6. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Welcome Fall! It is official and I am officially excited! Winter is my favorite season, but fall is my favor flavor. So you are probably thinking, what does fall taste like? Nutmeg and allspice with a hint of cinnamon all swirled together with squash and sweet potatoes and on special occasions sprinkled with nuts and always prepared with love and warm wishes. Doesn’t fall sound yummy?

I bought my first two sugar pumpkins of the season from a road side farm stand over 2 hours away from my house. I washed, sliced, cleaned, and roasted them. They have great flavor with a delicate, silky pulp. What was I going to make with my new found beauties?

Pumpkin Cheesecake, but of course. This recipe I created myself (go me!) which means I go heavy on the spices and did not measure them at all. Oh yeah, #6 complete off my top 100 list.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Crust
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4-1/3 cup granulated sugar

1) Melted Butter with graham crackers and sugar until mixture is homogenous.
2) Press crust into parchment lined 9x13 pan.
3) Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
4) Take out of oven and let cool.

Filling
3-8oz Boxes of Creamed Cheese at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 Tbs vanilla
2 Tbs Flour
2 cup Pumpkin Puree
Largest Dashes of Nutmeg
Medium Dashes of Cinnamon
Smallest Dashes of Allspice
(Dashes because I recommend more than one. Spice to your taste. I like a lot.)

1) Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
2) Add one egg at a time and beat until just incorporated before adding the next.
3) Add vanilla and flour. Beat until smooth without over mixing.
4) Take out approximately 1/3 of the mixture and set aside.
5) Add pumpkin and all of the spices to the remaining mixture. Fold to combine.
6) Pour pumpkin mixture over prepared crust.
7) Spoon cream cheese mixture over pumpkin mixture and swirl with the tip of a small knife.
8) Bake for 30-40 minutes. The center should be almost set (slight jiggle)
9) Allow to cool completely before refrigerating the dessert for at least four hours.