My family sets a very high priority on food. It is not only necessary for life but it is necessary to enjoy life!!! We are one of those families that just gravitates toward the kitchen. I have been taught many recipes but for my first participation in the Wine and Dine Show, I am going to share my Mom’s pumpkin squares recipe. It has become one of our family favorites. I plan to share more in the next few months. It is so close to Thanksgiving that this recipe is my choice.
For years my kitchens have been quite small but somehow my family would manage to end up in there and dance around each other to get anything accomplished. My Mom is a wonderful cook but I just didn’t inherit that trait, not that I am a terrible cook I’m just not in the same class as she is. Mom had a great teacher, her mom, my very special Grandma Luke. So very privileged to have these ladies show me the way to go about life.
My husband chose two wines to pair with this delicious dessert, Freedom Chardonnay and the Inaugural Chardonnay Central Coast. After some deliberation he chose the Inaugural Chardonnay Central Coast vinted and bottled by our fine wine of the month club. Below is a video of our Wine and Dine the evening pumpkin was featured.
Pumpkin Squares – Begin Here
You know how the instructions tell you to read them all first before you begin, well, this recipe works best if you know what the steps are before you begin. We have made modifications over the years and I have made a couple of tweaks for my daughter.
Gather the list of ingredients and make sure you have everything you need before you start. Set it all out and gather your measuring cups and measuring spoons. This is very basic but makes things go a bit smoother in the long run.
My Personal Preferences
Now, for ingredients that I prefer: the one-minute or instant oatmeal is my preference but the other will work. It will affect the texture, not really the taste. My daughter does not tolerate clove and so if she is around I will not use any. My substitute is to add a bit more cinnamon and sprinkle in some nutmeg. It is a little different but yet still full of flavor. I never use all the clove it calls for so I have written in the recipe half of what the original had called for. If you love clove you could double and put in 1/2 tsp of clove, instead of the 1/4 tsp that I have written in the recipe.
I use real butter in all my recipes and prefer the dark brown sugar versus the lighter version. I try to buy whole pecans and chop them fresh unless I know I will be using them quickly. Last but not least, when I press the crust down I always push up the sides just a bit. It seems to prevent the next layer from seeping down under the crust and helps in the removal of pieces when serving this delicious dessert. The size of the dish will determine how thick you want your layers. My husband prefers a bit of a thinner recipe, so I use a dish about 12″ x 8″. On the Wine and Dine show I used a bit of a smaller pan so was right up to the top of the dish! The thinner the dish the shorter the baking time.
Pumpkin Squares – Recipe
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
Mix ingredients together well and press into the pan. Bake 350 for 15 minutes.
Pumpkin mix:
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp clove
Mix ingredients together well and pour into the baked crust. Bake 20 minutes.
Topping:
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl butter
Mix ingredients well and sprinkle evenly onto the top of the pumpkin once it has firmed up, usually 20 minutes. Return to the over for another 15-20 minutes. Watch closely. Top should be bubbly and a knife inserted comes out clean, just like a pumpkin pie.
I allow it to cool, if you can let it sit for several hours or overnight to let the taste improve. Once chilled serve alone or with cool whip. I prefer cool whip! Yum!!!! Enjoy!!!
Why I am Sharing this Recipe
As I mentioned at the beginning, I made this recipe for the Wine and Dine Show. We are live every Wednesday at 7:30 Central time. I have an article “Why I Wine and Dine” that includes more information and the link to join this awesome party. When I get the link to the show I participated in I will post the link here.
Update: I have the video so here I am sharing this recipe but there are a couple of other pumpkin recipes that sounded worth a try and a couple of other craft ideas!!!
The wine we choose to pair with our food choices comes from the some of best vineyards in the world, Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We have exclusive wines that are only available through our wine of the month club. Look no further for the Best USA Wine of the Month Club. This is it! You will have access to exceptional wines that are hand-picked by experts for your pleasure. Each and every wine is unique and comes from the pristine Napa and Sonoma Valleys. There are over 700 wineries in this region of the world and they grow some of the very best grapes in the world. Therefore, combine that with the fact that these wineries have some of the top world-class wine crafters and you have the best wines in the world.
Wine Club Info
My mentor and friend, Rory will explain and hopefully, this presentation will show you what a great opportunity this really is. I am so excited to introduce you to this well established and credible fine wine of the month club. Please watch this informational presentation below.
The culture we are creating around these quality wines is amazing. Therefore, join us now and start enjoying this exclusive wines now and enjoying the friendships that you will develop through this awesome club and the Wine and Dine Show every Wednesday.
When you take into account the prohibition you begin to understand how behind in wine knowledge the United States is. I am fairly new at this my self and am learning so much. I wrote an article about some basic information titled “Know Wine – No Wine “ Hope you enjoy it.
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