Berry Cheesecake Bars

Whom ever invented cheesecake is simply brilliant! Completely and honestly brilliant.  There are so many wonderful flavors and special additions that you can develop into a cheesecake.  It can be sweet or a savory.  No matter what the flavor it is always decadent and delicious. And a cheesecake is the perfect kind of cake to celebrate a special occasion - especially a 15th wedding anniversary! 

 

 Today we celebrate the beautiful Camilla Mann of the food blog, Culinary Adventures with Camilla,  and her marriage to her beloved hubby of 15 blissful years with all things CHEESECAKE.  26 of us passionate food bloggers have gotten together and brain-stormed, created and baked to our little hearts content all things CHEESECAKE.  Sweet ones, salty ones, mini and large are all being featured together in unison to honor and rejoice over the Mann's 15 years of marriage.  The Mann's really like cheesecake.  Can you blame them?! I can't. 

I made a batch of Berry Cheesecake Bars just for today's event. I love the taste of berries and cheesecake served together so I was delighted to find this recipe which bakes berries right into the cheesecake.   Instead of making a cheesecake in the traditional form using a spring form pan, this recipe is created into bars using a 9x13 pan.   The crust is made out of a delicious mixture of flour, sugar, rolled oats and butter.  Simple ingredients coming together to make a wonderful foundation for these bars.  The filling only requires 2, 8oz. blocks of cream cheese compared to the normal 3-4 blocks in a spring form size cake.  And you can choose to add in lemon juice to provide a fresh tartness to the bars or opt out of such an addition. Completely up to you!  The berries that you use in this recipe can be fresh or frozen - it all depends on what is available to you and your preference.

 

I present to you a wonderful recipe for cheesecake bars packed with berries and full of delicious-ness.  Happy 15th Camilla and Jake!  Wishing you both many, many more years to come of your beautiful marriage along side an abundance of CHEESECAKES!! :-)

Berry Cheesecake Bars 

      (recipe from Beauty and Bedlam)

Crust ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup salted butter, melted 

Filling ingredients:

(2) 8oz. blocks cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp all purpose flour  

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice - optional

2-4 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.  Prepare crust - in a large bowl combine crust ingredients -  flour, sugar, rolled oats and baking powder.  Mix well all together.  Pour in melted butter and carefully stir all together.  

Gently press crust mixture evenly into prepared pan with a plastic baggie over your hand (the baggie prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands).  Bake crust for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool crust for 30 minutes.  Reduce oven heat to 325.

Sprinkle berries evenly over cooled crust.  Make filling by beating softened cream cheese until light and creamy in a large bowl.  Add in sugar and 2 Tbsp flour. Beat well all together. 

Add in eggs, one at a time - beating well with each addition.  Add in vanilla extract and lemon juice.  Once all has been mixed well together pour filling mixture over berry layer and place into 325 oven.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean and center feels firm to the touch.  

Cool cheesecake for 2 hours before placing in refrigerator to continue to cool for at least 3 more hours.   Cut into bars and serve.  Enjoy!! 

Happy Berry Cheesecake Bars Baking! 

Berry Cheesecake Bars by Baking and Creating with Avril

Cherry Cheesecake Bites by Cookaholic Wife

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake by Dancing Veggies

Chocolate Cheesecake by My Hobbie Lobbie

Chocolate Topped Peppermint Cheesecake by Amy's Cooking Adventures

Classic Cheesecake with Strawberry Puree by Making Miracles

Cookies & Creme No-Bake Cheesecake by Hapa-tite!

