I haven’t lived in St. Louis long enough to fully understand the gooey-butter bar, so I wouldn’t be so bold as to claim that is what these are. But this bar is definitely buttery, and a little gooey due to a caramelized pumpkin situation going on. This is made in a jelly roll pan (12x17in) so it makes a lot of bars, but if you cut them in giant squares it helps the cause.

• Crust:
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Melt butter in a small skillet until golden brown. Cool to room temperature.

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Add baking powder, salt and flour and mix to combine thoroughly.

Spread in a greased 12×17-inch jelly roll pan with an offset spatula.

• Pumpkin filling:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 16 ounces of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 can pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and finally the pumpkin puree.

Pour pumpkin filling on top of the crust and smooth top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the pumpkin is set and the sides are starting to brown.

Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares.

These will keep for several days at room temperature.