Pumpkin Cheese Praline Bars

I love finding new recipes to try for the Holidays.  I found this recipe and am going to try it for this Thanksgiving.  I was actually looking for new cheesecake recipes when I ran across this recipe.  If you have a favorite Cheesecake recipe for the Holidays, please share it with me.

Pumpkin Cheese Praline Bars


For pumpkin batter:
1 cup Packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 cup Unsalted butter -- (1 stick)
2 Eggs
1 cup Pumpkin puree
1 cup All-purpose flour

For cream cheese batter:
8 ounces Cream cheese -- room temperature
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 cup Granulated sugar

For topping:
1/4 cup Unsalted butter -- (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup Packed brown sugar
3/4 cup All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil; brush pan with softened butter.

Prepare pumpkin batter; Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder and baking soda for about 30 seconds, until evenly combined. Add butter, eggs and pumpkin; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula. Add flour all at once; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, until flour is evenly blended in. Pour half the pumpkin batter into prepared pan. Reserve other half in a small bowl, scraping mixing bowl well.

Using the same mixing bowl, prepare cream cheese batter: Beat cream cheese, egg and vanilla on medium speed for abut 2 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Spread cream cheese batter over pumpkin batter in pan. Pour reserved pumpkin batter over cream cheese layer. Using a rubber spatula, cut through the batter several times through the length of the pan, then through the width of the pan, to create a marbled effect.

Prepare topping: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, until fluffy and light in color. Add flour and pecans; bet on low speed for about 1 minute. The mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over marbled batter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, reversing the baking pan halfway through baking time. When done, the topping will have begun to brown and the top will feel slightly firm when touched gently with your fingertip. Remove from oven; let cool completely on wire rack; cut into bars.

Store cooled bars in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months.