Day 1: PUMPKIN WEEK

With a slight delay I am happy to announce the start of pumpkin week on Beyond the Meal.

When most of us hear the word pumpkin, one of two images will usually come to mind. Either the perfectly orange, green stemmed pumpkins from the patch or the signature can bakers stock up on as fall weather hits. While nearly every recipe I have calls for opening up a can of pumpkin, one of my all- time favorite recipes relies on a different form of pumpkin.

Every fall I always head to Williams-Sonoma, a food lovers paradise, even if it's just to window shop. The store is always filled with so many cute knick knacks, spices and fall goodies that you feel happy just being in there. However, what I always hope for is the opportunity to try one of the treats they are sampling.

Five years ago I entered Williams-Sonoma looking for nothing special in particular. Then I noticed the sample for pumpkin dessert squares. After one small bite I was hooked and to this day I remember how much the flavor stood out to me. The pumpkin was not the dominating flavor, but the perfect sidekick to the crumble topping and buttery crust. It was so good I even stepped out of my usual window shopping mode and bought the pumpkin butter that was called for in the recipe, and I was so glad I  did.
I made it for Thanksgiving that year and it was a huge hit with the pumpkin lovers and non- pumpkin lovers in my family that I have continued to make it nearly every year. While there is always the desire to try something new, this recipe will never get old in my book and I plan to make it for many more Thanksgivings to come.

Note: Any pumpkin butter will work for this recipe, if Williams-Sonoma’s is over your price range. I have used a variety of pumpkin butters over the years and the recipe always turns out great. Just make sure the amount is equivalent to the Williams-Sonoma variety.

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

Recipe source: Williams- Sonoma
1 Box of Cake Mix, divided
½ cup butter, melted
1 13 oz jar of pumpkin butter or William Sonoma Muirhead Pumpkin Pecan Butter
3 eggs, divided
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. all- purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Crust:
Set aside 1 cup of cake mix and combine the rest with melted butter and 1 egg.

Evenly spread into the bottom of a sprayed 9 X 13 pan.

Filling:

Combine the pumpkin butter, 2 eggs and milk. Pour over the crust and spread evenly.

Topping:

Mix together 1 cup cake mix, flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly and spread over pumpkin filling.

Bake for 35- 40 minutes.