Pumpkin Pie Bars

I am obsessed with all things pumpkin, and in the spirit of the season I've decided to try out several unique pumpkin recipes. I made these pumpkin pie bars for my sister's Halloween party this past week. They were very simple to make and turned out not only beautiful but delicious as well. These bars are for those of you with a super sweet tooth like myself. In fact they were almost a bit too sweet even for me. The consistency of the filling is a lot like pumpkin pie rather than a traditional cookie bar. The crust and the topping are what give it something a little different though. Soon to come, my Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Baked Ziti which happen to be two of my favorite recipes.

Although I did not alter the original recipe, in the future I intend to include my own unique recipes as well as my adaptations to other collected recipes. I also plan to include reviews from my very supportive boyfriend, family, and friends who will be my guinea pigs and food critics as I experiment with food and further my cooking experience.

Ingredients:
For the crust and topping:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup chopped pecans

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butterscotch chips, for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Lightly grease the foil.  Combine the flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and toss with a fork.  Add the pieces of butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the oats and chopped pecans.

Reserve 1 cup of the crust mixture and set aside.  Add the remaining crust mixture to the prepared baking pan and press onto the bottom of the pan in an even layer.  Bake the crust alone in the oven for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the filling.To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined.

Once the crust has been removed from the oven, pour the filling into the pan and smooth over the crust.  Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture and butterscotch chips, as desired.  Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Slice and serve.

Source: Annie's Eats