Red Velvet and White Chocolate Cheesecake Squares MAKES 16 SERVINGS
White chocolate chips lend these bars richness and a hint of chocolate flavor. Reserve a little red velvet batter and dollop it on top for a beautiful pattern.
EASY WAYS TO ELEVATE BARS Luxurious and/or unexpected ingredients go a long way in making bars special. Instead of pecans and brown sugar, use hazelnuts and honey to distinguish nut bars. “Bar” cookies don’t have to be cut into the same shape over and over. Cut them into squares, triangles, diamonds and rectangles of varying sizes for visual appeal. Decorating doesn’t have to be difficult. Give sweet treats a professional look with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of melted chocolate. Bar cookies are sturdy and pack well, making them great for gifting. Package them with details like cute containers, gift tags, ribbons, bows and the like.
38 real food winter 2015
Red Velvet Layer ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup cocoa ¼ teaspoon salt .25 fluid ounces red food coloring 1 teaspoon vinegar 2 large eggs ¾ cup unbleached flour
Cheesecake Layer ½ cup white chocolate chips 6 ounces softened cream cheese 3 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 large egg yolk
1. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with heavyduty foil, tucking into corners and leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. 2. For the red velvet layer: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, salt, food coloring and vinegar until smooth. Whisk in eggs. Stir in flour until just combined. Reserve ¼ cup batter. Spread remaining batter evenly across bottom of pan and freeze 15 minutes. 3. For the cheesecake layer: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips until half melted. Stir until smooth and let cool slightly. 4. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar until very smooth, scraping down bowl as necessary. Mix in chocolate. Mix in vanilla and egg yolk until smooth. 5. Remove pan from freezer and spread cream cheese mixture over red velvet layer. Drop reserved red velvet batter over cream cheese layer in teaspoonfuls. Drag the tip of a sharp paring knife through cream cheese mixture to swirl. 6. Bake 35 minutes, until cream cheese layer is just set. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours and up to 48 hours. 7. Use foil to lift from pan onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. Store refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Cranberry and Lime Bars MAKES 16 SERVINGS
A touch of lime zest lends these simple bars a zippy flavor. Give them a bakery-style finish with a drizzle of white chocolate. 2 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½
cups flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon cream of tartar teaspoon salt cup unsalted butter, softened cup sugar
½ 1 1 ½ 2 12
cup powdered sugar large egg teaspoon vanilla cup dried cranberries tablespoons grated lime zest, plus more for garnish ounces white chocolate chips
1. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with heavyduty foil, tucking into corners and leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. 3. In a separate large bowl and using an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and powdered sugar until well combined. Mix in egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour mixture on low until just combined. Stir in cranberries, lime zest and 1¼ cups white chocolate chips. 4. Pour batter into pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden around edges. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 5. Melt remaining chocolate chips and use a fork to drizzle over bars. Garnish top with lime zest, if desired. Let stand 1 hour, until chocolate is hard. Use foil to lift from pan onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.