Over the past month, my one-year-old daughter Willa has become increasing obsessed with pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and fall leaves. Before the autumn season, anything that resembled an apple whether vegetable or fruit was just an “apple” to her. We live near a community garden so we were working on her produce knowledge up until the end of the season when she started to see the squash growing and small pumpkins at the stores and on the neighbor’s porches. After a trip to the pumpkin patch, Jack o’ Lanterns and pumpkins have become the craze.
Larger carving pumpkins can be bland in flavor and have stringy flesh. You can still eat these large pumpkins, but they aren’t very appetizing. Once you’ve got the right pumpkin, it's as simple as preparing any other variety of winter squash. In fact if you can only find carving pumpkins, I would sooner use a honeynut or butternut squash.
I like using fresh cooked pumpkin over canned pumpkin for the same reasons I prefer any fresh food over canned food! I like the natural texture, I can season and cook the food to my liking or use, and I know the process and ingredients in which it was made. Canned pumpkin is great for out of season cooking and saves time, but I’m not a fan of the texture or additional processing.
Fresh vs Canned Pumpkin
The uses are endless once you have your cooked pumpkin: pastas, pies, ice cream, or breads. I made risotto and an awesome pumpkin bar as well as keeping some plain seasoned pumpkin as a side for Willa’s dinners. It freezes easily too, so you can avoid buying the canned stuff all year! I’ve included my pumpkin bar recipe for you to try. You can also check out our upcoming Thanksgiving classes this month for more ideas on how to utilize your fresh seasonal ingredients!
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yield: 16 bars
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
1 pie pumpkin
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
Herbs & crushed garlic (optional)
Salt
For the cookie crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
1/2 cup ginger snap cookies, crushed
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
For the filling:
15oz Pie pumpkin, roasted & scooped
12 oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup maple syrup or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice or 5-spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half or into quarters depending on the size, scoop out the seeds and puncture the skin several time with a fork.
5. Allow it to cool and scoop the flesh leave the skin behind. I like to roughly chop the scooped flesh so that it isn’t too stringy.
6. In a small bowl, combine all of the cookie crust ingredients and blend with a fork until all combined and looks crumbly.
7. Put the crust mixture into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment and press the crust down into the bottom of the pan into an even layer, cook the crust for about 15 minutes in the oven until slightly browned.
9. When the crust is done, allow it to cool for 10 minutes then pour the filling on top and return to the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the filling has set with a slight jiggle in the center.
These bars would make a great dessert for your Thanksgiving table, but if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the holiday meal, let our chefs handle dessert for you. Order Thanksgiving pies to be picked up at Lincoln Square on the Tuesday or Wednesday before the holiday. Choose from our famous Apple Pie or classic Pumpkin Pie or both!
If you could use some direction on making the holiday feast and ensure your success, whether it's your first time cooking Thanksgiving or your 50th, don't miss these upcoming classes: