Raspberry Decadence

Where have I been?

It's all just a blur, really. The past month, that is.

I know it all happened -- there's photos to prove it. 

But why get caught up on the blog, when you can just post an amazing recipe, instead?

Right? Right??

So, I found this recipe online a year ago, for Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars. It sounded good, I tried it out, and I'm sold on it! Definite keeper, and I'm thinking this is an annual thing now. With a long row of raspberry plants in the garden, I'm virtually guaranteed berries each summer to make this. (Best part is that it only takes a cup of berries, too!) I think we served these at Alyssa's graduation open house, among other things. I pre-cut these into bars and freeze them in airtight containers with each one nestled inside a paper muffin tin liner. Then I can easily take out as many as I need to thaw at a time. You can also freeze an entire batch, uncut, and then you have this decadent dessert ready for unexpected dinner guests.  

A friend of mine asked me for the recipe a couple of weeks ago, so Becca -- this one's for you! 

(Quantities and full instructions are at the end.)

You start by making a basic shortbread crust, but with brown sugar.

1 ½  cups all-purpose flour

½  cup plus 1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Process in a food processor until the mixture is crumbly. Or do like I did, and just use the mixer.

I think mine was a bit too crumbly.

But it still worked fine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a parchment lined or lightly greased 9x9 inch pan.  (My glass dish is 7x11") Bake at 350̊ F for 20 -25 minutes. The shortbread bottom should just be slightly golden brown at the edges. Remove from oven, and drop the oven temperature to 300̊ .

Then it's on to the compote. In a small saucepan, put

1 cup raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp water

Bring to a gentle boil and thicken with a slurry made by mixing together 1 rounded tablespoon corn starch with 2-3 tbsp water. 

So here's my Food Network tip. It's not a tip from Food Network -- it's what I imagine I would tell people, if Food Network asked me to give a cooking tip to others. I learned this one from my sweet mother-in-law.

So, corn starch is used to thicken liquids. The method is to mix cornstarch with water, then add it to boiling liquid. Here's what I want my kids to know:

1. The water needs to be COLD. (to prevent lumps)

2. My mother used to stir it in a small cup. But Todd's mom taught me to use a small canning jar. Just put the cornstarch and water in the canning jar, close it tightly with the canning lid, and SHAKE it up! It mixes fast, and really doesn't lump at all!

3. Stir the liquid you're wanting to thicken as you pour in the slurry.

4. The liquid needs to boil for at least 1 minute for the cornstarch to reach its full thickening capacity.

In this case, boil only for an additional half minute or so, stirring constantly until the mixture completely thickens. Then set it aside to cool slightly.

While that's cooling, you're going to make the vanilla cheesecake part. 

Beat together until smooth:

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

(I use 2, because I love vanilla!)

Then beat in 1 egg for about a minute. 

(My eggs are the extra-large ones from Costco) See how creamy-dreamy that makes it? We're not done yet. Now blend in 1/3 cup whipping cream until smooth. 

Pour over the prepared crust. 

So smooth! Now, drop big gobs of the raspberry compote, kind of evenly spaced apart, onto the cheesecake batter:

Then, using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the raspberry compote through the cheesecake batter.

Ok, so I used a butter knife. Whatever.

Then bake for 25-30 minutes at 300 degrees f until the center sets.

The other thing I do to ensure even baking, is to place the baking pan into a larger baking pan and fill the big one half way up with boiling water. This seems to slow down the cooking process and require a  little extra baking time but the cheesecake will bake more evenly from the edges to the center. So if you use this technique (let's get technical, practice our French, and call it a "bain-marie" -- [say "ban mah-REE"]), you should pad the cooking time with an extra 10 minutes, because it will take longer.

I find it's easiest to put the pans on the oven rack, and then carefully add the boiling water to the larger dish. Make sure you don't get the water into the cheesecake itself. If you have a tea kettle, that works really well for this. I don't have one, so I dunk a heavy glass measuring cup into a big pot of boiling water. Then carefully slide the oven rack back in, and close the door.

When you're done, it should look something like this!

Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving. Store in the refrigerator or freeze until needed.

Important Experience Note: 

If you happen to be freezing other strongly-flavored foods at the same time, the dairy nature of this cheesecake will cause it to take on the flavor of the other food. EVEN IF YOU HAVE REMOVED SAID FOOD FROM THE FREEZER, the odor and taste will remain and will taint the cheesecake.

Ask me how I know.

(Becca knows, too, poor girl!!)

Note to self: put the stupid bell pepper strips in the other freezer, for pity's sake!

Ok, so as promised, here is the recipe in its entirety. Thanks to Rock Recipes as the source, -- though I may have edited it a bit for myself.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Dessert Bars

Shortbread Bottom

1 ½  cups all-purpose flour

½  cup plus 1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Process in a food processor until the mixture is crumbly, then press into the bottom of a parchment lined or lightly greased 9x9 inch pan. Bake at 350̊ F for 20 -25 minutes. The shortbread bottom should just be slightly golden brown at the edges. Remove from oven.

Raspberry Swirl Compote 

1 cup raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp water

Bring to a gentle boil and thicken with a slurry made by mixing together 1 rounded tablespoon corn starch with 2-3 tbsp water. Boil only for an additional half minute or so, stirring constantly until the mixture completely thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

Vanilla Cheesecake Top

Beat together until smooth:

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract 

Beat in 1 egg for about a minute. Then blend in 1/3 cup whipping cream until smooth. Pour over the prepared crust. Drop tablespoonfuls of the raspberry compote, evenly spaced apart, onto the cheesecake batter. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the raspberry compote through the cheesecake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 300 degrees f until the center sets.

To ensure even baking you can place the baking pan into a larger baking pan and fill half way up with boiling water. This may slow down the cooking process and require a  little extra baking time but the cheesecake will bake more evenly from the edges to the center.

Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving. Store in the refrigerator or freeze until needed.

Just don't eat them all yourself!!