“The dishes and meals we make for loved ones, and the act of preparing them…connects us beyond the physical… there is taste and smell that draws out memories, binding us to those present, those past.” – Sarah Kieffer
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
This past week was a busy one, filled with holiday traditions. We drove by the nostalgic Dayton’s holiday window on the way to Kevin Kling’s annual one-night show of ‘Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log’ at the Guthrie against the backdrop of the set for ‘A Christmas Carol’. Not sure if we were at the Jungle Theater for Kevin’s first ‘Tales…‘ in 1995 or not, but the first one we attended was at the Jungle before he moved to the Guthrie. It’s now a wonderful mix of music and nostalgic storytelling, with raucous street band Brass Messengers, Dan Chouinard and Simone Perrin. Quite a contrast to the annual Lutheran College Christmas concerts which we also often attend. And of course our annual Breakfast Club Christmas party.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
We had some wonderful individual raspberry cheesecakes at our BC Christmas party, and I sought a recipe to capture that essence on a smaller scale. These bars from livewellbakeoften.com did the trick! When I served them on Wednesday night our kids talked about the cream cheese shortage and the news that Philadelphia Cream Cheese is paying people $20 to replace Christmas cheesecake with a different dessert… I had no idea cheesecake was such a popular Christmas dessert! These bars don’t use as much cream cheese as a full cheesecake, maybe a good substitute this year!
LEMON RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS
CRUST
- 9 full-sheet graham crackers (or 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 16 ounces brick-style cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 large eggs
RASPBERRY SWIRL
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
TIPS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
- Make sure all ingredients, including eggs, are at room temperature to ensure a smooth cheesecake without lumps
- One medium lemon is usually enough, but have 2 on hand in case one isn’t enough
- You can easily replace raspberries with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
- Allow time for it to cool after baking… at least 3 hours or overnight before serving
TO MAKE THE CRUST
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Empty the crumbs into a mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter. Stir until well combined, then press firmly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven temperature at 325 degrees F.
TO MAKE THE FILLING
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attchme4tn, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
- Add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Continue mixing until well combined.
- Mix in one egg at a time on low speed until just combined.
- Pour filling on top of the graham cracker crust.
TO MAKE THE RASPBERRY SWIRL
- Place raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Strain the raspberry puree through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any seeds.
- Spoon the raspberry mixture in different spots on top of the filling, then use a knife to gently swirl.
- Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake is set.
TO SERVE
- Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!