Bars of Joy

How do you feel about pumpkin and chocolate together? What if they appear together in bar form, with a crunchy cookie crust? Does adding the word cheesecake cause you to drool all over your keyboard? Get a paper towel or something to clean that up. And then make these bars, from the November issue of Everyday Food.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

first, the crust:
20 chocolate wafer cookies (I used choc graham crackers)
2 T sugar
4 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom & sides of 8x8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
In food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground; add butter, pulse until moistened.
Transfer crumb mixture to pan, press gently into bottom. Bake 12-15 minutes & set aside to cool.

then, the filling:
2 (8 oz) pkgs of cream cheese
1 c sugar
1 c canned pumpkin
3 lg eggs
3 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz semisweet chocolate

Blend cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt. Process until combined & set aside.
Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl, microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until melted. Add 1 c pumpkin mixture, stir to combine. Set aside.
Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of chocolate onto pumpkin mixture - swirl with a wooden skewer or a paring knife. Bake until set, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pan. Cover; chill at least 2 hours. Lift bars out using overhang on aluminum foil or parchment paper. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares (or more, these are rich). Serve to your favorite people.