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars by Tara's Multicultural Table

Easter Basket Mini Cheesecakes by Little Bit of Everything

Everyday Cheesecake by Things I Make (for Dinner)

Irish Cream Cheesecake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Layered Cinnamon Streusel Cheesecake Cake by Famished Fish, Finicky Shark

Lowfat Blackberry Cheesecake by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Matcha-YuzuCheesecake with a Meyer Lemon Gelée by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mini Churro Caramel Cheesecake by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Mini Maple Pecan Cheesecakes by Join Us, Pull up a Chair
Mom's New York Cheesecake by Taste Cook Sip

Mudslide Cheesecake by Sew You Think You Can Cook

{No Bake} Marshmallow Cheesecake by An Affair from the Heart

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake by Angels Homestead

Ricotta Cheesecake with Shortbread Crust by Living the Gourmet

Samoa's cheesecake by Goodie Godmother
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars by The Savvy Kitchen
Sopapilla Puff Pastry Cheesecake by Pink Cake Plate

Skinny Vanilla Bean Cheesecake by Renee's Kitchen Adventures

Twix Cheesecake Brownie Torte by Making Memories With Your Kids

Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries

 

The month of May has brought me the opportunity to participate once again with the lovely baking group called,  The Cake Slice Baker's.   You may recall that a few months back I made a delicious Old Fashioned Pound Cake along with an Applesauce Spice Cake.  Both of these cakes I made through the Cake Slice Baker's group.  This is a group of food bloggers that get together once a month and bake from Carole Walter's Great Cakes cookbook.  I love this cookbook!  Almost as much as I adore and treasure the Cake Slice Baker's.  Unfortunately, my blogging has taken a couple steps down on my list of priorities (due to life as a working mommy) and I haven't had the chance to bake along side the CSB's for quite a few months now.  I have also been working really hard at loosing weight and have been careful with the amount of carbs and sugar that I consume. BUT because my love for baking makes my heart sing, I have to every once and awhile take time out from crazy, busy life and my diet and treat myself (and others) to a yummy baked treat made with love from my kitchen to their mouths. 

 

 

 That being said, out of four options from the Great Cakes cookbook that was presented to the CSB's I choose to make the Manhattan Cheesecake.  I was super excited for this recipe as it was different than any other cheesecake recipe that I had ever made before.  Beaten egg whites, freshly grated lemon peel and orange peel were added into a beautiful batter of cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and egg yolks.  What could be better?! The cake came together lovely. I followed each step to. the. tee. The batter tasted divine. I decorated the cooled cake full of happiness with strawberries and raspberries that were gently glazed with an apricot glaze.  BEAUTIFUL all around.  But then, I cut into the cake.  And the cake was completely a mess.  I could have cried!!  Even though I had followed each word of instruction with careful attention - I added all the right ingredients at all the right times.  I baked the cake at the required temperature and timing. Yet still the cake was completely too soft.  I have no pictures of the sliced cake due to my sadness over it being undone.  I do highly recommend this recipe as it was delicious but please make sure you bake it for longer than 40 minutes.  I would suggest at least an hour rather than 40 minutes.

 

Invite some friends over and serve up this master piece.  They will love and worship you after the first bite.  

 

Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries

             (recipe from Great Cakes by Carole Walters)

 

Crust Ingredients:

10 double graham crackers, or enough crackers to make 1 1/2 cups of crumbs

2 Tbsp sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

 

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature (24 oz - 3 blocks of cream cheese)

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

5 large egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon rind

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange rind

3 large egg whites

 

Strawberry Topping:

3/4 cup apricot preserves

1 Tbsp kirchwasser or Grand Marnier

3-4 cups large, deep red strawberries

 

 

 Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Generously grease a 9" springform pan - set aside.

 

2. Make crust by putting broken graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add in sugar and pulse to make fine crumbs.  Add in melted butter and pulse for another 5-10 seconds so all ingredients are blended together.

 

3. Pour crumb mixture into prepared pan.  Using a spoon or the bottom of a glass press crumbs onto the bottom and up against the sides of pan.  Refrigerate when done.

 

4. Prepare filling by placing cream cheese into clean bowl of food processor.  Add in sugar and process for 15 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again for another 5 seconds.  Add in egg yolks while processor is running through the feeder tube and run for 10 seconds.  Add in heavy cream and the lemon and orange rinds.  Process for 10 seconds all together.

