Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

​We spent several hours designing and carving pumpkins on Sunday evening and they turned out fantastic.  This is what they looked like...

​Monday afternoon when I walked outside to water the plants, this is what I found...

The culprit?

A Weimaraner with a tummy ache laying in the front yard. 
​
Good thing I took pictures on Sunday. 

​We are hosting a small dinner for some of our neighbors tonight before trick or treating.  On the menu is chili, salad, bread and of course, treats!  One of the desserts for this evening will be Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars.  I made these a few weeks ago and put them in the freezer so all I have to do is pull them out and put them on a platter tonight.  This is a recipe that I have been using for a long time and I think that is was originally a Martha Stewart recipe. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Crust                                                              Filling
2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs            16 ounces cream cheese
½ cup sugar                                                   3 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted                              1 cup pumpkin
                                                                        ½ t. pumpkin pie spice
Topping                                                         ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups sour cream                                   ¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar                                                   6 ounces chocolate
grated nutmeg                                             2 Tablespoons butter
                                                                         1 3/4 cups sugar

Combine crust ingredients and press into a greased 9x13 pan.

​Cream sugar and cream cheese.

​Add eggs, one at a time.

​Stir in pumpkin, spice, salt and vanilla.

Pour 1 ¼ cups filling into a bowl to save.  Melt chocolate and butter.

​Stir in 1 ¼ cups reserved filling.

Spread over crust.

Bake 15 minutes at 325.

Pour pumpkin filling over chocolate layer.  Bake 40-50 minutes longer.

Remove from oven and cool 30 minutes.

Combine sour cream and sugar.

Cover and let stand at room temperature.  Spread on bars.

Sprinkle with nutmeg.

​Slice into 24 squares.

​I'm getting double mileage out of these pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bars.  Half are for tonight's neighborhood get together and the other half I am going to keep in my freezer until Thanksgiving.  

​Be safe out there tonight and enjoy your Halloween.

Ciao! 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe