Pumpkin cheese cake bars

Tis’ the season for pumpkin! These bars are perfect for all the holiday parties, they serve a crowd and look beautiful and of course, taste amazing!

Ingredients:

-cake-

6 Tbs butter, melted

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup water

1 3/4 cup flour

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of cloves

-cheese cake-

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

-crumble-

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/3 cup quick oats

Directions:

Preheat oven 350* Grease a 10x15 jelly roll pan (baking sheet)

1) To prepare the cheese cake; In a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth... then beat in the egg, sugar and vanilla. Set aside.

2) To prepare the crumble; In a medium sized bowl add all the crumble ingredients…using your hands mix together until the mixture is combined and a crumbly texture. Set aside.

3) To prepare the pumpkin cake; In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. I another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, ginger ,cloves, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and baking powder; beat into butter mixture until blended. Spread batter evenly onto prepared baking sheet.

4) Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1 Tbs portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling a feeling until swirled slightly into batter.

5) Sprinkle crumble over the top of the bars. Baking until center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean…about 25 minutes. Let cool, ENJOY!