 

5. Beat egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then add in 1/4 cup sugar - 1 Tbsp at a time, beating until the whites are shiny. Fold in 1/4 of the filling batter with a large spatula, turning for about 10 times until mixture has lightened.  Add in remaining batter, taking an additional 30 turns.

 

6.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Set pan on a 18" square of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Mold foil around the sides of the pan to catch any batter that might leak.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes - (This is where I would recommend that you bake for longer than 40 minutes as my cake was under cooked at this timing.....55 minutes to an hour would be my recommendation).

 

7.  At the end of the baking time, turn off the oven and place the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep it ajar. Cool the cake in the oven for 1 hour before taking it out, removing the foil and cooling to room temperature for at least 3 hours.  Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before putting the strawberry topping on the cake.

 

8. Prepare topping by heating preserves and liqueur in a medium size sauce pan over low heat.  Bring to a slow boil and continue to cook until preserves are completely melted.  Remove pan from heat and strain mixture through a fin strainer to remove the large pieces.  Return to saucepan and set aside.

 

9. Wash, hull and dry the strawberries.  Slice them in half lengthwise.

 

10. Arrange the berries cut sides down around the edge of the cake, with the points of the berries facing outward.  Arrange a second circle inside the first, with the points of the berries extending inward.  The bottoms of the berries should touch.  Fill in the center randomly and then make a second layer of strawberries over the first.  Cake can now be refrigerated until ready to serve. 

 

11.  Once ready to serve remove cake from refrigerator 1 hour prior to serving.   Just before you plan on serving the cheesecake, warm the preserves over low heat and then with a pastry brush, gently coat berries with glaze.  Serve with happiness!!

 

 

Happy Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries Baking!

 

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

 

 

I don't know who invented the cheesecake but gosh all mighty I would just LOVE to give that person a big hug of gratitude for such a creation.  What a truly brilliant and delicious concept of a dessert! So versatile.  So elegant. Completely the best.  And always at the top of my list for dessert, a treat or even for breakfast for that fact.

 

 

 

Each month, receiving my assignment from the Secret Recipe Club is like opening a gift.   I have no idea what will be inside the link (a present in my eyes) that has been provided to me. And then with a quick click of my computer suddenly "the gift" of my assignment is revealed.  EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I discover the blog I am to treasure for the next month I feel honored and excited.  I not only get introduced to amazing people who also share their love and passion for food but I also get free rein to pick ANY recipe of my liking from their collection of recipes.  And yes, most often it is a dessert of some kind as I tend to always steer towards such a option.  This past month I stayed true to my usual path and choose a recipe for a cheesecake from the beautiful Bobbi of Bobbi's Kozi Kitchen.  A Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake.  A gift of a gift! 

 

  

 

I loved having the opportunity to explore Bobbi's blog.  She shares her incredible journey of weight loss and teaching herself how to make delicious, healthy and quality food straight from her own kitchen.  She is a hero in my eyes! She has a great out look in life and her taste in food is completely divine.  I drooled over her Pumpkin Applesauce and salivated over her Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream and I even whipped drool off my lips for her Blackberry Custard Pie but yet my love for cheesecake won over all the above recipes when I discovered the recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake.  I had never seen such a recipe for a cheesecake! I had to make it. 

 

 

 

 

What a gem of a cheesecake recipe! DELICIOUS!!! Yes, there are quite a few steps to make this cheesecake come alive but nothing that you can't handle.  I enjoyed every moment of this recipe.  I took my time, read the recipe to the "T" and finished with a unique and scrumptious dessert.  My family loved it and complimented me over and over again.  At one point I heard Jeff say, "wait is this a cheesecake or is it a cinnamon roll?"  That's right Honey Pie, it's BOTH!!! Oh, and the cream cheese frosting was also a huge hit!  Yummy raves from everyone!

