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Pumpkin Ricotta Squares

Pumpkin Ricotta Squares from the Hartford Courant
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
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The shortbread crust requires no rolling or fluting. Ricotta gives the not-too-sweet filling a bit of body. As a finishing touch, add a topknot of sweetened whipped cream to each bar before serving.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup butter, softened slightly and cut into chunks
Filling:
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  • 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (5-1/3-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
To make crust:
  1. Combine sugar, flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl, and stir until well mixed. Add butter and, with a fork or pastry blender, incorporate butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly. Pat into a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside while preparing filling.
To make filling:
  1. Combine eggs, pumpkin, ricotta, brown sugar, salt, evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until ingredients are well blended and mixture is smooth. Pour over the shortbread crust. Sprinkle sugar-cinnamon mixture over top of filling.
  2. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly before cutting into bars or squares.
  3. Linda Giuca is a writer and co-owner of Alforno Trattoria in Old Saybrook. Contact her at Linda@lindagiuca.com. Christopher Prosperi is chef/owner of Metro Bis restaurant in Simsbury. Contact him at ChristopherProsperi@yahoo.com

By Kelly Seifert

Baking since before I could walk.

14 replies on “Pumpkin Ricotta Squares”

Julie made this with a GF shortbread crust one time and it was AMAZING! Don’t forget to bake the shortbread before adding the pumpkin interior – I may have done this and it came out mushy.

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