Author Archives: cups + spoonfuls

Pumpkin Pie Bars with an Oatmeal Brown Butter Crumb

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We moved into our new house last week. Moving with 2 kids and a dog all while being 24 weeks pregnant is exhausting but I am happy in our new home. I am happy we are out of a state of transition. I am ready to settle again, feel comfortable, feel like we are home. Amidst the boxes and bubble wrap I found my baking supplies and decided to bake something that would make our new house smell less new. I am craving holiday sweets. My internal food clock is telling me it is time for those special pies and cookies, again. So when I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Crumb Bars by the Brown Eyed Baker, I decided to give it a shot. While the bars baked, our house smelled less like fresh paint or more like the holidays. It smelled like home.

These bars taste just like pumpkin pie but with a fantastic brown butter oatmeal crumble on top. The brown butter adds a bit of nuttiness to the oatmeal crumb mixture which pairs nicely with the pure pumpkin puree and spices. The texture of the crumb is a nice contrast to the smoothness of the pumpkin filling. I served the bars chilled because they do need to set up for a couple of hours and they tasted good. The next day I pulled them out while I was making dinner because I didn’t want a cold dessert. Bubba said they tasted even better a day later. The spices really meld together after a day and the bars were closer to room temperature which helped bring out their flavor as well.

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Don’t ya just love a good crumb topping? I do! I browned the butter and then added it to the oatmeal and flour mixture. Brown butter will add a slight nuttiness to baked goods. For tips on browning butter read here.

_KH10009Press half of the crumb mixture evenly into an 8×8 pan and bake on the center rack at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

_KH10012While the crumb bakes, prepare the pumpkin pie filling. Be sure to whisk until very smooth. Once the crumb has finished baking remove it from the oven and pour the pumpkin pie filing over the bottom of it. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on the top. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown and the center jiggles slightly. Starting checking it at 20 minutes.

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Once it has finished baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Then transfer pan to refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve as is or with fresh whipped cream. Bars can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an air tight container. Bring these to your next holiday gathering and watch your family and friends swoon!

Pumpkin Pie Bars with an Oatmeal Brown Butter Crumb

recipe slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 16 medium size bars

Ingredients:

For the Oatmeal Brown Butter Crumb:

1¼ cups white whole wheat flour (unbleached, all-purpose flour will work as well)

1¼ cups old fashion oats

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, browned and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1¼ cups canned pumpkin

⅓ cup evaporated milk

Directions:

First make the oatmeal crumb. Pre-heat your oven to 350 and adjust racks to center and upper positions. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides. Set aside because now it is time to make this delicious crumb topping. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, baking soda and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Melt your butter and whisk frequently. Once the butter has foamed watch carefully as the brown specks form and the butter turns more brown than yellow. You will know the butter has browned when it has a nutty smell to it. Remove from heat immediately so it doesn’t burn and allow to cool slightly. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract to the crumb mixture and stir until completely moist. It may be easier to stir the mixture with a fork. Press half of the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 15 minutes.

Now make the pumpkin filling. In a medium bowl whisk together the sugars, spices and salt. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Lastly, add the pumpkin and evaporated milk until the mixture is very smooth.

When the crust has finished baking, pour the pumpkin pie filling over the bottom and bake a for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Place on the upper rack and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crumb is golden brown and center only jiggles a bit. Start checking the bars after 20 minutes. Once they are baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. After 1 to 2 hours, place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into 16 squares and serve as is or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. The bars can be made a day in advance and stored for up to 5 days in an air tight container, in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Homemade Halloween Oreo Cookies

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Halloween OreosI love Oreos. Lately, every time I go to the grocery store I see Halloween Oreos on display. The kids beg for them, but I say no. I am so tempted to buy them but I resist because I have a problem with this cookie. I can’t have just one. I need to have many usually with a cold glass of milk. I am not sure if it is the processed cream filling or the perfectly crunchy cookie that gets me every time. Either way I avoid them.

Months ago I found a recipe for homemade Oreos in Joanne Chang’s Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café and I thought this could be dangerous. Typically, for this holiday, I make sugar cookies, pull out the Halloween cookie cutters and let the kids go nuts. This year I decided to try something different because sometimes I have to shake things up a bit. When C watched me put a few drops of orange food dye into the cream filling, her eyes widen and she asked me “are you making Halloween Oreos?” When I told her yes, she nearly collapsed with excitement. She couldn’t wait to try them and neither could I.

Chang’s recipe for homemade Oreos is not nearly as sweet as the store-bought version but they are delicious. I mean really, really good. This is a very rich chocolate cookie with a fresh buttercream filling. The cookie itself is perfectly crunchy and the buttercream is not overly sweet but works so well with the intense chocolate flavor of the cookie. They are easy to make though do require some planning ahead. The dough needs to firm up at room temperature for about an hour and then rest in the fridge for another two hours.

The cookies taste best the day they are made but still taste dam good for several days if stored in an airtight container. I think nothing is better than a fresh cookie with a glass of milk. Actually, watching the kids eat them, as they tell me about their day totally unaware of the Oreo mustache that has formed around their sweet little lips is better. It’s the little things.

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I made the vanilla buttercream filling first and added a few drops of Americolor food coloring. The filling will last at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated for a week. If refrigerated bring to room temperature before spreading on the cookies.

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After making the cream filling, I made the cookie dough. Both melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate chips and Dutch-processed cocoa powder are added to the melted butter sugar mixture. So good!

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After the cookies baked for about 20 minutes and cooled a bit, I assembled them. I added a heaping tablespoonful of filling but feel free to add more! C’mon, treat yourself this Halloween. The cookies can be stored in an air tight container for several days but I bet they won’t last that long!

Homemade Halloween Oreos

Recipe from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery and Café

Make about 18 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup or two sticks of unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled a bit

1 egg

11/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Vanilla Cream Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

12/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp. milk

pinch of kosher salt

a few drops of orange food coloring

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until well mixed. Whisk in the vanilla and melted but cooled chocolate. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda until well mixed. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The dough may seem like it won’t come together. If necessary use your hands to finish incorporating. The dough will seem thick and a bit dry. Let it sit a room temperature for about an hour.

Transfer dough to large square of parchment paper and use your hands to the shape the dough into a 10 inch log about 21/2 inches in diameter. Roll the parchment paper around the dough and roll the log into a longer smoother log, still keeping it at 21/2 inch diameter. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for about a week.

Pre-heat your oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 1/4 inch slices and place them about an 1 inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes but start checking them after 16 minutes. When they feel firm remove them from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet to slightly warm or room temperature.

Do not fill the cookies when they are hot!

While the cookies are cooling make the vanilla cream filling. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low-speed until totally smooth and creamy. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the milk, salt and about 3 drops of orange food coloring and beat until smooth. The filling can be stored at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for about a week.

Select two cookies and fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling to make a sandwich. Continue with remaining cookies. Share with family and friends, if you can!