Pumpkin 6-Layer Magic Bars

Looking for a unique pumpkin recipe instead of the traditional pie this Thanksgiving? (Or maybe in addition to the pie...)  Look no further!  These layered pumpkin bars are probably one of my all-time favorite desserts.  They combine pretty much everything delicious into one sweet, salty, gooey treat. 

I’ve made these a couple of times, but most recently I baked them for a Halloween party.  I expected to have a lot of leftovers, but they were pretty popular. 

The original recipe calls these “7-layer bars”.  I don’t really get their math unless they are counting butter as its own layer.  But in my mind, these are composed of 6 layers: (1) graham cracker crust, (2) pumpkin/milk/spices, (3) apples, (4) chocolate chips, (5) almonds, and (6) coconut.  But call them whatever you want. 

Pumpkin 6-Layer Magic Bars (adapted from Bakers Royale)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 whole crackers)
• 8 T butter
• 1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 t cinnamon
• ¼ t nutmeg
• ¼ t cloves (I didn’t have any so I used cardamom instead)
• 2 regular sized Granny Smith apples, peeled & shredded
• 1 cup chocolate chips  
• 1 cup salted almonds, chopped
• 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13” baking pan with foil with a 1” overhang and spray with oil to keep from sticking to the bars (I use Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray).  

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter and stir until well blended.  Press into the bottom of the pan. 

3. Mix sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and spices.  Pour mixture over the graham cracker crust. 

4. Peel apples and used a grater to shred them into small pieces.  Squeeze out some juice from the grated apples before sprinkling the shreds on top of the pumpkin mixture. 

5.  Add a layer of chocolate chips, followed by almonds, then coconut. 

6.  Bake for 35-45 minutes.  Keep in mind, ovens vary, so test yours to make sure they set.  I actually baked mine closer to an hour (covering them with a layer of foil for the last 15 minutes to keep the coconut from burning). 

7.  Let cool in pan, then let chill in the refrigerator before cutting.  Enjoy! 

tbt Halloween Treats

 

I made S’mores Brownies with Ghost Peeps for our friend Scott’s Halloween party tomorrow.  For this throwback Thursday, I’m sharing treats that I’ve made past years! (Along with a recipe for this year’s brownies…)   

For James & Roberto’s party last year, I made chocolate skeleton & mummy cookies (adapted from the blog Created By Diane)

 

For their party in 2012, I made chocolate mummy & spider cupcakes (adapted from Skinny Taste and Bakerella). 

 

I didn’t bake anything in 2011, but I did carve a pumpkin for my doorstep!

 

I actually carved 2 pumpkins in 2010 (the first pretty one with the haunted house reacted badly to the paint & rotted before Halloween…) 

 

 

That year I also made a cookie cake with peanuts, M&Ms, and icing decorated with spider rings. 

 

 

Back in 2009, we threw a Heroes & Villains themed party at my college apartment.  I baked the same chocolate spider cupcakes as I made in 2012, but with red Twizzler legs and marshmallow eyes. 

 

Below is the recipe for this year.  If you’re planning to make this, stock up on the ghost Peeps early – I only had 1 package, and it turns out that the day before Halloween they are out of stock everywhere.  Ideally, your ghosts would cover the entire top of the brownie pan…

Ghostly S’mores Brownies: (adapted from Home is Where the Boat Is)

Ingredients:

• 12 Ghost shaped Peeps (I only had 9)
• Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs (1/3 of a box)
• 2 T sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

 

Directions:

1. Mix butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt, then press evenly over the bottom of a well-greased 8x8” pan.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

2. Pour brownie batter on top of the graham cracker crust and bake according to directions. 

3. In the last 5 minutes of baking, add a layer of chocolate chips to help the Peeps stick to the brownies. 

 

4. Place your Peep ghosts on top of the brownies and broil very briefly until slightly toasted. 

 

5. The Peep’s faces will melt away in the oven, so after you take them out, replace the eyes and mouth with mini chocolate chips.  Then enjoy!