Name: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 (15 ounces/425 grams) can unsweetened pumpkin puree; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 15 whole graham crackers , broken into 1-inch pieces; 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounce/50 grams) plus 1 1/3 cups (9 1/3 ounces/265 grams) sugar; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted; 1 pound (454 grams) cream cheese , softened; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 large eggs , room temperature

Why This Recipe Works

For these bars, we wanted to get the flavor of a gingersnap crust (which can bake up unappealingly hard) using graham crackers. The simple solution was to add ground ginger to the crackers to spice them up.

Instructions

Combine pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in small saucepan. Cook mixture, stirring constantly, over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool for 1 hour.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Grease aluminum foil.

Process graham crackers, 1/4 cup sugar, and ginger in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 seconds. Add butter and pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Sprinkle mixture into prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until just starting to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let crust cool completely on wire rack.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat cream cheese and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, vanilla, and pumpkin mixture and beat until combined. Increase speed to medium; add eggs, one at a time; and beat until incorporated. Pour over cooled crust and spread into even layer. Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cheesecake cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate cheesecake for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Using foil overhang, lift cheesecake out of pan. Cut into 24 pieces before serving.