Pumpkin Pie Bars

 

I wanted to honor my friend's fall birthday with some baked goods.  Brownies didn't seem to say 'October' to me, nor did chocolate chip cookies.  So I went in search of a treat featuring one of my fall favorites: pumpkin.  Keeping in mind that it was too early for Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie, my quest led me to the Brown Eyed Baker.   I stumbled across her blog while searching for pumpkin desserts and was pleasantly surprised.  I liked the things she'd been baking.  And I found exactly what I was looking for: Pumpkin Pie Bars.  She described them as pumpkin pie 'without the crust' but I found them to be much firmer than the pie filling.  They did have a certain reminiscence of pumpkin pie; the pumpkin kept these bars very moist.  I dusted the top with sugar and delivered them to my friend with a birthday candle on top.  (Because at our age, we don't need anything more than a solitary candle).  The verdict: she loved them!

Make them again: Yes, but I would like to alter the consistency ever so slightly.  

Improvements: They were quite dense.  I need to figure out which ingredients to change to make them lighter and a bit fluffier.  

Follow this link for the recipe: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/14/pumpkin-pie-bars/

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 

Pure awesomeness based on points in both the taste and nostalgia categories.  And we roasted these seeds authentically - straight from the pumpkins as we were carving them.  I swear that made them taste even more delicious.  A dash of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt (no pepper), and that was it!!  I can't even imagine buying these in a package.  The package won't contain all the memories of fall pumpkin carvings from my childhood, nor will it bring my friends together for our annual carving contest.  I am willing to have them but once a year to ensure that they travel directly from pumpkin to pan.  

Make them again?  Same time, same place next year.

Improvements?  I wouldn't change a thing....