Now that the temperature is dropping and the daylight hours are shorter, comfort food is in order. Spoil yourself with tasty treats that smell and look inviting, too. This recipe and photo from Foodland Ontario, foodlandontario.ca, serve as motivation to cook up something special.
Cheesecake is always a hit and these bars make a great treat for a party or potluck.
Preparation Time:Â 25 minutes; Cooking Time:Â 8 to 10 minutes
Baking Time:Â 50 minutes; Cooling Time:Â 2 hours
Refrigeration Time: 4 hours or overnight
Makes 16 bars
Cranberry Apple Swirl:
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) Ontario cranberries
1 Ontario apple, peeled and diced (about 1 cup/250 mL)
2 tbsp (25 mL) granulated sugar
Crumb Base:
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, melted
Cheesecake:
4 pkg (each 250 g) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
4 large Ontario eggs
1 cup (250 mL) Ontario sour cream
1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla
Cranberry Apple Swirl:Â In medium saucepan, combine cranberries, apple, sugar and 1/2 cup (125 mL) water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then frequently near the end of cooking, for 8-10 minutes or until cranberries pop, apples are soft and mixture is thick (reduce heat if boiling too hard). Transfer to medium bowl; refrigerate.
Crumb Base:Â Line 9 x 13-inch (3 L) metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) overhang.
In medium bowl, stir crumbs with sugar; stir in butter until well mixed. Press evenly in prepared pan. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on rack while preparing filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).
Cheesecake:Â In large bowl, using electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese, scraping down sides as needed, for about 3 minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar and salt; beat until very well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down sides. On low speed, beat in sour cream and vanilla just until combined. Scrape mixture into cooled crust; evenly spreading.
Spoon cranberry mixture in dollops over cream cheese mixture. Using knife, swirl fruit through cream cheese.
Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven for about 40 minutes, until filling is set with a slight jiggle in centre. Remove from oven, run knife around edges; let cool to room temperature in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.
Using parchment paper as handles, remove cheesecake from pan to cutting board. Using wet knife, cut into bars
Nutritional Information:
1 bar
PROTEIN: 8 grams
FAT: 33 grams
CARBOHYDRATE: 32 grams
CALORIES: 452
FIBRE: 1 gram
SODIUM: 405 mg
