This is a good way to use up any canned pumpkin left over from Thanksgiving. It's easy and relatively healthy; pumpkin is a vegetable, after all.
Servings: Makes 16 squares.
Ingredients
1 cup ginger cookie crumbs
¼ cup ground pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1½ cups canned pumpkin purée
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine cookie crumbs and ground pecans in the bowl of a food processor.
Add butter and pulse until mixture begins to come together. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil or parchment paper. Pour crumb mixture into pan and press down with your fingers to make an even crust. Set aside.
Combine pumpkin, whipping cream, egg yolks, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir one third of egg whites into pumpkin mixture to lighten mixture, then fold in the rest of the whites.
Spoon pumpkin mixture over prepared crust and use a spatula to level it.
Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into squares.
Lucy Waverman