Soft Stamped Gingerbread Cookies with Glaze

These soft gingerbread cookies were my daughter’s favorite in the assortment! I bought Nordic Ware snowflake cookie stamps after seeing them on the beautiful blog The View from Great Island.

The recipe was adapted from Ottolenghi’s dessert cookbook, Sweet, via theviewfromgreatisland.com. I modified the method using another post on the same blog that used cookie stamps.

I also used a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop instead of a 2 tablespoon scoop, resulting in less of the snowflake imprint being transferred. (I need a 2 tablespoon scoop!) I would also thin the glaze even more next time so that it would be more transparent, revealing more of the pattern of the stamp.

Alternatively, instead of the glaze, each cookie could be sprinkled with additional granulated sugar prior to baking.

Yield: 18 cookies (using 1 1/2 T scoop) (6 of each design)

For the Cookies:

• 6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 packed cup plus 2 T (7 T) dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (5 T) molasses (do not use blackstrap, which is bitter)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1 T Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To Roll and Stamp:

• small bowl of granulated sugar

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 T warm water, plus more for thinning

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Put your cookie stamps in the freezer to chill.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer (or with a hand held mixer).
3. Beat in the egg yolk.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating on low until the dough comes together.
6. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until all the floury crumbles are incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk. I did not have to chill my dough before rolling, but if yours is very soft, you may want to.
7. Use a medium (1 1/2 or 2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion out the dough.
8. Roll the dough into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
9. Stamp the balls of dough with your cookie stamp. Gently pry it off the cookie stamp by just nudging one corner. The cookie should come right off the stamp. (at this point, you can sprinkle the top with additional sugar if not making the glaze)
10. Place the stamped cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes. (I placed them on a parchment paper-lined cutting board.)
11. Place the cold cookies onto fresh parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
12. Bake for 8-10 minutes. You don’t want to over bake these cookies, so do a test cookie or two to figure out the best timing for your oven. The cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven, but will firm up as they cool.
13. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the pan before carefully transferring to a rack to cool completely.
14. When the cookies are cool, whisk the glaze ingredients together until they become a smooth thin glaze. Add more water if the glaze is too thick, it should have the consistency of maple syrup or a thin honey.
15. Brush the cooled cookies with the glaze. You want the glaze to be thick enough to settle into the design for a beautiful emphasis. It will become more translucent as it dries.
16. Let the glaze set up fully before serving or storing.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I am almost out of time to post these festive fall cookies! It is technically still fall until December 21st…

I made these cookies along with Vanilla Halloween Cupcakes for my kids and their friends on Halloween… yes- that was quite a while ago! I doubled the recipe below and it was perfect for a crowd, making 37 cookies.

The recipe was adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I used an entire 15 ounce can of pumpkin purée for the double batch. I blotted it on (MANY MANY) paper towels prior to weighing it.

Yield: 18 cookies

For the Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 Tablespoons (86g) blotted/dried pumpkin purée (see below)
• 1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating (you will have extra):

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Blot the pumpkin purée on paper towels, or squeeze in paper towels, changing the towels frequently, until it is quite dry. Set aside. (Squeeze as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before adding it to the cookie dough. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing here! Weigh (or measure 6 T) AFTER the pumpkin has been squeezed/blotted. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.)
2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain.
3. Whisk in the vanilla and blotted pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
4. Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and remaining spices together in a large bowl.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft.
6. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Chilling the dough is a must for this recipe. (If doubling the recipe, chill the dough for 45 minutes.)
7. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (I set my oven to true convection.) Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
8. Using a cookie scoop, ration the dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and roll each into balls.
9. Mix the coating ingredients together, and then roll each cookie dough ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar coating.
10. Arrange cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a cup/measuring cup, slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls. (Without doing so, the cookies may not spread.)
11. Bake for 10 minutes on convection, or up to 11–12 minutes in a standard oven, or until the edges appear set. The cookies will look very soft in the center.
12. Remove from the oven. If you find that your cookies didn’t spread much at all, flatten them out gently with the back of a spoon when you take them out of the oven.
13. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The longer the cookies cool, the better they taste! The flavor gets stronger and the texture becomes chewier. (The original recipe notes that she usually lets them sit, uncovered, for several hours before serving.) Chewiness and pumpkin flavor are even stronger on day 2.
14. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

To Make Ahead (& Freeze):

You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months before baking. It’s best to freeze them without the cinnamon-sugar coating. When you are ready to bake, remove the dough balls from the freezer, let sit for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, and then roll in the cinnamon-sugar topping.

