Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars are thick, lush, and oh-so-good.
I had to make this recipe twice to get it right. The first time I made it, I chilled it for only a few hours and then started to cut up the bars. It became a huge, awful mess. I was embarrassed by how they looked–crumbles more than bars–but my husband took them to work and people went crazy over them.
It turned out, the recipe produced something seriously delicious… but it sure needed a lot more time to set.
Therefore, I made them again. I also tweaked it from the original by taking out extra pecans and adding the essential ingredient of cream of tartar. I mean, what the heck? Something can’t be named Snickerdoodle and lack cream of tartar!
This time, I let the bars set in the fridge for almost a full day before I sliced them. The top crackled but the bars stayed cohesive–and my husband’s co-workers went bonkers over them, yet again.
This recipe makes a lot, too. The bars fill a 13×9 pan all the way to the top! Have a lot of containers handy, or keep them in the original pan with plastic wrap or foil over the top.
These Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars would wow a crowd at a holiday potluck! The leftovers keep well for days, too.
Modified from Shugary Sweets.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 8 ounces graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese 2 boxes, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Snickerdoodle layer
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Topping
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Line a 13x9 baking dish with aluminum foil so that it is covered on the bottom and all four sides; apply nonstick spray or butter. Set dish aside. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
- In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with pecans and sugar until everything is reduced to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until it clumps.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of prepared baking dish. A handy way to do this is to lay a piece of wax paper over the crumbs, then use a glass to compress the bottom crust. Form an even layer.
- Next, start the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour over the filling over the graham crust.
- Time for the cookie dough top crust! Clean up the bowl and use it to beat the butter with sugar for 2 minutes, until it's fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, flour, cinnamon, and cream of tartar. Use your hands to form flat pieces of dough to lay atop the cream cheese. Fill in the holes until you form a cookie dough lid.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon topping, and sprinkle that over the top layer.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cookie dough layer should be completely cooked and golden, even if the middle still jiggles a bit. The cheesecake bars will completely fill the pan.
- Remove from oven and cool completely. Once it's cooled, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or full a full day. THIS IS IMPORTANT. It will be delicious if you cut into it early, but it will also be a complete mess when cut!
- After the bars have had a long chill, cut them into bars and keep stored in fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
2016 Works for Award Consideration
It’s awards season! I have two works I am promoting this time around. Foremost is my novel Breath of Earth. It’s available for sale at all the usual places and is also found in many libraries worldwide.
I’m also asking readers to consider my story “The Souls of Horses” from Clockwork Phoenix 5. Ellen Datlow recommended this story on Twitter and it was also called out in a starred Publishers Weekly review of the anthology. The story can be read for free in its entirety online. If you’re a SFWA member, the PDF is available for download in the forums; look in the 2016 short stories section.
Thank you!
#SFWAPro
Read MoreGiftmas Wrap-Up: Donate to the Edmonton Food Bank!
Today is the final day of the Giftmas Blog Tour. Last Monday, I shared my Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge recipe to bring attention to Rhonda Parrish’s organized tour to raise funds for the Edmonton Food Bank. Please donate if you can! (Funds are shown in Canadian dollars.) 2016 has been a cruel year, and 2017 doesn’t look much better.
Let’s share some food and love.
Sunday Quote fetches her decaf tea
Read More“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
~ C.S. Lewis
LibCon West in Glendale, AZ on December 10th
The Glendale Main Library here in Arizona is hosting a full afternoon of events for teens on December 10th! It’s inspired by comicons, and will host vendors, crafts, panels, and a myriad of ways for teenagers to geek out. I’ll be there for a panel at noon alongside awesome authors Amy K. Nichols and Aprilynne Pike.
Read an article about LibCon or review the full schedule of events.
#SFWAPro
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