Pumpkin Cream Cheese (Bars)

     

      The past few weekends I've been trying out pumpkin recipes that I find online.  My sister, cousin, their families, and I get together every fall to make appleasuace.  Our grandmother used to make the best applesauce and for the past seven years, we've gotten together to remember Grandma and to try and recreate her fabulous applesauce.  We actually started before she passed away.  Since she never used a recipe, we've always just played around with what she could remember she used.
     What does this have to do with all the pumpkin recipes I've been trying?  Good question.  For the past several years we've gotten together to make the applesauce at my house and I've always made dessert for us after we've eaten dinner.  Even though we are meeting at my cousins house this year, I still get to bring a dessert!
     When I asked for ideas, my cousin told me how she is trying to eat healthy, but they all still wanted something delicious.  Her husband requested something pumpkin.  Hense, all the pumpkin recipes.  The ones I have tried have turned out, but I'm trying to see if I can find one that says, "I'm the one you are to make and bring to Applesauce Day."
    My thought now is to make small, bite size samples of different types of desserts so we can all have something we like and can eat just a little (or a lot).

    This week I am trying Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars that I'm tweaking into personalized portions in the mini-cupcake size pans.  Here is the link to the reciepe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pumpkin-Cream-Cheese-Bars

     The recipe is quite easy.  I'm trying to play around with the mini-cupcake size and how long to bake it.  I think baking it at 300 degrees for 20 minutes has done the job.  I put one teaspoon of the crust in the bottom of each and then two teaspoons of the pumpkin cream cheese mixture on top.  Doing it this way has certainly increased the time it takes to make them all.  For me that hasn't been such a big deal.  It may be for you, so be sure to take the increased time into account if you are thinking about making this recipe with my adaptation.  I was able to make 72 mini pumpkin cream cheese cakes.
       I will bring these into work tomorrow and see how my coworkers like it.  They may be tired of pumpkin recipes, so next weekend I'll try something other than pumpkin.