Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

I miss the fall; autumn that is. Growing up in Upstate New York, the four seasons were very evident- each season having it's own characteristics, each with it's own personality. The gradual change from summer to fall has always been my favorite. That first gentle hint of cool air, the colors around you changing before your eyes. With the change of seasons comes change of habits- light t-shirts and shorts go into storage and the sweaters and long pants are brought down. Foods change- from ice cream, watermelon and light salads to soups, breads and things that make you feel warm inside. I miss that. A lot. 

So you ask- what are you doing living in the Middle East, where the season goes from hot to hotter and muggy to muggier. Once in a while the temperature drops so at night you may have to bring along a light sweater, just in case. As for rain- the whole country stops when a few drops fall from the sky-traffic jams, flooding (they don't know the meaning of the word flooding), news bulletins. 

I see the stores filled with winter clothing and I mean real winter clothing. Who can wear that stuff in 75 degree weather? OK, so I suffer from the heat and just the thought of a heavy winter coat makes me sweat! But even so..... As far as the question goes why I live in such a hot climate- that's a tale for another time.

The little desk teapot was a fun find at an outdoor flea market in Amsterdam!

Which brings me back to missing the fall. Certain foods represent the fall season, pumpkin being one of the most evident- you know, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas not long to follow.

These pumpkin cheesecake bars are not to be missed. For some reason I was skeptical about the sweet pastry crust- I thought a graham cracker type crust would be better, but I followed the directions "as is" and was very pleasantly surprised. Actually, I must tell the truth- "as is" is completely accurate. It calls for making homemade pumpkin puree, and though I am a big (OMG!) The homemade puree will come at another time but for now the canned version certainly did the trick. The recipe for these delicious bars can be found at Baked Sundays Mornings or in the book Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Happy Fall!