Speculoos with Spiced Sugar Topping

I cannot resist trying a new Speculoos recipe. I am mildly obsessed with these crispy spice cookies! 😉 I love the spiced sugar sprinkle on this delicious version. They may be my new favorite!

This recipe was adapted from 177milkstreet.com, contributed by Erika Bruce. I modified the method and used a combination of molasses and light corn syrup instead of dark corn syrup. Next year I need to make a double batch!

Yield: about 60 2-inch square cookies

• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp ground allspice
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 320 g (2 2/3 cups) cake flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground cloves
• 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cool room temperature
• 218 g (1 cup) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1 1/2 T light corn syrup
• 1/2 T molasses

1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line 4 baking sheets with kitchen parchment.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, coriander and allspice. Measure 1 teaspoon of the mixture into another small bowl, then whisk the white sugar into it and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, cloves and the remaining spice mixture.
4. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and salt on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes.
5. With the mixer running, gradually add the corn syrup, molasses, and 2 tablespoons water.
6. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl, then mix for another 30 seconds.
7. Reduce to low, add the flour mixture and mix until the ingredients just begin to form an evenly moistened dough, about 15 seconds.
8. Dust the counter liberally with flour and scrape the dough onto it. Gently knead the dough, giving it 2 or 3 turns, until smooth; it should feel moist and supple but should not be sticky.
9. Divide the dough in half; wrap 1 piece in plastic and set aside. With your hands, pat the second piece into a rough 8-by-6-inch rectangle.
10. Using a well-floured rolling pin, or between layers of plastic wrap, roll the dough rectangle to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Wrap well and place in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. (I place the dough on a plastic cutting board to keep it flat.)
11. With a 2-inch rectangular or round cookie cutter (ideally with a fluted edge), cut out cookies as close together as possible. Use an offset spatula to carefully transfer the cutouts to one of the prepared pieces of parchment paper, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart. (I used a square cookie cutter.)
12. Gently pat the dough scraps together, then re-roll and cut out additional cookies; transfer the cutouts to parchment paper.
13. If desired, use a slightly smaller cutter of the same shape to imprint a decorative border (do not cut all the way through the dough) and use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the centers. (I put 4 holes in the center of each square.)
14. Sprinkle the cookies evenly with half of the spiced sugar, then freeze or refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes. (I place the parchment paper on a plastic cutting board to put it in the freezer.)
15. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
16. Place the first sheet of cookies in the oven. Bake until the cookies are firm and beginning to brown, 14 minutes, on convection, or up to 18 minutes in a standard oven, rotating once halfway through.
17. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
18. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

In the fall, my daughter would love to eat some sort of “pumpkin spice” item every day to celebrate the season. 😉 She loved these cupcakes!

These super moist cupcakes were delicious but it was the maple-cream cheese frosting that really put them over the top. The frosting was fabulously creamy with the perfect amount of sweetness.

The recipe was adapted from David Leite via smittenkitchen.com. I modified the method and used fine sea salt.

Yield: 18 cupcakes (with leftover frosting)

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

For the Frosting:

• Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4 T (1/4 cup) pure maple syrup
• pinch fine sea salt

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Heat oven to 350° (175°C), preferably on convection. Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition.
5. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.
6. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the mixer, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.
8. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. (I used a cookie scoop.)
9. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, rotating halfway through the baking time, about 19 to 20 minutes on convection or up to 20 to 25 minutes in a standard oven.
10. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely before topping with the frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

1. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter to combine.
2. Add all of the additional ingredients and continue to beat on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Frost the tops of each cupcake, swirling decoratively. (I used a pastry bag and decorative piping tip.)
4. Refrigerate cupcakes for 30 minutes to set up frosting prior to serving.

