Almond Bars and Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

Unbeknown to most Dutch descendants in West Michigan the Almond flavor they love so much isn't that big of a deal in the rest of the country.  Until I moved to Grand Rapids I had no idea how many desserts and pastries could be made with Almond flavoring or Almond paste.   It just wasn't something I was even all that aware of.  Now I'm hooked.

I have some good friends Marc and Ruthie who are the sweetest couple. Here they are pictured at a recent wedding we went to with them.  We enjoy their company and especially their cooking!  Marc is Sicilian and Ruthie is Dutch so the food is always a fun combination!  The last time we enjoyed dinner at their house we had Almond Bars for dessert.  These were made from a special family recipe passed down from Ruthie's ancestors, who owned a bakery in the Netherlands.  These bars are similar to "banket" but are topped with a melt-in-your-mouth meringue.  Ruthie graciously walked me through how to make the meringue a few times and Thursday night I tried my hand at making these bars.  Amazing!   Her family recipe is a secret so if you want a taste you'll have to have me make them for you sometime! 

I made the bars and the Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares for a ladies special Advent night at church. 
The second recipe is from a cookbook Marc and Ruthie's church made, it was one of her favorites so she passed it on to me!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares
1 box of yellow/white cake mix
1/2 c. Melted butter
29 oz. can of pumpkin
2/3 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 eggs

Topping
4 tsp cin.
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
Preheat oven
Reserve 1 c. of cake mix.  Combine rest of mix, 1 egg and melted butter.
Press into bottom of greased 9x13 pan.
Prepare filling by beating pumpkin, 2 eggs, milk and sugar until smooth. Pour over crust.
Prepare topping by combining reserved cake mix and remaining ingredients.  Sprinkle over filling.
Bake for 50 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie

The Cadet Dine and Sign fundraising dinner at church this month is a Western Themed Chili dinner with corn bread and salad.  The following recipe is the dessert I'm bringing!

Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie sitting next to some of the decorations from the Western Dinner!

Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie

Ingredients

3/4 cup	Corn Syrup
1/3 cup	sugar
1/8 teaspoon	salt
3 ounces	semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tablespoon	butter
3	eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon	vanilla extract
3/4 cup	coarsely chopped pecans
1	Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 can (21 ounces)	Cherry Pie Filling

Directions

Combine corn syrup, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate and butter to syrup mixture, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Pour chocolate mixture slowly over eggs, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and pecans; mix well. Place pie crust on a baking sheet or pizza pan (for stability).  Pour mixture into crust.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until center of pie is slightly puffed; cool at least 1 hour.  To serve, top each slice of pie with about 1/4 cup cherry pie filling.