PUMPKIN SWIRL CHEESECAKE BARS
MAKES ABOUT 15 BARS HANDS-ON TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 6½ HOURS
Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 tbsp granulated sugar ½ tsp salt
Filling
1½ cups pumpkin purée 3 250 g pkg cream cheese, softened 1¼ cups granulated sugar 1 tsp vanilla 3 eggs 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice ¼ tsp each cinnamon and ground ginger Crust Preheat oven to 325°F. Mist 13- x 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper.
In bowl, mix together graham crumbs, butter, sugar and salt until moistened. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool in pan.
Filling Meanwhile, line dinner plate with 2 layers of paper towel; spread pumpkin purée over top. Top with 2 more layers of paper towel; press to absorb any liquid.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; beat in sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down side of bowl.
Reserve half of the cream cheese mixture in separate bowl. Beat pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and ginger into remaining cream cheese mixture.
Alternately spoon pumpkin mixture and plain cream cheese mixture over crust, smoothing top. Using paring knife, swirl together to create marble effect.
Bake until almost set, about 35 minutes. Run paring knife along edges of cheesecake to release from pan. Let cool in pan for 1 hour. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Lift out onto cutting board; cut into bars.
PER BAR about 387 cal, 6 g pro, 26 g total fat (14 g sat. fat), 35 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 25 g sugar), 103 mg chol, 318 mg sodium, 109 mg potassium. % RDI: 7% calcium, 9% iron, 51% vit A, 10% folate.