Lyle's Pumpkin Pie Bars

Decisions, decisions! Which do I like best—the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Bars I made yesterday or the Pumpkin Pie Bars I made today? Actually they are both delicious. 
Yesterday's bars, that I took to a potluck dinner, remind me of a square of pumpkin cheesecake and they were a big hit at the gathering. 
Today's Pumpkin Pie Bars are also creamy, have a rich orange color; they are more like a cookie bar, and definitely tempt my taste buds! These are actually the bars that Lyle Hight made when his wife Jane hosted Literary League in October. They were SO good that I searched the internet for the recipe. In the process I found the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Bar recipe.
Since I wanted more pumpkin bars for tomorrow's K-State tailgate, I finally emailed Jane and she forwarded the recipe Lyle used. It is actually a Libby's recipe but I will refer to it as Lyle's Pumpkin Pie Bars so I'll be able quickly reference it in the future and not confuse it with others with similar names.
Decisions like this are hard, but them someone has to test (and taste) all these pumpkin recipes! 

Lyle's Pumpkin Pie Bars    Yield: 13" x 9" pan
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut up
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (or use Neufchatel Cheese)
3 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can plain pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, purchased or homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13" x 9" pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. This will make it easy to remove bars and cut them. Besides, once the bars are out of the pan, the baker can easily trim off both ends and sample the results . . . and no-one has to know!
   
2. Mix flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl until blended.
   
3. Cut in butter with flat blade of stand mixer (or use a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   
4. Stir in oats and pecans. 
   
5. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. 
   
6. Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until blended; add eggs, one at a time, then pumpkin and spice, mixing until well blended.
7. Pour evenly over crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
   
8. Bake 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
   
9. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
   
10. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Recipe without photos . . .

Lyle's Pumpkin Pie Bars    Yield: 13" x 9" pan

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut up
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (or use Neufchatel Cheese)
3 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can plain pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, purchased or homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13" x 9" pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. This will make it easy to remove bars and cut them. Besides, once the bars are out of the pan, the baker can easily trim off both ends and sample the results . . . and no-one has to know!
2. Mix flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl until blended.
3. Cut in butter with flat blade of stand mixer (or use a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in oats and pecans. 
5. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. 
6. Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar until blended; add eggs, one at a time, then pumpkin and spice, mixing until well blended.
7. Pour evenly over crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
8. Bake 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
10. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.