Poinsettia Cheesecake Squares Recipes

CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, ricotta and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the butter, cornstarch, flour and vanilla until smooth. Fold in sour cream. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. , Chill several hours or overnight. Top each serving with fruit if desired.

RHUBARB CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter until coarse and crumbly. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust, reserving about 1/3 cup for topping.
• Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, vanilla butter and nut flavoring, and cinnamon together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in rhubarb. Pour filling on top of crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crumble.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

BAKED CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8 inch square baking pan.
• To make the crust: In a large bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Gradually blend in flour and walnuts. Mixture will be crumbly.
• Set aside one cup of crust mixture. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
• To make filling: in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar. Add in egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla until well blended.
• Spread the filling over warm crust. Sprinkle top with remaining crust mixture. Bake for another 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool on wire racks before cutting.

CREAMY CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, lemon juice and biscuit mix; mix just until smooth. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until center is nearly set. Place on a wire rack while preparing topping. In a bowl, combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake for 4 minutes (topping will not brown or set). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Garnish with fruit if desired.

CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C).
• To make Pastry: Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and chopped nuts and stir until mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside 1/4 cup to use as a topping.
• Press pastry mixture into 8-inch square pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack.
• To make Filling: Beat together the white sugar, and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix well. Spread filling mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle reserved mixture on as a topping.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack and refrigerate. Serve with fruit.

NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-square baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Put 1 stick butter, the granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the egg and continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture is thick like hot fudge sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and chopped walnuts. Spread in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes.
• Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, the vanilla and salt in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until stiff, then beat in the heavy cream until fluffy. Spread over the crust, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Make the topping: Put the chocolate and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Quickly spread the chocolate over the filling. Top with whole walnuts and refrigerate until set, 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
• Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm when it is cold).
• Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into squares and serve.
• *Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.
• Limoncello:
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• Makes: 7 cups
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with the baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly coat the parchment with the baking spray.
• Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor or gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press the mixture about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared cake pan, then press to cover the bottom evenly. Bake until the edges just become golden and the crust is fragrant, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Use your fingers to rub together the sugar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl until the mixture is fragrant. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese on low speed, then raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl, then beat for another few seconds to combine.
• Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla on low speed until combined. Mix in half of the beaten eggs and until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle well and then mix in the remaining half of the beaten eggs on low speed just until combined.
• Pour the batter over the freshly baked warm crust and spread smooth. Place the lemon curd in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe lines of the lemon curd across the batter (alternately, spoon small dollops of curd across the batter.) Use a toothpick to swirl the curd and batter together slightly.
• Place the baking pan in a slightly larger baking pan or roasting pan. Place in the center of the oven. Very carefully pour about 1 inch of steaming hot water into the larger pan to create a water bath. Gently slide the oven rack back in place and close the door. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the center barely jiggles, 42 to 45 minutes. The temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be about 150 degrees F.
• Once baked, turn off the oven, prop open the door and allow the cheesecake to cool down inside the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, use the parchment overhang to pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Peel down the sides of the parchment and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately or store tightly covered for up to 3 days.

CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300F; spray 8x8 pan with non-stick pan spray, set aside.
• In food processor, combine brown sugar, nuts, and flour.
• Add melted butter& blend until crumbly (or combine all with a pastry blender).
• Reserve 3/4c for topping; press remainder firmly in prepared pan.
• Bake for approx 10-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium bow; add remaining ngredients and beat until smooth.
• Pour cheese mixture onto crust; top with reserved crumbs and bake another 25-30 minutes.
• Cool; cut into squares.

POINSETTIA CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350° F. In medium bowl, mix flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter, using fork, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Press firmly and evenly in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Bake 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Beat in granulated sugar and eggs. Stir in thawed strawberries with liquid. Spread cream cheese mixture over baked layer in pan.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or just until center is set. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover loosely and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until firm.
• To serve, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows. Arrange mint leaves and strawberry wedges on servings to look like poinsettias. Store covered in refrigerator.