Huckleberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

By Hklbrries

"Separately, shortbread and cheesecake are rich. Together, they form an intoxicating indulgence. Add huckleberries to that combination and you have something absolutely heavenly," the Hesters wrote.



"I was just starting to dream about my own huckleberry pursuits this summer, when Alex and Stephanie Hester's new book landed on my desk.

Their 'Huckleberry Cookbook' just made me start to wish those little berries would ripen faster.

The Montana authors compiled all of their favorites into the gift-sized cookbook. They've spent many hours picking berries themselves and preparing the dishes in the book, according to the news release."

Lorie Hutson

Ingredients

• For the Shortbread Crust:
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the Cream Cheese Topping:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup huckleberry preserves

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor, combine butter, flour, brown sugar and salt. Process until mixture begins to take shape, forming small lumps. Gently press mixture onto the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan until evenly covered. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until golden. While baking, prepare cream cheese topping.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth (about 1 minute). Beat in eggs one at a time. Add sugar and vanilla. Remove 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture and add huckleberry preserves. Pour the plain cream cheese mixture onto the cooled crust. Spoon dollops of huckleberry cream cheese mixture onto the plain cream cheese mixture. Use a knife to swirl the plain and huckleberry mixtures together. Bake on center rack at 350 F for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into bars. Refrigerate to store.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
210 calories
13 g fat (8 g saturated, 54 percent fat calories)
3 g protein
22 g carbohydrates
54 mg cholesterol
Less than 1 g dietary fiber
113 mg sodium