Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Cherry Cheesecake Bars

I will start by saying; I was craving cherry pie today.  I kept remembering a cherry dessert I had years ago from a co worker.   This was the inspiration I had to create this recipe. Wow…its amazing how the mind remembers things. I must have had this dessert 15 years ago.  This co-worker was from when I first started my career in the apparel industry after college (Valerie Sanchez, back then when she was singleJ).  Actually, if it wasn’t for her neither Faye nor I would have worked at this company and become even better friends. Valerie got me in and then I got Faye in (This is usually how it works in the apparel manufacturing industry, word of mouth). Anywise, enough of the nostalgia, Valerie was a wonderful cook and I would always ask her to give me the recipe of anything I got a chance to taste.  But as you all know, sometimes recipes sad to say, get lost over time.  This is exactly what happened to this recipe, completely lost!  Well, at least until today when I decided to try to remember the ingredients that were in it and with the use of the internet filled in all the holes and recreate it!  So what we get a very flavorful and colorful bar which is perfect for any occasion.    The crust has just the right amount of crunch and the cheese filling just enough velvety smoothness.  Then you top it off with the tartness of the cherries and the flakiness of the crumb and oh lala, a completely scrumptious dessert!   If you love cherries, you will love this bar.  I added the nutmeg to add a little depth to the recipe, and it really worked in the flavor profile.  I believe the original recipe had coconut , but I decide to omit it and really make the cherries the star of this bar.  I hope you give this bar a try. Happy Cooking Everyone!

Crust

1 cup all purpose Flour

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup butter (1 stick), soften

½ cup walnut

Cheese filling

8oz cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 can cherry filling (21 oz)

Streusel Crumb topping

½ light brown sugar

½ cup flour

¼ cup  oat

¼  cup butter

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

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<!Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

<!Prepare 8x8 bake pan by lining with foil.

<!Combine flour, brown sugar and nutmeg. Cut butter in with pastry blender. (I used the kitchen aid with the beater attachment). Mixture will look like a crumble.

<!Press crust mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan.

<!Bake for 15 minutes

AAs crust is baking make the cheesecake filling.

<!Beat cream cheese, egg, vanilla and almond extract Beat until smooth.

<!Pour over warm crust.

<!Bake for 15 minutes
As filling is baking make the crumb topping

<!In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, nutmeg and butter.  Combine until it resembles a crumble using a pastry fork or mixer.

<!Stir in walnuts

Once you remove the cheese cake bar from oven

<!Pour cherry filling over hot filling. Make sure the cherry filling covers the cheese filling.

<!Sprinkle Streusel Crumb over cherry filling. Make sure the Streusel crumble covers the cherry filling.

<!Bake for 25-30 minutes (if the topping starting getting too brown, put a piece of foil over the it until the cooking process is done)

Cool for 1 hour

Refrigerate overnight . Cut into bars and serve.