Firework Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Inspired by fireworks in the sky – swirls in a cheesecake bar.

Cheesecake, while being a top tier dessert, in it’s typical cake shape while easily sliced is not stackable and snack-able. These cheesecake bars require no silverware, or plates and are poised to be staked upon the edges of a charcuterie board or a plate on their own at the dessert table.

The swirl. Do not be intimidated by the swirl! Swirling in flavors is simple way to elevate the appearance of a baked good while elevating the flavors. All that is necessary to ensure the swirliest swirl is:

  • A teaspoon
  • A skewer or toothpick

Swirl Tips:

  1. Dollop a teaspoon of blueberry and or cherry mixture into the cheese cheesecake.
  2. Alternatively dollop blueberry or cherry mixture throughout entire cheesecake leaving approximately 3/4th an inch between each dollop. The key is to have the dollops not so close together that the colors bleed, but not too far away that you cannot distinguish the two.
  3. Take the pointy tip of skewer and swirl one dollop at a time. Start from the most concentrated part of the dollop and move the swirl into the surrounded plain cheesecake mixture.
  4. Alternate shapes. Alternate shapes when swirling dollop to create complexity of shape.
  5. For this recipe, I tried to prevent the cherry & blueberry mixtures from mixing as much as possible to preserve the “firework effect” of each different color.

The Graham Cracker “crust” is crucial to the structural integrity of these bar. Best of all it does not require the tedious but worth while process of crumbling the graham crackers and mixing with other ingredients. Simply layer the entire graham cracker at the base of the baking pan.

Firework Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

8 oz of cream cheese (softened)

1 cup of fresh herries (pitted) & blueberries

1 cup of sugar (separated in half)

2 cups of water (separated in half)

1 cup of confectioner’s sugar

1 TSP of milk

1 egg

1 TSP of vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 box of graham crackers

Blueberry & Cherry Compote:

Complete this portion of the recipe once for the blueberry and cherry compote.

  1. Add blueberries or cherries into a medium pan.
  2. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.
  3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
  4. Lower to medium-low heat so mixture is at a low simmer.
  5. Simmer until mixture thickens and sticks to the back of a spoon without being too runny.
  6. Remove from heat and let cool.
  7. Once cooled, add to food processor to fully incorporate.

Cheesecake Bars:

  1. Heat oven to 350.
  2. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
  3. Layer full graham crackers filling up the baking pan to be as full as possible.
  4. In a bowl combine softened cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, egg, vanilla, pinch of salt & milk. Mix until fully incorporated. Use your discretion to add a touch more of milk to make the mixture less lumpy.
  5. Slowly layer cheesecake mixture on top of graham crackers. Be careful to not disrupt the graham cracker’s arrangement.
  6. Swirl in cherry & blueberry compote. See above swirl tips for perfect swirling.
  7. Place in oven and make for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick is clean upon sticking the center of the cheesecake.
  8. Let cool, cut , serve & enjoy.