Holiday Cheesecake Bars
Country Woman Christmas
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Christmas officially arrives at our house when I make these melt-in-your-mouth bars. Red and green maraschino cherries add a jolly finish to each light and creamy morsel.
SERVINGS: 24
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 40 min.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup cold butter
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- FILLING:
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sliced red and green maraschino cherries, optional
Directions:
In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts. Reserve 1 cup. Press remaining crumbs onto the bottom of an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk, lemon juice and vanilla; pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.
Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until edges are lightly browned and filling is almost set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Garnish with cherries if desired. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.