Cinnamon Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Shortbread Crumble Bars
Serves: Makes 12-15 Bars
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ sticks(1¼ C.) Butter, softened
  • 2½ C. Flour
  • ⅔ C. Powdered Sugar
  • ½ C. Oats
  • ½ t. Cinnamon
  • ¼ C. Brown Sugar(lightly packed)
  • 2 pkg.(16 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
  • ½ C. Sugar
  • 1 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1 t. Vanilla
  • ¾ C.(heaping) Pumpkin Puree
  • 2 Eggs
  • ½ C. Sour Cream
  • FOR THE CINNAMON CARAMEL:
  • ½ C. Sugar
  • 2 T. Water
  • ⅓ C. Heavy Cream
  • 1 T. Butter
  • ¼ t. Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper(parchment paper should go all the way up the sides).
  3. Place the softened butter, flour, and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix together until it just forms a dough.
  4. Place ⅔ of the in the prepared pan and press evenly over the bottom.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven and remove.
  6. While the crust is par-baking, add the oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the remaining ⅓ of the dough and mix together until the dough is broken down into medium sized crumbs. Set aside.
  7. Place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese until very smooth, scraping down the sides 2-3 times.
  8. Add the sugar and pumpkin pie spice to the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Scrape down sides.
  9. Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree and beat until smooth. Scrape down sides.
  10. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, scrape down sides after mixing in and give one more good mix to make sure that the batter is perfectly smooth.
  11. Pour all but ½ C. of the cream cheese mixture over the par-baked crust and smooth out evenly.
  12. Mix the remaining ½ C. of batter and sour cream together.
  13. Spoon the sour cream mixture over the top of the cheesecake batter(in several different areas)and swirl over the entire pan.
  14. Sprinkle the reserved crumble evenly over the top of the cheesecake batter.
  15. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven or until the cheesecake is puffy and the crumble is golden brown.
  16. Let cool. Refrigerate until cold(I like to pop them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes so I can cut them sooner).
  17. TO MAKE THE CINNAMON CARAMEL:
  18. Place the sugar and water in a saute pan. Stir together until all the sugar is moistened. Heat on high and bring to a boil. Brush the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming. When the sugar turns a deep, amber color, pour in the cream, butter and cinnamon. Mixture will bubble up intensely. Let bubble until mixture becomes smooth.
  19. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
  20. Drizzle the cinnamon caramel over the bars.
  21. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the parchment paper and sliding them out.
  22. Cut into 12-15 bars.
Recipe by The Kitchen McCabe at https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2014/09/24/cinnamon-caramel-pumpkin-cheesecake-shortbread-crumble-bars/