Perfectly Fall - Cheesecake Bars

I'm up to my elbows today in cream cheese and pecans. I'm making one batch of each of these perfect-for-fall cheesecake bars.

They're not new. You can find the recipe for the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars here...

And the Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars here.

Enjoy!

Guinness Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust {Recipe}

My hubby is a chocoholic. For his birthday, it's always a challenge to come up with something new that is chocolatey enough for him.This year, brainstorming brought me this...

A chocolate cheesecake with Guinness, chocolate chunks and a pretzel crumb crust.

What You Need:
For the Crust:
4 cups of pretzels to crush, or approx. 3 cups crushed pretzel crumbs.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (melted)

For the Cheesecake:
3- 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (at room temperature)
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (6 oz.) Guinness -or similar- beer
3/4 cup (6 oz.) melted semi-sweet chocolate
3 Tbsp. flour or 2 Tbsp. corn starch
Optional: 3/4 cup chocolate chunks

For the Chocolate Ganache Swirl:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (4 oz.) semisweet chocolate

Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars {Recipe}

I love cheesecake bars. I've made Strawberry-Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, Cranberry-Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars. And now, Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars

What You Need:
For the Crust & Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

For the Filling:
2- 8 oz. block cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Note: I think I would like to have more filling, but my husband and children insist this is enough. If I double it, and like it, I'll report back.
** Update: I 1.5-ed the filling, and I think it was PERFECT. That used 3 blocks of cream cheese, 1 15-oz. can pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice... and it baked for an hour. Awesome yumminess!

Yield: 30-40 2" square bars

Chocolate Cheesecake with Peanut Butter Crust {Recipe}

It's that time of year... when I make a ridiculous chocolate dessert for my husband's birthday... This year's entry: Chocolate Cheesecake with Peanut Butter Cookie Crust.

What You Need:
Peanut Butter Crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter - cold
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:
3- 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs (at room temperature)
6 oz. melted chocolate (semisweet recommended)

*Yield: One 9-10" Round Cheesecake- Serves about 16-20 people.

Cranberry-Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars {Recipe}

"Tastes like Christmas!" That's what my husband said when he took a bite of these yummy bars.

What You Need:
For the Crusts:
1 cup DARK brown sugar (or 3/4 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup molasses)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon 
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes (chilled)

For the Filling:
2- 8 oz. block cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar (divided)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1- 12 oz. bag of  fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp. corn starch

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars {Recipe}

Apples, caramel sauce, cheesecake... what could be better??

What You Need:
For the Crust & Topping:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, chilled

For the Filling:
4-6 apples, thinly sliced
1 - 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce*
2- 8 oz. block cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

*Note: You can make your own caramel sauce, or you can buy a jar of caramel ice cream topping, or you can also melt about 6-8 oz. of caramel candies with 1/2 cup evaporated milk on the stove or in the microwave.

Yield: 30-40 2" square bars.

Turtle Cheesecake Brownie Bars {Recipe}

These cheesecake-brownie bars are really chocolatey, really rich, and really good!

What You Need:
Brownie Layer: **Or just use a box mix**
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz. chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (divided)
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Caramel Layer:
1 lb. caramels (unwrapped)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:
2- 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (at room temperature)
4 oz. melted chocolate (semisweet recommended)

Optional for topping:
1/2 cup additional pecans
Reserve a little caramel sauce
2 oz. additional melted chocolate

*Note: You need parchment paper, as well, to line the pan. These bars are sticky! So, you need to make sure you line the pan well!

Chocolate-Vanilla Tuxedo Cheesecake

Sometimes, things don't turn out as you'd planned. This cheesecake is a perfect example.
But I was able to take a very imperfect dessert, and turn it into deliciousness, even if it wasn't as pretty as I'd hoped.

What You Need:
For the Crust:
2 pkgs graham crackers (crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
4- 8oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 whole eggs plus one egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
For the Chocolate Topping:
4 oz. dark chocolate
4 oz. (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake

The idea for this cake came to me while making my mother-in-law's birthday cheesecake. See, I don't really make cheesecake. Cake, yup. Cupcakes, sure! Pie, no probelm. Cheesecake... hmmmm.
But, in the end, it turned out okay, so I thought, now what if I put that in the middle of a cake? Now you're talkin'!

What You Need
2 layers of pumpkin cake
Cheesecake "filling":
  8oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
  1 egg (at room temperature)
  1/2 cup sugar
  1/4 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
  1 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 cup rich vanilla buttercream icing
Optional:
Parchment paper
Piping bag with tip #32