PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Today I present to you the second dish on my Thanksgiving dinner menu, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!  I’m skipping from appetizer straight to dessert!!!

Are you confused?  I’ll explain.

These bars can be made ahead and frozen.  If you would like to alleviate some of that Thanksgiving dinner pressure, you can make the bars for dessert tonight or this weekend and put them in the freezer and just thaw them out in the refrigerator a day or two before you want to serve them!

  

 

 These bars came about out of my desire to make an easy Thanksgiving dessert, and my favorite cookie dough being on sale. 

I really like pumpkin and chocolate together, so it makes perfect sense to me that chocolate chip cookie dough would make a great crust for pumpkin cheesecake bars.  Actually I pie was what first popped into my noggin, but I wasn’t sure about the cookie crust holding up when sliced into a wedge.

I used the pie recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin and just added a block of cream cheese.  I didn’t add any additional sugar because the cookie crust is sweet enough.  That turned out to be a good decision because the dessert is the just the perfect amount of sweetness, not to sweet or heavy for the end of the big Thanksgiving feast!

Here’s what you do.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

I was making this up as I went along so you can see that I started with one package of cookie dough, but that wasn’t enough.

So… 

…Use two packages of chocolate chip cookie dough.  If you place the two blocks of dough side by side, it will be easier to press out.

Put some flour on your fingers to keep the dough from sticking, and use your digits to press the cookie dough in an even layer over a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan.  

There’s no need to grease the pan.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden.  

When it comes out it will be puffy, but as you allow the cookie crust to completely cool, it will sink.

 

Use a handheld mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy.

 

Beat in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

 

I loooove sweetened condensed milk; I always clean the can out with a spoon and I lick the spoon.  I could drink the stuff, but I would probably get sick.

Beat that in too.

 

Finally beat in the eggs.  Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat it again to be sure it’s all mixed.

 

Pour the batter over the cookie crust.

 

And bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  The sides will be set, and the center will barely jiggle.

 

Allow the bars to set overnight before slicing into squares or bars.

Run the knife around the outside of the pan to loosen the cheesecake, before you slice the bars.

 

  

Y’all, these bars are so super simple to make, yet your friends and family will marvel at how effortless you make entertaining appear.

 See the note at the bottom of the recipe for freezing instructions.

Serves 8 to 12

2-16 oz.  packages             Chocolate Chip cookie dough

1-8 oz.   package               Cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1-15 oz.  can                      Pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

2           tsp.                       Pumpkin pie spice

½          tsp.                       Salt

1-14oz.  can                       Sweetened condensed milk

2                                      Eggs

1.        Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Put some flour on your hands, and use your fingers to evenly spread the two packages of cookie dough over the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan.

3.       Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden.  Allow the cookie crust to cool completely.

4.       Once the cookie crust has cooled completely, make the filling.  First; in a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy.

5.       Beat the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt into the cream cheese, until thoroughly mixed.

6.       Beat in the sweetened condensed milk.

7.       Beat in the eggs.  Use a spatula to scrape the bowl and be sure everything is combined.

8.       Pour the mixture into the pan over the cooled cookie crust.

9.       Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sides are set, and the center barely jiggles.

10.   Allow to cool and set overnight before cutting into bars.

*Note:  Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars can be made ahead and frozen!  Allow the pumpkin cheese cake to cool overnight. Cut it into bars.  Put the bars in single layer in a freezer proof container and freeze up to 6 weeks.  A day or two before you want to serve the bars put them into the refrigerator to thaw.

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