pecan cheesecake bars

Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups finely chopped pecans, divided
2 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat over to 350.

For the shortbread bottom layer:  In a medium bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar.  Mix in softened butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.  Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and cool slightly for about 10 minutes.

For the cheesecake middle layer:  Place softened cream cheese in bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Beat in sugar.  Add milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until combined.  Pour cream cheese mixture over the cooled shortbread layer.  Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool slightly for about 10 minutes.

For the pecan pie top layer:  In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter.  Gently stir in the eggs, salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups pecans.  Pour pecan mixture over cooled cheesecake layer.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is set and pecan pie layer is a rich brown color.

* original recipe from Positively Splendid

Good Morning!  Hope you had a lovely weekend!  Ours was filled with kid activities as usual, with Preston playing his last football game on Saturday and performing in his first piano recital on Sunday.  To celebrate a successful piano recital, dinner at one of Preston's favorite restaurants finished off our weekend. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a new recipe to make for Thanksgiving and I pinned this one.  So I thought before I brought them to share with my family, I needed to taste test them first and make sure they tasted as good as they looked.  So I whipped them up over the weekend and they are amazingly good!!  Really, how could they not be with three layers of goodness...yummy shortbread on the bottom, tangy cheesecake in the middle, finished off with my favorite Thanksgiving dessert...a delicious pecan pie layer.  These will no doubt be a perfect addition to our Thanksgiving meal.  Hope you enjoy!

You might also enjoy these yummy recipes for your Thanksgiving feast.  All taste-tested and approved recipes :)  The links below each picture will get you to the recipe.

pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling

pumpkin spice cheesecake blossoms

pecan graham bars

All these and more filed under my FOOD tab at the top.  Have a terrific day!!