Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars

This recipe was on my Betty Crocker calendar as the recipe for November. All month long I have been looking at this recipe and dreaming of making it. I made this for one of my Thanksgiving dinners this year (we had 2 Thanksgiving dinners this year, one on Thurs and one on Fri). It was so very good, and the gingersnap crust made my kitchen smell a-maz-ing!

 

 

Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars

 

Ingredients:

 

Cookie Base

1

pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix

1/2

cup crushed gingersnap cookies

1/2

cup finely chopped pecans

1/2

cup cold butter or margarine

 

Filling

2

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1

cup sugar

1

cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2

tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1

tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2

tablespoons whipping cream

2

eggs

 

Toppings

1/3

cup chocolate topping

1/3

cup caramel topping

 

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, crushed cookies and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour over warm cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved topping.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Before serving, drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

 

Makes 24 bars