Pumpkin Pecan Shortbread

Ingredients
For the crust
1 12 cups flour
34 cup powdered sugar
1 cup pecans
12 teaspoon salt
34 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

For the pumpkin layer
15 ounces pumpkin
1 13 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoon cinnamon
12 teaspoon nutmeg
14 teaspoon ginger
12 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
23 cups heavy cream or half and half

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. Add flour, powdered sugar, pecans, and salt to food processor bowl.  Process until nuts are chopped and all ingredients are combined.  Add cubed butter and pulse until the texture of cornmeal.  Press into 9 by 13-inch baking pan and bake for 12 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, add all ingredients for pumpkin layer into food processor bowl and process until smooth and combined.  Pour pumpkin mixture over shortbread crust and spread evenly with spatula.  Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center has set.  Let cool then refrigerate until ready to serve. 

No photo

Comments
This recipe is from Perfecting the Pairing and I made it to take to Christmas with my parents.  It was really awesome.  If I could change it at all, I’d try to put a cream cheese layer in there somewhere to be more like the pumpkin squares I loved as a kid, but this pretty much just rocked.