Swirled Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Bars

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 6 tablespoons butter cooled melted
• 1 cup pumpkin canned
• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 large eggs 
• 1.8 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1.8 cups sugar 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• baking pan
• hand mixer

Directions

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, and 1/3 cup water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg; stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended.
2. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan.
3. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.
4. Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1-tablespoon portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.
5. Bake in a 350 oven until center of pumpkin batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes.
6. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.