 

 

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

      (recipe from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen)

 

Ingredients for -

Cinnamon Roll Batter

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp

1 egg, at room temp

1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

 

Ingredients for -

Cheesecake filling

16 oz. (2 8oz. packages) cream cheese, at room temp

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp flour

3 eggs, at room temp

 

Ingredients for -

Cinnamon Filling

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

 

Ingredients for -

Cream Cheese Topping

2 oz. cream cheese, at room temp

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar

milk (if needed to thin out the topping)

 

 

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9" spring form pan with non-stick spray.  Line bottom with parchment paper if you wish (as I did).

 

2. Make Cinnamon Roll Batter - cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in egg, vanilla extract and milk.  Beat well all together. In a medium size bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined.  Batter will be thick.

 

3. Carefully spread 1/2 of the Cinnamon Roll Batter into the bottom of the prepared spring form pan.  I used an off set knife for this process as it takes a little patience to spread the thick batter.  Set pan aside.

 

4. Make Cheesecake Filling - Beat together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add in eggs, one at a time. Add in vanilla extract and flour - beat all together for a good minute.  Pour filling into pan.

 

5. Make Cinnamon Filling - Mix together melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drop filling by the spoonful evenly over filling.

 

6. Drop remaining 1/2 of Cinnamon Roll Batter  by the spoonful over the Cinnamon Filling and then swirl together with a serrated knife. It will feel thick to swirl but just do your best, it will be fine! :-)

 

 

 

7. Bake cheesecake for 50-55 minutes.  Cake will be puffy and lightly browned when done.  Cool cake completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours - over night is best. 

 

8. Make Cream Cheese Topping - beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add in lemon juice, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.  Beat all together for at least 1-2 minutes. If topping is too thick add in 1 Tbsp of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake and serve.  Refrigerate any left over cheesecake.

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

 



 

Happy Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Baking!

 





Apple Pie Cheesecake (12 Weeks of Holiday Treats)

12 weeks until Christmas friends.  Yup, I am NOT kidding.  But not to worry because I have your back.  Help is right here for all your baking, treat making, homemade gift ideas needs.  For the next 3 months, one a week you will be handed a variety of amazing and totally delicious recipes and ideas to help you figure out the best of the best for holiday treats.  Yours truly along with a spectacular group of many talented food bloggers will provide you with a plethora of such resources once a week for the next 12 weeks.  So sit back, relax and be ready to drool. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of drooling happiness how about a fabulous cheesecake recipe?  You know the kind with apples, cinnamon and sugary goodness all on top? Ahhh yes, an Apple Pie Cheesecake.  Heaven in a springform pan.  HEAVEN.

 

 

 

What could be better than a cookie crust that surrounds a silky cheesecake filling and then topped off with slices of cinnamon sugary dusted apples?  The perfect dessert for a special holiday party or even given as a gift to a special friend.  This cheesecake could easily be made for Thanksgiving, Christmas or even New Year's.  A delicious dessert that is easy to make and makes everyone fall over backwards for seconds.

 

 

 

The crust is easily adaptable to your preference.  If you don't wish to use the crust recipe I have to share you can make a graham cracker or even a ginger cookie crust.  Apples go well with a variety of flavors.  I jazzed up the apple layer of the cheesecake by drizzling  it with a lovely homemade caramel sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Pie Cheesecake

(recipe discovered from Dinner with Julie)

 

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for later)

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

 

Filling ingredients:

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Apple topping ingredients:

2 large apples (I used Cortland) - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

1. Butter or grease 9" springform pan and set aside.

 

2. Prepare crust by combining all crust ingredients in a medium bowl.  Mix well all together with a fork or pastry cutter.  Ingredients will be appear as big soft crumbs.  Press mixture into prepared springform pan on bottom and up sides.

 

3. Prepare filling by beating cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and lump-free.  Add in eggs, one at a time and then reserved egg white and vanilla extract. Pour filling into prepared crust.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

   

4. Prepare apple topping by combining sliced apples, sugar and cinnamon - toss gently so that sugar and cinnamon coat apples.  Arrange sugary-cinnamon apple slices over cheesecake filling to cover completely.

