Festive Cheesecake Bars

Looking for a festive dessert to serve this holiday season? I might have just the ticket for you with these White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.

I was actually going to wait and try these bars out when we had company, but I had some extra time today and decided to give it a go... besides, Jeff and I had been talking about bringing a treat over to the neighbors as a thank you.

On the bottom of these bars is a sweet base consisting simply of ground Oreo cookies and melted butter to hold those cookie crumbs together. To keep the base from turning soggy, we slid the crust into the oven and let it bake for a few minutes to give it a head start.

To create the cheesecake filling, a basic mixture of softened cream cheese, granulated sugar and a splash of vanilla is mixed together - you want to be sure to use cream cheese that is quite soft so the batter is velvety smooth without any lumps. Depending on the temperature of the house, I usually like to take the bricks out at least 3 or 4 hours before I'm going to use them. Where does the white chocolate come in? Well, that would be now! We poured in a couple ounces of creamy white chocolate that we melted and let cool slightly. Now, as soon as you drop the eggs into the filling, let the mixture work just until the eggs have been incorporated - you don't want to work a bunch of extra air into the filling. Poured into the partially-baked crust, the cheesecake is baked until the sides are just firm, while the center still has a little jiggle to it if you touch the pan.

To add some pizazz to the top, we poured over a layer of warmed raspberry preserves on the cheesecake a few minutes after it came out from the oven. I really warmed the mixture because I wanted to strain out most of the seeds, but that isn't required if they don't bug you. However, it will spread over the cheesecake with ease if the preserves are warmed rather than cold from the refrigerator. To tie in with the filling, we again melted a bit more white chocolate and drizzled it over the ruby topping. As with most cheesecakes, I do suggest you let this hang out in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before you serve it - overnight would be best! Besides firming the filling for clean cuts, it gives some time for those little delicate notes to flourish and come out of their shell.

With a striking contrast of color, these decadent treats are fairly rich and sweet, so a small square or rectangle will suffice, but they won't leave you with a feeling that you'll be heading towards a sugar coma once finished. When I watched my fork glide through the gilded top, into the soft milky-white filling and hit the dark crust, I don't think I even blinked before I was swirling the bite around my tongue and my fork was full again ready for the next piece. I wonder if these will make it to the neighbors? That's the goal, but we'll see if they even get out of the house!

Recipes
White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars