Back In The Day Bakery Pumpkin Crunch Bars

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Filling:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 (1-pound) box confectioner’s sugar (4 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon grand mace
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• Fresh whipped cream, for topping (optional)

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from nervouschef.com

Preparation

Step 1

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan and line with parchment, allowing paper to hang over edges.

To make crust: Put butter in large heatproof bowl, set over pot of barely simmering water and stir frequently until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Add flour all at once and mix until just incorporated.

Press dough even into bottom of pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden on edges but still light brown in center. Cool at least 30 minutes.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in medium mixing bowl, using handheld mixer), beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix until thoroughly incorporated, about 5 minutes. Turn speed to low, add melted butter and vanilla and mix until combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs, beating until thoroughly mixed. Continue to mix on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Pour into prepared crust. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, until center is firm. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve chilled with whipped cream, if desired. Refrigerate bars in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: 12 large or 24 small bars.