To all my friends and family that haven’t heard from me in days: don’t worry, I’m alive, and well… I’m simply buried up to my ears in turkeys to stuff, and stuffing to make, and pumpkins to puree, and potatoes to peel. As usual, I’ve decided to celebrate Thanksgiving by cooking massive quantities of food for various events, testing the limits of my personal endurance, and that of my poor home kitchen. It is my own personal marathon. I’m super excited about my newest Thanksgiving recipe though! These pumpkin cheesecake bars are so simple, and so, so good. They pack-in all the flavor of a homemade slice of pumpkin pie, and the creamy consistency of cheesecake, yet require half the preparation time of either.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
- 1 1/2 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 8 ounces (230 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 15 oz (430 g) of pumpkin puree (from a can is fine)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Makes 20-24 bars
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil and coat with baking spray.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour crumbs into prepared pan and press firmly to create an even crust on the bottom of the pan.
Bake crust at 350°F until it begins to brown around the edges, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, spices and a pinch of salt and beat until well combined (remember to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl a few times). Pour pumpkin mixture over the pre-baked crust and bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until just set. Let cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate for an hour or until thoroughly chilled. Remove foil and slice into squares before serving.
