Butter Crunch Cheesecake Bars Recipes

CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line an 8-inch baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil (so that there is an overhang on at least 2 sides) and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined, using your fingertips if necessary to be sure no lumps of brown sugar remain. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with beaters or the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Do not over-mix.
• Pour the batter into the slightly cooled crust. Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is set but still a little jiggly in the center. (An instant-read thermometer, inserted into the filling about 1" in from the edge, should read between 180°-190°F.) The cheesecake will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into squares, wiping the knife clean with a damp cloth between slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Note: The cheesecake bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake (cut or uncut) on a plate and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the foil before defrosting.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, pulse the Oreos (cookie AND cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 3 cups (330g) of crumbs. Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together in a large bowl. Press tightly into the bottom of the lined baking pan. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave oven on.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat until fully combined. Then add the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the 3rd egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. A few small lumps can remain. Whisk the filling a few times by hand to rid any large lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
• Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust. It's ok if the crust is still warm. Spread evenly on top with a rubber spatula or back of a spoon. (It will seem like a thick layer of cheesecake filling; that's ok.)
• Bake for 35-38 minutes or until the cheesecake appears set on top and the edges are browned. The edges may slightly crack. (Mine do!) The bars will be puffy, but will sink slightly down as they cool. Place pan on a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours (and up to 1 day) before topping with chocolate. If you're in a rush, place in the freezer for 2 hours (or until chilled throughout.) If you plan to chill the bars for longer than a few hours, loosely cover with aluminum foil after 3-4 hours of chilling.
• Cut the butter into Tablespoon-size pieces. Place into a heat-proof bowl. Pour chocolate chips on top. Place in the microwave and melt in 30-second increments until smooth, stopping and stirring after each. You can also melt together on the stove, stirring constantly until smooth. Let the mixture cool for 2-3 minutes, then pour and spread evenly over chilled cheesecake bars. The cheesecake bars usually have a lip around the border since the center slightly sinks down, so it's easy to spread the chocolate topping, stopping around the border/lip. If yours don't have a raised lip around the edges, don't worry and just spread the filling evenly all over the top.
• Chill in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes or in the freezer for 30 minutes until the chocolate topping has set. If chilling for longer than 1 hour, loosely cover with aluminum foil after 1 hour of chilling. Chocolate topping must be completely set and solid on top of the cheesecake bars before slicing.
• To slice, lift the bars out of the pan as a whole using the parchment overhang on the sides. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. For extra neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut.
• Cover and store leftover cheesecake bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

BUTTER CRUNCH LEMON-CHEESE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray.
• To prepare the crust, in a mixing bowl beat together on medium speed the butter, dark brown sugar, salt and mace until smooth.
• Spoon 1 cup flour lightly into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• Add the flour to the butter mixture and beat at low speed until well blended.
• Press the crust into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the cottage cheese for 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl once.
• Add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder, egg and egg white.
• Process until well blended.
• Pour the filling over the baked crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set (the edges will get lightly browned).
• Remove from the oven and cool.
• When cool, cover and chill for 8 hours.
• To serve, cut into bars.

OLD-FASHIONED BUTTER CRUNCH

Steps:

• To make the butter crunch mixture, melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in almonds, and pour out into prepared pan, spreading the mixture with the back of a spoon to fill the pan. Before the butter crunch hardens, but when it is firm enough to handle, turn it out onto a large parchment-covered cutting board and peel away the foil. Allow the butter crunch to cool completely. To finish the butter crunch, wipe the top surface of the candy with a damp paper towel to remove excess butter and allow to dry a few minutes. Have another cutting board or the back of a jelly-roll pan ready to turn the candy over onto. Use a small offset metal icing spatula to spread half the tempered chocolate quickly over the butter crunch. Scatter half the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Cover this finished surface with a piece of parchment paper or foil and place another cutting board or the back of a large jelly-roll pan. Remove top board and paper and quickly spread with remaining tempered chocolate and scatter on remaining almonds (it isn't necessary to wipe the second side because it wasn't against a buttered surface). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set chocolate. Break the butter crunch into 2-inch pieces. Store candy in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover and keep at a cool room temperature for up to a week.

BUTTER CRUNCH CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• CRUST:.
• In bowl, beat butter with mixer until smooth and creamy, 1 minute Add sugars, beat 3 minute until fluffy.
• Beat in flour.
• Beat in nuts until just incorporated. Reserve 1 cup mixture.
• Press remainder over bottom of ungreased 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
• Bake crust 10 minute Let cool.
• FILLING:.
• In bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar with mixer until smooth.
• Add vanilla and eggs, beat for 2 minute.
• Fold in candy bars (see into description above).
• Spoon over baked crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over top.
• Bake for 30 minute until cheesecake layer is set.
• Let cool.
• Cut into 16 bars.
• Serve, or cover and refrigerate.

PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, allowing foil to hang over two sides.
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, pecans and light brown sugar.
• Stir in the butter and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened and a crumbly dough forms.
• Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven.
• In another medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla until combined.
• Stir in 3/4 cup coarsely chopped candy.
• Pour into the baked crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle the finely chopped candy over the top.
• Cool completely.
• Gently lift from pan and pull back foil.
• Cut into 36 squares.
• Refrigerate until serving.