Showing posts with label cheesecake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheesecake. Show all posts

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Honey Nut Cheesecake Squares

We covered dips and pizzas in our last two posts for Pace Picante Salsa and Philadelphia Cream Cheese, but there has been no attention in the kitchen paid to a Superbowl Party dessert. So, what gives? Sports fan love sweets too! It is highly unlike me to overlook the reason why most of us even eat vegetables in the first place; to earn the right to indulge in dessert. Making sure sweets have their place at your party's buffet table, the second recipe tested for LovemyPhilly.com is a re-working of Kraft's Philadelphia Holiday Desserts 2009 "Caramel-Nut Cheesecake" into my Honey Nut Cheesecake Squares.

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups Honey Maid Honey flavor graham crackers. 1 1/2 packages pulsed to a small crumb in a food processor = 2 cups.
  • 3/4 cup Planters Nutrition South Beach Diet Recommended Mix + a handful to decorate & chopped into small pieces.
  • 1/4 + 3/4 cups sugar
  • 7 tlbsp. unsalted butter melted
  • 3 pkg. (8oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese: 2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese Honeynut flavor + 1 1/3 Less Fat Original Flavor.1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Kraft Breakstone's Reduced Fat Sour Cream
  • 3 eggs
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil extending the foil on all sides beyond the rim of the baking dish. *I used the Perfect Brownie Pan Set.
  1. In a food processor, break-up 1 1/2 pkg. of graham crackers and pulse about 10 times, then left it run for 15 seconds until you have a small consistent crumb. Empty graham crumbs into a medium size mixing bowl. Put 3/4 Planters Nutrition Nut Mix into the food processor and repeat the small method until you have a small consistent crumb of nuts.
  2. Empty nuts into bowl with the graham cracker plus 1/4 sugar. Using your fingers blend the mixture thoroughly. Add the melted butter and mix through with your hands.
  3. Press the crust evenly into the dish. Reserve some to sprinkle on later as a topping.Bake crust for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, 3/4 sugar, and vanilla with hand mixer until w
  5. ell blended. Add sour cream and mix-in. Add the eggs one at a time beating until just mixed in. Be careful not to over beat after adding the eggs! Over beating can lead to a cracked top.
  6. Pour over crust.
  7. Bake for 35 min. or until the center is almost set. Let cool 5 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle an evenly, thin layer of crumbs on top while still warm. Use your fingers to gently press the crumb topping into the cake. Garnish with silvers of chopped mix nuts or one nut. Chill for 4 hours before serving.