 

5. Bake cheesecake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees F. and then reduce to 375 to continue baking for another 30-35 minutes.  Cheesecake will be puffed and lightly browned but slightly jiggly in center when done.  Turn off oven and open door slightly to allow cheesecake to cool for a good 45-60 minutes.   Then take out of oven and cool further to room temperature.  Refrigerate over night before serving. 

 

 

 

Serve with a lovely drizzling of your favorite caramel sauce or freshly whipped cream.  A delight of a dessert!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Happy Apple Pie Cheesecake Baking!



 



Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

This is the beautiful view (@ Monadnock Berries in Troy, NH) that I had while picking blueberries.  It was in this very spot that I decided that I would make a cheesecake with blueberry topping from the blueberries that I so carefully picked from these bushes.  It was a happy moment! - not only because I finalized a special treat to make with the blueberries I was harvesting but also because picking blueberries is seriously one of my most favorite things in life to do....just after baking of course!  Blueberry picking is a peaceful and magical activity for me....it's calming and represents so many happy happy memories for me - I've picked by myself, I've picked with dear friends, I've picked with family (from far and near), I've even picked with a baby attached to my front sleeping soundly.  I LOVE BLUEBERRY PICKING!!!!

And I LOVE this simple and oh-so-yummy recipe I am about to share with you.  I found it from one of my favorites, The Pioneer Woman.  Ree made her cheesecake with a blackberry topping but because I blueberries are so close to my heart I decided to switch up the blackberries for blueberries as the topping.  It worked out beautifully!

Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

(Recipe from The Pioneer Woman - LOVE her!!!)

First let's make the crust for this yummy cheesecake....and let me tell you this is one of the BEST cheesecake crusts I've come upon - delish!!!

Crust Ingredients:

1 (12oz.) box Vanilla Wafers

1/2 cup pecans

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

3 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blueberry Topping Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries (blackberries can be easily substituted)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp water

Directions for the Crust:

1. Get out your 10" spring-form pan....

....found this one at my lovely local TJ Maxx!  Isn't it cool?! - it even has a glass bottom!  Peek A Boo Jolie!....

2. Place vanilla wafers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor....

...pulse until mixture becomes crumbs...

....then add in melted butter....

 and vanilla....

 and pulse again until combined...

3. Pour into your spring-form pan...

 and press crumbs into the bottom and up sides of pan. I used a measuring cup to do the work of the "pressing" - this worked great!

Set pan aside as you make the cheesecake filling.

Directions for Filling:

1. Combine cream cheese and sugar...

....and beat until smooth. Beat on low for 1 minute and then increase speed to medium speed for 2-3 minutes - scraping down bowl occasionally.

2. Add eggs to the cream cheese/sugar mixture one at a time....

....beating very well after each addition.

3. Add in sour cream...

....and then vanilla....

...mix again until well combined.

4. Pour mixture into crust....

...and smooth the top....

5. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes then turn off oven and open door slightly.  Allow cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door open for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool....

...unfortunately my cheesecake has plenty of cracks to give it character - next time I make this cheesecake I will bake it in a water bath to avoid getting so many cracks.  Please excuse all the cracks...I'm slightly embarrassed by them.

  Refrigerate once cooled down enough to handle pan.

Time to make the blueberry topping...

Directions for Blueberry Topping:

1. Place blueberries, sugar and water in a medium saucepan...

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes...

...stirring occasionally.  Berries will pop and bubble a little bit as the mixture boils.  Such yumminess!

3. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.

4. Pour berry topping over cheesecake...

 ...and refrigerate to cool for at least 2 hours - the longer the better.

5. When ready to serve remove rim around spring-form pan and slice into 16 pieces with a long serrated knife.  Enjoy!!!

Happy Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping Baking!

This post has been linked to...

Pot Luck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen