On Facebook last week I asked you all what your favorite dessert was. The answers ranged from creme brulee to brownies, but a surprising number of you said your all time favorite dessert is cheesecake.
Guys, I have seriously failed you. Because until now, the only sign of cheesecake around these parts has been in these Blueberry Cheesecake Brownie Bars.
It’s not that I don’t love cheesecake. I really do.
It’s just that I’ve always seen my mom as the cheesecake queen.
It’s her specialty. She brings it to family reunions and church potlucks, takes it to new moms, she even made it for my wedding. At big gatherings she has to slice them into teensy slivers just to make sure there’s enough to go around. People LOVE my mom’s sour cream cheesecake.
And frankly, since she’s so good at it, I’ve never really felt the need to make it myself. And, truthfully, I’ve always been scared I couldn’t live up to her cheesecake making greatness.
But after hearing from you all that cheesecake is one of your favorites, I decided it was finally time to shake off my doubts and get you all some cheesecake!
These cheesecake dream bars are my mom’s recipe. They’re a simpler version of her classic cheesecake and they’re made in a regular square pan instead of a spring form one, which makes them easy to transport and serve. The crust is a combination of brown sugar, flour, and nuts, and that same delicious mixture is sprinkled on top. It’s dreaaaamy.
I’m totally obsessed with The Cheesecake Factory’s Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake, so I thought I’d try adding a few things to mom’s recipe to satisfy my craving for it.
This experiment ends well. Tart, sweet, crunchy, creamy. This cheesecake delivers in flavor without a lot of fuss. The crust and filling can be whipped up quickly and the swirl is simply a few dollops of raspberry jam.
So for all you cheesecake lovers, here is my gift to you! Dive in! Take a taste.
And if you can’t get enough cheesecake, also give our Oreo Cheesecake Bars and Cherry Delight a try!
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Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Dream Bars
Ingredients
For the crust and topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped small)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
For the filling:
- 16 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
Instructions
- Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and nuts. Stir the melted butter in until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1/3 cup crumbs. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden on the outsides. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. With the beaters on low speed, add the egg, milk, and lemon juice. Gradually raise the speed on the beaters, and beat until mixture is well combined.
- Pour cream cheese mixture into baked crust.
- Heat the raspberry jam in a heat proof bowl in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until the jam is slightly runny. Place dollops of jam across the top of the cheesecake mixture, then use a toothpick to gently swirl it around.
- Sprinkle the remaining nut crumble evenly over the top.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until just barely jiggly in the center. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
- Feel free to use any jam you like - but I definitely recommend seedless if you are using a berry one!
Nutrition
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