Creamy Tadka Dal with Roti

I loved the combination of textures and colors from the mix of beans in this creamy dal. The recipe was a “staff favorite” in Food and Wine, contributed by Antara Sinha. It was included an article titled “Good to the Last Sop: Cozy Dinners That Deliver Endless Comfort.” The original recipe includes instructions to make homemade roti to serve with the dal to sop it up. 🙂

We ate this dish with store-bought roti but I included the roti recipe from the original article below. I wish I had made the homemade roti because we tragically did not enjoy the store-bought version. (Homemade is always better!) I served the dal over brown Basmati rice with steamed spinach on the side. Hearty and delicious vegetarian comfort food.

For the Dal:

• 3/4 cup dried moong dal (split yellow mung beans) (about 5½ ounces) 
• 3/4 cup dried masoor dal (split red lentils) (about 5 ounces) 
• 3/4 cup dried chana dal (split bengal gram) or dried toor dal (split pigeon peas) (about 5¾ ounces) 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric 
• 6 to 7 cups water, divided 
• 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil 
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed, shells discarded 
• 4 whole cloves 
• 1 ¼ teaspoons cumin seeds  
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)  
• 2 medium-size fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and finely chopped (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) 
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup) 
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish 

For the Roti:

• 2 cups atta (Indian whole-wheat flour) (about 8 5/8 ounces), plus more for dusting 
• 3/4 to 1 cup water, divided 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• melted ghee, for brushing 

For the Tadka:

• 3 tablespoons ghee 
• 3 small dried chiles (such as Diaspora Co. Whole Sannam Chillies), or more to taste (I used Bird’s Eye)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

To Serve:

• brown Basmati rice, optional
• steamed spinach, optional

To Start the Dal:

1. Stir together moong dal, masoor dal, chana (or toor) dal, salt, turmeric, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. (I used a medium enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until dal is soft and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Add up to remaining 1 cup water, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired thickness and consistency is reached.

To Make the Roti Dough:

1. Stir together atta, 3/4 cup water, and salt in a medium bowl. Knead mixture in bowl until all dry flour is incorporated, adding remaining 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to incorporate flour.
2. Transfer dough to a clean work surface; knead until stretchy and slightly sticky, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Shape dough into a ball, and return to bowl. Cover with a clean towel; let stand at room temperature until dough is smooth and matte, about 30 minutes.

To Season the Dal:

1. Heat oil in a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium.
2. Add cardamom, cloves, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Add onion and chopped fresh chiles; cook, stirring often, until onion is lightly browned around edges, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add tomato; cook, stirring often, until tomato begins to break down, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Add tomato mixture and cilantro to dal mixture; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cover and keep warm over low.

To Cook the Roti:

1. Once roti dough has rested, turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with atta.
2. Divide dough evenly into 16 pieces (about 1 ounce each).
3. Working with 1 dough piece at a time and keeping remaining pieces covered with a towel, shape dough into a ball. Dust ball thoroughly with atta, and flatten slightly. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a circle until uniformly thin and about 6 inches in diameter. Rotate the disk 90 degrees after each roll, flipping and dusting with atta occasionally to make a perfect circle. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Place 1 roti round in skillet; cook until bubbles start to form and bottom is speckled with brown spots, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip roti using tongs; cook until it puffs up completely and is evenly cooked on both sides, 30 to 45 seconds. (Small charred spots are delicious and totally OK.) If roti doesn’t completely puff up, pat the top using a clean towel to encourage it to inflate.
5. Remove roti from skillet, and brush both sides lightly with melted ghee; transfer to a serving plate. Repeat process with remaining roti rounds and ghee.

To Make the Tadka & to Serve:

1. In a small skillet, heat ghee over medium-high. Add dried chiles and cumin to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until cumin is toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Divide dal mixture among bowls, and drizzle each portion with desired amount of warm tadka. (I served it over brown Basmati rice.)
3. Sprinkle with additional cilantro, and serve alongside hot roti and steamed spinach, as desired.

Note: Dal can be prepared (without the tadka) 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Belgian Spice Cookies (Speculoos)

I am mildly obsessed with Biscoff cookies. They are my absolute favorite store-bought cookies (Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Cookies are a close second…) When my friend shared this version from America’s Test Kitchen, I knew that I had to include them in my Christmas cookie assortment this year. I doubled the recipe. 😉

This recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen via wskg.org.  I rolled out the dough and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. I also froze the cut dough prior to baking to help it maintain its cut shape. I weighed the flour and sugar and used freshly ground spices.

