Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

3/4 cup butter, chilled, cut up

Filling

2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp flour

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

Topping

1 pint strawberries, sliced

3 Tbsp strawberry jelly, melted

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 13x9 inch baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp lemon peel in medium bowl; mix until combined.  Add butter and use pastry blender to combine until mixture is crumbly.  Press into bottom of pan.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges just begin to brown.

Meanwhile, place cream cheese, 2 Tbsp flour, condensed milk, lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon peel and vanilla in large bowl.  Mix until smooth.  Scrape sides of bowl and add eggs.  Mix until just blended.  Pour filling into crust.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set and edges are slightly puffed.  Center will look less done but will firm during cooling.  Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Arrange overlapping rows of sliced strawberries over top; lightly brush with melted jelly.  Cut into bars.  Serve cold.

Thoughts and Tips:

You can mix both the crust and the filling using a food processor if preferred. 

These were delicious, but really not very lemony.  I would add extra lemon juice to the filling (probably 1/4 cup) and definitely make sure that you use fresh lemon peel.  Otherwise, they end up being no different from any other cheesecake with strawberries.

Brownie Chunk Cheesecake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

31 crème filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 eggs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped brownies

Topping

8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 oz white chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients.  Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch springform pan.  Wrap pan with heavy-duty foil; freeze 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Beat in sour cream and 1 cup cream.  Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.  Slowly beat in flour.  Fold in brownies.

Place springform pan in large baking or blroiler pan.  Pour batter into crust (batter will come to within 1/4 inch of top edge).  Add enough hot tap water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.  Bake 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch.  Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid.

Remove springform pan from baking pan; remove foil.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Refrigerate overnight.

Melt milk chocolate and 1/3 cup cream in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Pour over top of cheesecake.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour white chocolate into small resealable plastic bag.  Snip off corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over cheesecake.  Refrigerate at least one hour.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Thoughts and Tips:
You can use any kind of brownies that you desire in this.  For ease, I made a batch of Betty Crocker from a box.
Leave fairly good size chunks of brownie and fold them in gently.  If the pieces are too small, you lose the flavor in the final cheesecake.
There will be water in the foil around the pan, so have a towel handy when you remove it and be very careful as it will be hot!
You can melt the chocolate for the topping in the microwave.  Place chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir, then heat in additional 15 second increments until completely melted.

Let's face it, brownies and cheesecake and chocolate glaze are probably a bit of an overkill, but WOW is this a great dessert!  The cheesecake is nice and creamy and the combination of flavors is definitely amazing.  Cut small pieces (about 1/16th of the cake) because it is very rich.