Chai Cheesecake Bars Recipes

CHAI CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. For the crust, whisk together flours, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Combine melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture and fold in until incorporated. Use a piece of parchment paper lightly coated with nonstick spray to press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust for 18 minutes, until golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Place chocolate in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until glossy and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Place cream cheese and yogurt in afood processor and process until combined. Add sugar, spices, salt, and egg; process until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly. Dollop cooled chocolate by teaspoons over cream cheese layer and swirl together with a toothpick or wooden skewer; gently tap pan once to remove air bubbles.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack; cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board; use a sharp knife to trim away raised edges, then cut into bars. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE CHAI CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square pan; line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang over two of the edges.Combine cookies and salt in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Drizzle over melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Place in freezer to set while you prepare the filling.In a food processor or the bowl of a stand mixer, pulse room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary to be sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Mix in vanilla.Whisk spices together with salt and flour, then sprinkle over cream cheese mixture and pulse once or twice to blend. Drizzle in melted and cooled chocolate and pulse until just incorporated.Pour batter into cooled crust, spreading into an even layer. Tap on the countertop once or twice to level it out and get rid of any large air bubbles. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes or until the center of cheesecake is set but still barely jiggly. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature before topping with ganache (you can also refrigerate it overnight before topping).For ganache, place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble around the edges (do not let it boil). Pour cream over chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds, then slowly whisk, working in concentric circles starting in the middle, until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Add corn syrup, slowly whisking until incorporated and smooth.Pour glaze over top of cheesecake, spreading to edges with an offset spatula. Let set at room temperature for about 1 hour, or refrigerate for at least 20 minutes until glaze is set. Refrigerate until ready to serve.To slice and serve, use the parchment overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and slice into squares (use a large chef's knife, run it under hot water to warm it up and wipe it clean between each slice). Serve chilled or at room temperature. Bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

VANILLA CHAI CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place yogurt in a strainer lined with a coffee filter and set over a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes to allow liquid to drain. Discard liquid and set yogurt aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine gingersnap cookies, amaretti cookies, and butter in a bowl; mix well. Press crust into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Remove crust from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool completely.
• While crust cools, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in yogurt. Pour filling into the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is set on sides but slightly shimmers in center, about 50 minutes.
• Let cool completely and remove from pan. Serve with caramel sauce.

CHAI CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leaking. Spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press in bottom of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cool crust 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in microwavable measuring cup, microwave 1 cup whipping cream on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes or just until it begins to boil. Place tea bags in hot cream; let stand 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Remove tea bags from cream and squeeze extra liquid from tea bags; discard bags. Stir cream and orange peel into cream cheese mixture until well blended. Pour filling over crust.
• Bake at 300°F 55 to 65 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• To serve, run small metal spatula around edge of pan; carefully remove foil and side of pan. In chilled medium bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread over cheesecake. Garnish with orange peel twists. Cover; refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.