Thanksgiving
dinner is right around the corner and if you have a big dinner to attend and
need a dessert to bring along, then we have something so yummy for you to try.
Pumpkin is a
typical ingredient to have in Thanksgiving dinner dessert. Whether you make a
pie of some sort, cookies, or even a cake that flavour, it is usually present. We
found a really delicious sounding pumpkin pie cheese cake bar recipe. There’s
a little more time that goes into this so you want to make it when you have
time to spare and to properly focus on making the different layers. We made the
bars into cake size as they were quite thick and more like a piece of cake. We
know this one was a hit as people who aren’t huge pumpkin fans even enjoyed it
and asked for more.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
You will
need...
Crust:
1 ½ cups of
graham wafer crumbs
3 Tbsp. of sugar
5 Tbsp. of
melted butter
For the
crust mix the graham wafer crumbs with the sugar and the butter and coat
evenly. Press into an 8x8 inch foil lined pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake
Layer:
1 brick of
cream cheese (8 oz.)
¼ cup of
sour cream
1/3 cup of
sugar
½ tsp. of
vanilla
2 eggs
For this
layer you will need to pull out your mixer.
Beat the
softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and the vanilla until smooth.
Add in the
eggs one at a time until mixed.
Pour this
layer over the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. We kept it in
for the full amount of time and then some because the cream cheese layer wasn’t
setting as it should.
After it’s
all set and cooked, allow it to cool and then you can either refrigerate
overnight or you can make your next layer right away. We opted to allow it to
cool in the fridge overnight and then when we had more time the next day, we
made out next layer and completed the dessert.
Pumpkin
Layer:
3 egg yolks
15 oz. (just
under 2 cups) of pureed pumpkin
½ cup of
packed brown sugar
½ cup of
milk
½ tsp. of
salt
2 tsp. of
cinnamon
½ tsp. of
vanilla
1 envelope
of unflavoured gelatin
¼ cup of
cold water
¼ cup of
sugar
3 egg whites
Pinch of
cream of tartar
This layer
requires a bit more time.
First of
all, separate the 3 eggs. Combine the yolks, pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, salt,
and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, whisking every few minutes.
Do this for 10 minutes or if you have a thermometer, until it reaches 160
degrees. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
In a
microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, sprinkle the packet of gelatin over the cold
water. Allow it to stand for a minute and then put in the microwave for 30
seconds or until the gelatin has dissolved. I had to put ours in for an extra 30
seconds. Stir it into the pumpkin mixture and set aside.
Now for the
next step. Prepare a double boiler. Bring a medium sized pot to a boil. In the
metal mixing bowl of your mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites, and cream of
tartar. Beat it for 30 seconds. Now take the bowl and place it on the top of
the pot of boiling water to make your double boiler. Make sure the bowl doesn’t
touch the water. Whisk constantly (you can use an electric hand mixer if you
have one) for 7-9 minutes or until it’s stiff and glossy. Remove it from the
heat and continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes.
Finally fold
the egg white mixture into the pumpkin mixture and spread evenly over the
cooled/cold cheesecake layer. Put in the fridge uncovered for 1 hour and then
cover for another 3 hours after that or until you see that it’s firm.
Slice and garnish with
whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like and enjoy the yummy
pumpkin cheesecake goodness!
