Pumpkin Pie Bars

It's October, and  Fall is in full swing.  With the chipper mornings and beautiful afternoons, it is perfect weather for traditional home cooking.  If you like pumpkin pie and cheesecake, you'll LOVE this recipe!  It is a wonderful combination of the two. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars
Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes.)
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 (16-oz.) box powder sugar
1 stick butter (room temperature)
3 eggs
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Mix all three crust ingredients together with an electric mixer until a stiff dough is formed.  Press dough evenly into the bottom of the baking dish.  Using the same bowl (no need to wash), beat the cream cheese, powder sugar, and butter until creamy.  Add the eggs (one at a time), then add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  Mix until fully combined.  Pour over the pressed crust and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.  You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't over bake!  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 
Don't cut these too big.  They are rich and filling. 

Suggestion:
For an added touch, you can sprinkle the serving platter with cinnamon before placing the bars on it.  Then garnish each bar with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon as well.  Then they will be just as beautiful as they are delicious!  (You can leave the whipped topping off of mine.)