separate easily from the skin. Remove the flesh and transfer to a food processor, blending until smooth.
Reduce oven temperature to °350 F. Generously butter an 8x8 inch pan. Pulse crust ingredients together in a food processor until the mixture resembles a course, wet sand. Transfer the mixture to the pan and pat down to ensure the crust covers the bottom evenly.
In a large bowl mix ingredients for filling, stirring until smooth. Four the filling mixture over the crust and allow to settle. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the filling no longer jiggles when moving the pan. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes then cut into squares and serve. These are best eaten the day of but will keep overnight in the fridge if needed. Enjoy!
