Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This is a variation on a theme - Sophia's cheesecake - that grew out of my extreme disappointment in a pumpkin dessert recipe I tried out a bit ago. (Trust me, this is way better than that was - I'm still surprised anyone I served them to ate them!) I've since done two or three experimental batches, and I think this is the final version of this recipe. If it's not, however, I'll be sure to post any future adjustments I make!




Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
2 packages of Pillsbury seamless sheet dough
1 package of cream cheese (8-ounce)
1/2 can of plain pureed pumpkin
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice mix


1/2 cup of crushed pecans

Directions
1) Lord, bless!
2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3) Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by thoroughly rubbing the bottom and sides with the butter. (You should have most of the butter left afterwards - if you don't, then you've been entirely too thorough!)
4) Soften the cream cheese by leaving it out for a while or zapping it (sparingly!) in the microwave, and then beat it together with 3/4 cup of sugar, the pureed pumpkin, and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly blended.
5) Unroll one roll of sheet dough and stretch it to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the pumpkin cream cheese mixture over the dough and then cover it with the second roll of sheet dough.
6) Melt the butter and brush or pour it over the top layer of sheet dough - be sure to use all the butter!
7) Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with your pumpkin spice mix and then evenly sprinkle it over the buttered dough.
8) Sprinkle the crushed pecans over everything!
9) Bake for 30 minutes or more until the dough is done.
10) Remove the pan from the oven and run a knife along the sides to separate the cheesecake from the dish. (This will make extraction later much easier!)
11) After the cheesecake has cooled cut it into squares, grab a mug of your homemade pumpkin spice latte, and enjoy!