By Sara ElSayed
What’s a better way to greet the first day of Autumn than with a fall-themed treat? Pumpkin cheesecake bars put a twist on a popular seasonal sweet and add a year-round favorite dessert wrapped up in a little neat square. Pumpkin pie and cheesecake, what could go wrong?
The recipe estimated that the entire preparation and baking time would take a total of one hour, and truth behold, the recipe’s time matched my own prep and bake time exactly. Overall, there are a lot of ingredients for the three-part dessert, but they were all simple items you would typically find in anyone’s pantry, except for the pumpkin pureé, unflavored gelatin, and pumpkin spice mixture (though you can just make your own spice mix by finding a simple recipe online). The instructions were wonderfully descriptive and left little room for error. However, for people who bake often, there are one or two steps that you can alter to speed up the process, or if you find them unnecessary. For example, the step where you heat the pumpkin mix, which does have raw egg, doesn’t change any quality of the recipe other than eliminating the very slim chance that you would get salmonella. Other than that, the preparation was an uneventful process. One word of warning: when making this recipe, make sure you have a proper-sized pan, or you will have a lot of pumpkin-filling left over, although, that isn’t a downside if you like avoiding crusts on your pies.
Even if reading the recipe had some hiccups, the result made up for it 110%. The pumpkin pie filling layer was fluffy and filled with flavor from the pumpkin spice mixture. Paired with the taste of the sweet cheesecake layer, it certainly gave me a “Welcome to Autumn” feel. Enthusiastic taste-tester Cameron Young announced, “The combination of the textures and the flavors came together perfectly.” The graham cracker crust provided a pleasant contrast between the soft fillings and the buttery crunch. Even after refrigerating overnight, the dessert was soft and messy but the addition of gelatin helped keep the pumpkin filling from spilling apart. The stability allows the person to choose if they want to use a utensil or if they just want to use their hands and take a messy risk. The issue with a lot of pumpkin filling leftovers turned out to be a happy accident, allowing family members and friends to eat the overflow like pudding. Looking at the slices of the bars, there was a perfect ratio of pumpkin filling to cheesecake layers.
Overall, the recipe is perfect for people just starting to learn how to bake, and an amazing, easy substitute for the traditional pumpkin pie at family gatherings that will leave your guests astounded and wanting more.
Below is the recipe I followed courtesy of Lil Luna:
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
3 TB granulated sugar
5 TB melted butter
For the Cheesecake Layer:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 c sour cream
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
For the Pumpkin Layer:
3 egg yolks
15 oz can solid-packed pumpkin puree
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 c cold water
1/4 c granulated sugar
3 egg whites
pinch cream of tartar
For the Garnish:
whipped cream (or topping)
pumpkin pie spice
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and the melted butter. Press into a foil-lined 8×8-inch pan.
In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the eggs, mix just until combined, then pour over crust. Place in the oven and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, separate the three remaining eggs. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the yolks, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, milk, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Cook, whisking every few minutes for 10 minutes or until mixture reaches 160°. Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla extract.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water; let stand for 1 minute, then microwave for 30 seconds or until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture; set aside.
In the top of a double boiler, combine the granulated sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer set at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn’t touch the water). Beating at high speed, for about 7-9 minutes, or until it’s stiff and glossy. Remove it from the heat, and beat an additional 1-2 minutes.
Fold into the pumpkin mixture then spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for an additional 3 hours or until firm. Garnish with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice; if desired.
Southview Catalyst 