When I had my bakery I did have my favorite items… there were not many, but there were definitely a few that, if I could eat sweets every day, I would bake for myself. These bars were one of them.
I honestly don’t even remember where I got the recipe. I do remember doing some research and trying to find a recipe for a pumpkin dessert that would combine the typical fall flavors of pumpkin and spices, and a hint of liquor. I know I combined a couple of recipes and settled on this final version. The result is a luscious gluten-free caramel pumpkin bar, so beautiful to look at and so complex to taste: a buttery crust, a hint of smoke from the caramel, the richness of the heavy cream and eggs, the silkiness of the pumpkin, the perfectly balanced bouquet of vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and allspice, and finally the subtle kick of rum. This dessert is an unforgettable experience.
ENJOY!
Gluten-free Caramel Pumpkin Bars
45
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- For the crust
225 g Unsalted butter, softened – 1 cup
100 g Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
1/4 tsp Salt
312 g Simona’s Flour Mix
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- For the filling
200 g Granulated sugar – 1 cup
60 g Water – 1/4 cup
480 g Heavy Cream – 2 cups
2 Tbsps Rum
15 oz Pumpkin puree – one small can
100 g Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Ground allspice
2 tsps Vanilla extract
4 large Eggs
Directions
- Grease and line with parchment paper a 9″ X 13″ baking pan.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla, until very light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until just blended.
- Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until lightly colored. Place on a cooling rack while you start working on the filling.
- Place the 200 g of sugar and the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until deeply golden, without stirring, 4 to 5 minutes more. The caramel begins to smoke and you can smell the slightly burned sugar in your kitchen.
- Add the heavy cream, but be careful because it will splatter. Stir until well combined, then add the rum.
- In a small bowl weigh pumpkin puree, sugar, spices and vanilla. Add to the caramel sauce. When it starts bubbling, take off heat and add the eggs, whisking vigorously or you risk that they become scrambled.
- Pour into the cooled crust through a strainer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for 10 more, until it looks shiny and the center is still slightly wiggly.
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