Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

By á-11135

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• for the cheesecake layer:
• 2 (8 oz.) packages (full-fat, people) cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup (regular, not light) sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
• for the brownies:
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Hershey's Special Dark)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. Set aside.

make the cheesecake mixture:
With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until no lumps remain. Add in the pumpkin, sugar, vanilla and spices, beat until smooth.

On low speed, add in the sour cream and eggs until well combined. Set aside.

make the brownies:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar and stir over low heat until combined and hot, not bubbly. You'll only need to heat it for a couple of minutes, until the mixture looks shiny.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs until smooth. Stir in the flour.

Pour about 3/4 of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with an offset spatula. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Drop the remaining brownie batter on top of the cheesecake layer. Use the offset spatula to swirl the brownie dollops into the cheesecake making a pretty, abstract pattern.

Sprinkle with the chocolate chips.

Bake for 35 minutes or so, until the cheesecake layer is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then chill and store in the refrigerator.