These cookies have the ultimate crispy texture. My husband thought that they had more cardamom than the store-bought version, possibly because I used freshly ground cardamom, but I thought that they were perfect. 🙂 Yum!

Yield: 32 cookies

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) turbinado sugar (see note)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg

1. Separately, grind cloves and cardamom in a spice grinder.
2. Whisk flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
3. Using pencil and ruler, draw 10 by 12-inch rectangle in center of each of 2 large sheets of parchment paper, crisscrossing lines at corners. (Use crisscrosses to help line up top and bottom sheets as dough is rolled.)
4. Process sugar in food processor for 30 seconds (some grains will be smaller than granulated sugar; others will be larger).
5. Add butter and process until uniform mass forms and no large pieces of butter are visible, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
6. Add egg and process until smooth and paste-like, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
7. Add flour mixture and process until no dry flour remains but mixture remains crumbly, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
8. Transfer dough to bowl and knead gently with spatula until uniform and smooth, about 10 seconds.
9. Place 1 piece of parchment on counter with pencil side facing down (you should be able to see rectangle through paper).
10. Place dough in center of marked rectangle and press into 6 by 9-inch rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment over dough, with pencil side facing up, so dough is in center of marked rectangle. Using pencil marks as guide, use rolling pin and bench scraper to shape dough into 10 by 12-inch rectangle of even thickness, about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick. (If the dough spreads beyond the rectangle, trim it and use the scraps to fill in the corners; then, replace the parchment and continue to roll.)
11. Transfer dough with parchment to rimmed baking sheet.
12. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 1 1/2 hours (or freeze for 30 minutes). (Rolled dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days.)(I refrigerated it overnight.)
13. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower‑middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees, preferably on convection.
14. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment. Transfer chilled dough to counter. Gently peel off top layer of parchment from dough.
15. Using fluted pastry wheel (or sharp knife or pizza cutter) and ruler, trim off rounded edges of dough that extend over marked edges of 10 by 12-inch rectangle.
16. Cut dough lengthwise into 8 equal strips about 1¼ inches wide. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 equal pieces about 3 inches long.
17. Freeze cut dough until firm, about 5 to 10 minutes.
18. Transfer cookies to prepared sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart.
19. Bake until cookies are lightly and evenly browned, 30 to 32 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
20. Let cookies cool completely on sheets, about 20 minutes. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Note: If you can’t find Sugar in the Raw, use 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 ounces) of packed light brown sugar and skip the sugar grinding step.

* Do not use cookie molds or an embossed rolling pin for the speculoos; they will not hold decorations.*

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pecan pie bars are a favorite Thanksgiving dessert in our house. I chose this pumpkin pie version to serve along with a tried and true brown-butter and vanilla bean apple pie for our intimate Thanksgiving feast. (Yes, we had leftover dessert for at least a week!)

This recipe was adapted from a “staff favorite” Food and Wine recipe, contributed by Sarah Jordan. I appreciated the press-in crust and we all absolutely loved the consistency of the bars. Pie bars have the bonus of easier portion control too- which is crucial on Thanksgiving. 😉 Great.

Yield: Makes on 9×13-inch pie

For the Press-In-Crust:

• 2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with the sugars at medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the sifted flour-and-salt mixture.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°, preferably on convection.
4. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the 2 long sides. (I used a pyrex pan.)
5. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it over the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the side all around. (You can cover the dough with plastic wrap and press with the bottom of a measuring cup.) Be sure the corners are not too thick.
6. Refrigerate until firm.
7. Bake the crust for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown; halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon to smooth the sides and corners of the crust.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool before filling.

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom, optional (I omitted it)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
• One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• Baked Press-In Crust (above)
• crème fraîche or whipped cream, for serving, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 425°, preferably on convection.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sugars with the spices and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
4. Whisk in the sugar mixture, then whisk in the pumpkin puree and the evaporated milk until smooth.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 350° and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until the filling is fully set.
7. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.
8. Cut into bars and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche, as desired.

Note: Bars should be stored in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (I prepared them a day prior to serving.)