Fruitcake Cheesecake Bars

  

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Fruitcake Cheesecake Bars

Regular readers know that I think fruitcake gets a bad rap at the Holidays and many more fruitcake lovers are coming out of the closet to celebrate their love of the annual festive treat. In an effort to convert even more to the festive flavors of spice and sweet dried fruits, I've come up with a new way to tempt even more... add a cheesecake element!

With the fragrance of Christmas spices in the buttery crumble and dried glace fruits in the cheesecake, I'm guessing more than one fruitcake nay-sayer will try and sample one of these if offered during the Holiday season. Add this recipe to your Holiday freezer baking list and see if you can't find a few to tempt.

Fruitcake Cheesecake Bars

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Fruitcake Cheesecake Bars - a very festive and easy cookie bar recipe with a spiced butter crumble surrounding a dried fruit cheesecake center.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Yield: 24 cookie bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
• 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup mixed glace fruit

Directions

1. In a food processor pulse together the flour, brown sugar, spices and butter until crumbly (or simply cut the butter through the flour, spices and sugar with a pastry knife or two butter knives held between your fingers)
2. Save a 1/2 cup of this crumble mixture to sprinkle over the top later.
3. Press the rest of the crumble mixture into the bottom of a greased or parchment lined 9x9 inch square baking pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes while preparing the cheesecake filling.
5. Beat together the cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
6. Beat in the egg.
7. Fold in the mixed glace fruit.
8. Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly onto the pre-baked cookie base and sprinkle the reserved cookie crumble over the surface.
9. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.
10. Refrigerate in airtight containers. Freezes well too.