Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

I know I haven't posted a lot of pumpkin recipes this year, but I have been making plenty of them in my kitchen.  Like a lot of people, pumpkin is a fall obsession.  I figure I can get away with the over abundance of pumpkin flavored treats until Christmas, but after that it starts to get a little weird.

On to these amazing little beauties!  This is hands down one of my favorite pumpkin recipes.  It is so moist and so nicely spiced that I can't stop eating them.  I've learned that I have to make them when the kiddos are home so I don't eat the whole pan by myself.  Trust me, I don't need the calories!  :) I sent a plate with my hubby for the crew of hungry cops he works with (they don't always eat doughnuts) and they were a huge hit.  I even  got a few "orders" to send a copy of the recipe to their wives.  They are really great!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
Makes 24 bars

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (or 1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree)
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 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 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. Cool on a wire rack.

Source:  Kim H.