Thursday 25 September 2014

Cheesecake Bars with Oreo Crumb Crust and topped with Strawberry Balsamic Jam



For a BBQ earlier this season, I offered to bring dessert (as I often do).  And I have become rather obsessed with the taste of strawberries roasted with balsamic vinegar recently.

First it was the free-form cheesecake with balsamic roasted strawberries trifle-style dessert.  Then I went with a balsamic roasted strawberry ice cream.

I actually made the jam first and was going to post the recipe ... then I realized it was very similar to these previous recipes and decided it wasn't worth it.   But then I decided to incorporate it into a simple cheesecake bar - perfect as a bring-along to a BBQ.  And maybe worthy of a post?

Ingredients:
Strawberry Balsamic Jam (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 bricks of cream cheese
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
vanilla

In a 9x13 pan, combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter.  Press to form a firm crust on the bottom surface.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until fluffy.  Mix in eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.  Pour over crust.  Shake pan to spread out the mixture and let it settle.

Bake at 325 degrees F until firm.   This should only take about 30 minutes as it is quite shallow.

Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours.  Cut into squares and serve with a spoonful of jam.



Strawberry Balsamic Jam



I love the combination of strawberries with balsamic vinegar and have used it in many desserts.  This makes a terrific jam for toast and is great mixed with yogurt and oatmeal.

Ingredients:
2 litre strawberries
3/8 cup balsamic vinegar
5 Tbsp sugar




Roast strawberries and balsamic in 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes.  Pour into a pot and cook until thickened (30-40 minutes).  Note:  I usually wait until the jam has cooked down before adding sugar - amount depends on sweetness of strawberries.

Pour into glass jars and store in refrigerator or stores well in freezer.




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