Pumpkin Pie Bars ~ Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

Yummy Pumpkin Pie Bars.  Cake-like on the top and bottom and chewy creamy in the middle.

 

April is National Soyfoods Month and I was contacted by Soyafoods* and asked to try and use their products in one of my recipes.  We use a number of soy products here in the Cook Lisa Cook house as we all adore edamame and go through a package in nothing flat.  Snacks like Sunrich Honey Nutz are always a favorite, especially for Maisie at school or at the gym where it gives her that extra protein and calories she needs to make it through her long gymnastics practices . I use tofu in a number of recipes and because Maisie’s allergic to milk, I often substitute soy milk for dairy milk when baking.  I was totally onboard with featuring a recipe which includes soy, in this case, Westsoy soy milk.  Today’s recipe is for some absolutely delicious Pumpkin Pie Bars, which are Maisie “safe” as they don’t contain any wheat, egg or dairy…but you’d never know that from the flavor.  These bars are sort of a cross between cake and pie because the top and bottom of the bars have the texture of cake and the middle has a nice moist and somewhat chewy creamy texture, not quite as custardy as pumpkin pie, but close.  The bars are simple to make and of course, totally delicious!!

Maisie’s been cooped up at home for a the past few days, recovering from sinus surgery and avoiding our outrageous pollen counts so she was excited to help Mama cook, especially as the final product was for her!

Licking the spatula is always a delicious treat.

I love using my Slice Solutions Pan as it makes perfect portions.  One note though, when using this pan with the insert, it cooks faster than an undivided pan so you’ll have to adjust your cooking time depending on your oven and which pan you use. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars fresh from the oven, with the insert removed.

 Maisie approved, Pumpkin Pie Bar success!!

Pumpkin Pie Bars ~ Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour 
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum  
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 6 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 4 TBS. ground golden flax seed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup Westsoy soy milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 – 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 9 x 13-inch Slice Solutions Pan or baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, xanthan gum, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, flax seed, brown sugar and granulated sugar.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the soy milk, oil and lemon juice.  Once the wet ingredients are fully incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pumpkin puree.  Mix on low until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Add the Slice Solutions Pan insert and then bake for 50-60 minutes until the tops of the bars are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean.  (Note, when I cook with the Slice Solutions Pan my baked goods cook faster so if just using a regular undivided pan, your baking time could be as much as 30 minutes longer so keep checking to make sure that your bars aren’t over or under baked.)

Enjoy!

April is National Soyfoods Month so it’s the perfect time to learn about the place for soy in a healthy diet and easy ways to incorporate it into everyday meals.  Packed with protein and fiber, soyfoods are a tasty way to reduce calories, saturated fat and maintain your weight.  Many soy products like veggie burgers cook and thaw faster than traditional meat sources so that means more time and convenience—who couldn’t use more of both?

The Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA) provides information about the health benefits and nutritional advantages of soy. SANA offers fun recipes and convenient ways to incorporate soy into meals for everyone – from athletes to families. SANA is dedicated to spreading the word about soy, especially during National Soyfoods Month in April!  Here are just a few ways that soy can help make your life easier and healthier: Take this mixed berry smoothie up a notch with creamy and delicious WESTSOY Soymilk made from whole organic soybeans: Berry Smoothie WESTSOY Soymilk.  Need a snack on-the-go? Grab some gluten free SOYJOY bars to fuel up with nutrients in seconds, SOYJOY bars. On those busy weeknights, add some Wildwood tofu to the standard stir-fry for more protein or this spinach fettuccini to your favorite pasta sauce, Wildwood Tofu.  Packing lunches with the same snacks can get a little boring, but honey roasted soy nuts are a sweet and crunchy snack packaged in individual sizes, perfect for the lunch box, Honey Roasted Soy Nuts.  Packed with protein and fiber, soyfoods are a great way to reduce calories, cholesterol and saturated fat. They also serve as a great source of iron, calcium, vitamin B-12, magnesium and zinc.  Including soyfoods into your diet is easy and convenient. See the recipes below: Soymilk adds a healthy twist to any smoothie and these scalloped potatoes: Soy Milk Scalloped Potatoes.  Edamame makes a great energy-boosting snack and puts in an interesting twist on this hummus: Edamame Hummus,  Easy recipes to get cooking with soy ingredients: Easy recipes to get cooking with soy

