Hip to be squares for Halloween
RECIPE: Bake up an old-fashioned holiday treat for family and friends
Here’s a scrumptious treat for Halloween. It’s too delicate to dole out to trick-or-treaters, but it’s just right for you and your family and friends at a Halloween party or dinner.
Preparing pumpkin coconut squares takes some time, but it’s mostly waiting, not hands-on time.
This beauty is four layers thick, and two of them require time to set up.
There’s a gingersnap crust on the bottom, a layer of pumpkin/coconut milk purée, a layer of tart cream cheese and a topping of toasted coconut flakes.
If you’ve ever dug into a pumpkin pie or dessert and wondered where the flavour went, I can pinpoint the problem: Pumpkin purée is terribly watery, whether it’s fresh or canned.
It occurred to me that draining it would concentrate the flavour. Here’s how to do it: First, wrap it in a layer of cheesecloth, then tie the cheesecloth like a hobo’s sack to a chopstick, skewer, or dinner knife, and finally, hang the sack over a deep bowl.
Let it drip, drip, drip for eight hours or overnight. Afterward, there will be a fair amount of water at the bottom of the bowl — and even more in the cheesecloth.
Squeeze the cheesecloth gently to remove the additional water. When you’re done, you’ll have eliminated up to 3/4 cup (125-180 ml) water from the purée. (If you don’t have cheesecloth, a coffee filter will do.)
Be sure to use “pure pumpkin,” not “pumpkin pie filling,” which is pre-sweetened.
If you’re inclined to lighten up the recipe, swap in light coconut milk, one-third-less-fat cream cheese and unsweetened coconut flakes for the specified full-fat ingredients.
Then again, it is Halloween and these Pumpkin Coconut Squares are an old-fashioned holiday treat.
Pumpkin Coconut Squares
Start to finish: 11 hours, 20 minutes (30 active)
Servings: Makes 36 squares
15-oz. (426-g) can pure pumpkin 6 tbsp. (90 ml) unsalted butter, divided, plus extra for buttering the pan 11/2 cups (375 ml) finely ground gingersnap crumbs, about 35 2-inch (5-cm) cookies 2 large eggs 3/4 cup (180 ml) well-stirred unsweetened coconut milk (stir the coconut cream at the top of the tin down into the rest of the milk before measuring) 2/3 cup (160 ml) packed dark brown sugar 13/4 tsp (9 ml) ground cinnamon, divided 13/4 tsp (9 ml) vanilla extract, divided 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground ginger 1/4 tsp (1 ml) table salt 6 oz. (170 g) cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup (180 ml) confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 2 tbsp. (30 ml) toasted sweetened coconut flakes
Cut out a square of cheesecloth large enough to wrap around the purée with about a 4-inch (10-cm) border on all sides.
Spoon the purée into the cheesecloth, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together to form a bag (like what we used to call a hobo sack) and thread a chopstick, skewer or dinner knife through the opening at the top.
Place the chopstick over the top of a deep bowl and let the bag hang over the bowl. Chill for at least 8 hours.
After draining, squeeze the cheesecloth gently to extract even more water. Discard the liquid at the bottom of the bowl and set the purée aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Butter a 9-by-9-by-2-inch (22.5-by-22.5-by-5-cm) baking pan. Melt 11/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) of the butter.
In a medium bowl, stir together the gingersnap crumbs and the melted butter and pat the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the crumbs begin to darken, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl you mixed the crumb mixture, whisk the eggs until they are beaten lightly, add the coconut milk, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla, ginger and salt, and whisk until smooth.
Stir in the drained pumpkin purée and spread evenly over the crumbs.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven, until the centre has set, about 25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a rack.
In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, the remaining 41/2 tablespoons (67.5 ml) butter, confectioners’ sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon (4 ml) vanilla; beat until very smooth.
Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the cooled pumpkin filling and sprinkle the coconut on top of the cream cheese frosting, pressing it down lightly.
Chill until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 36 squares and serve.