Day 324: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

I only have a few weeks left before my pumpkin obsession goes from "using seasonal favorites" to being just plain out of control.  I know I can get away with everything being made with pumpkin at least until Christmas, so I'm taking advantage of it.  I ran across this on allrecipes, but I made a few changes so I'll call it mine!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
12" dutch oven

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/4 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
In a bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and water until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and combine until well blended. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into a greased dutch oven.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese batter and spread out as evenly as possible. Use a table knife to swirl together the cream cheese and top layer of pumpkin batter. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter springs back when touched. Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.  Cool completely in pan, then cut into bars.  Serves 12.

The Finished Product

The Review

These were FABULOUS!  They were so much better than the Ribbon Pumpkin Bread I made the  other day.  The spices really stood out and gave it such great flavor!  This recipe is a definite keeper.  Grade A.