Follow the SoyFoods Association on Twitter at @SocialSANA

Follow SoyFoods Association on Facebook

 

Disclosures:

* This sponsorship is brought to you by Soyfoods Association who we have partnered with for this promotion. I was provided with a box of products to sample.  This is a compensated post but all the views and opinions expressed are my own and based upon my experiences with Soyfoods Association products.

Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake

Here we are already, the second month of the Improv Cooking Challenge which is now being hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.  How this challenge works is, each month two ingredients are assigned and you can make any recipe of your choice as long as it includes those two ingredients.  Last month, for the inaugural challenge all the participants made recipes using caramel and apple and I have to say, the Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies that I made were over the top wonderful.  I loved seeing all the other wonderful caramel and apple recipes, eighty-two to be exact, that the other participants submitted and if you’re interested in seeing them all, just click over to my Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies post and scroll to the bottom to see all the submissions. 

This month we were challenged to make a recipe which included cream cheese and pumpkin and to this end I decided on a Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake.  I decided that I would use a basic cheesecake recipe that I have been using for decades and that I would change it up a bit and get that pumpkin pie flavor in there.  Next I chose to not only top it with praline but to also carry those flavors through by only using brown sugar throughout the cake and also by adding pecans to the crust.  In the end I managed to make one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made.  The flavor of the brown sugar with the pumpkin, the spices, the toasted nuts, well they melded perfectly and this recipe is going to be made again and again.  I hope that you’ll give this cheesecake a try as it’s beyond delicious and a perfect dessert to grace your holiday table.

The crust came together quickly as all the ingredients went into the food processor.

A couple spins of the blade and the crust was ready to bake.

Press the crust ingredients into the bottom of a 10-by-3 inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust bakes and cools, drain the pumpkin squeezing out as much liquid as possible.

Once the crust is baked and cooled place the pan in an oven bag and roll down the edges.  I find that the oven bags are easier and work much better than layers of foil for keeping the water out of the pan.

Pour the filling over the crust and then put the pan into a large roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water so that it comes half way up the springform pan.

Cheesecake, crack free since it was cooked in a water bath.

Once the cheesecake is cooled completely top with the praline topping and chill to allow the topping to set.

  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk

Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin 
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups brown sugar 
2 tsp. roasted ground cinnamon 
1 tsp. ground ginger  
1/2 tsp. allspice 
1/2 tsp. ground cloves 
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 

Praline
1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 TBS. butter
1 TBS vanilla extract 
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to at 375°F.

To make the crust:  In a food processor pulse the pecans, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, flour, butter and egg yolk until fully mixed. Press into the bottom of 10-by-3 inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Once the crust is cooled completely, put the pan into a large oven bag and roll down the edges so that they are the same height as the pan.

Once the crust has baked, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.  Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

To make the filling:  Drain the pumpkin purée by placing it on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional layers of paper towels and use your hands to gently squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the purée.  In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the pumpkin purée and mix until well blended.  Add the egg, sour cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg and blend until everything is well incorporated.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust and then transfer the oven bag lined pan to a large roasting pan and place in the preheated 325°F oven.  Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan so that it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan.  Bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes and then turn oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes longer.  Lift the cheesecake from inside the oven bag and keeping the cake in the springform pan, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the praline topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the pecans, single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden and aromatic. Coarsely chop the nuts. Stir together the brown sugar, cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil the mixture for about 1 1/2 minutes making sure it does not boil over. Do not stir. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and pecans. Cool the praline about 30 minutes so that it thickens up some before pouring over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Pour over the cheesecake and then chill a few hours or overnight allowing the praline to harden a bit.  When ready to serve, if necessary, run a sharp knife around the inside of the springform pan before opening the clasp and removing the ring.

Enjoy!!