Pumpkin Pie Bars

Making pumpkin pies with my grandmother every Thanksgiving remains one of my sweetest and most salient memories of her. Her fragile hands, covered in her heirloom rings and topped off by her signature lavender nails. She made pie crust from a Krusteaz mix she bought from Costco and put too much cinnamon in the filling. It wasn’t perfect — but it was ours.

This is my version of the pies my grandmother and I made. A press-in, no-roll shortcrust that is pretty damn foolproof. An easy pumpkin filling laced with bourbon, orange zest, and maybe too much cinnamon.

If I can impart one piece of advice for the holidays, it is to make what you can in advance. Make your pie crusts, wrap them, and freeze them in advance. Make your dressings and sauces on a Monday for a Thursday feast. The holidays don’t have to be as hurried as we’ve made them.

If you are gluten free, simply use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour here. I suggest King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour here. All of the dry spices can be replaced with a pumpkin spice blend.

Recipe by Mckenzie Mitchell