Hello!
We are currently in the season of everything pumpkin spice.
Pumpkin doesn’t have a lot of flavor and that flavor really isn’t very good, have you ever tasted pumpkin all by itself? But add the spices to it and it tastes like fall.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves are all wonderful spices to add to pumpkin. Pies, coffee, cakes, cookies to name a few just make the fall season warm, comforting and inviting.
This week’s recipe incorporates pumpkin, spices and cream cheese. It’s creamy, flavorful and makes a nice sized batch to share.
It’s perfect for football games, snacks, dessert and yes, it’s worthy of that Sunday dinner table.
The spices in this is to your taste. I don’t happen to be much of a fan of allspice. I omitted it and added an extra teaspoon of cinnamon to it. I also omitted cardamom and added one-half teaspoon of nutmeg instead. It just depends on what you like and how much spice you want to add. I have made this several times and this is what I like best and yes, it does get rave reviews.
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars
Crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup butter, cubed
1 cup old fashioned oats
½ cup chopped pecans
Mix flour, sugars, oats, and pecans. Cut in butter until mixture looks crumbly. Press in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish and reserve about one cup of the mixture for the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened and cubed.
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten.
In a medium sized bowl beat cream cheese, spices, and sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla, add eggs and beat on low speed until well blended. Pour over warm crust and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the filling is set. Cool completely and cut into squares. Refrigerate.
Enjoy!
