Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Bars Bon Appetit Recipes

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE BARS (BON APPETIT)

Steps:

• FOR CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated.
• Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
• FOR FILLING: Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust.
• Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.
• FOR GLAZE: Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly.
• Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). (DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In heavy small saucepan combine 1/2 cup cream and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to moderate, steady boil. Boil, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Refrigerate.
• In small mixing bowl beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and flour on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon cream, vanilla and peel. Beat until combined. Add egg, beating until just combined.
• Pour into crust. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with half of brown sugar mixture. Gently swirl with knife. Bake at 350* for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Before serving, in small saucepan cook and stir remaining brown sugar mixture over low heat until warm. Cut cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle with warm brown sugar mixture.

CUBAN DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Place cookies in bowl of food processor. Pulse 30 seconds, or until finely ground. (Or, place cookies in zip-top bag and using the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound cookies until finely crushed); transfer cookie crumbs to bowl (there should be about 2 cups). Add butter, stirring until combined. Transfer cookie mixture to 9" spring form pan. Using your fingers, press cookie crumbs evenly onto bottom and sides of pan. Bake until firm and fragrant, 7 - 10 minutes; cool.
• 2. In bowl of electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add condensed milk; beat until smooth, 1 minute. Beat in eggs, vanilla and 3 tablespoons dulce de leche until combined, 3 minutes. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake until golden brown and set, but still wiggly in the middle, 45 - 55 minutes. Turn off oven; partially open oven door. Let cake sit in oven until room temperature, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to refrigerator; cool completely, at least 4 hours.
• 3. Remove cheesecake from pan. Place remaining dulce de leche in zip-top bag. Using scissors, snip small hole in corner of bag. Applying even pressure on "pastry bag," make swirly designs on top of cake; slice and serve.

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a large bowl, combine cookie crumbs, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk, flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust.
• Pour dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at 50% power until softened. Drop dulce de leche by tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
• Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inches of hot water to larger pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.
• Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chips; stir until smooth. Stir in chili powder. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk dulce de leche and hot water until smooth; drizzle over cheesecake. Yield: 16 servings.
• Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Nestle La Lechera dulce de leche; look for it in the international foods section. If using Eagle Brand dulce de leche (caramel flavored sauce), thicken according to package directions before using.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE (BON APPETIT)

Steps:

• To prepare 1 cup of Simple Berry Jam in advance, add the juice of 1 medium lemon or the juice of half an orange to a medium saucepan. It adds a nice citrusy flavor to the jam. Place a couple of small plates in the freezer. Wash, hull and halve 1 POUND OF FRESH STRAWBERRIES. Add to saucepan. Add 1 CUP OF SUGAR to the saucepan. Stir together over medium heat, boil for 20-25 minutes, until thickened. To check if the jam is set, remove one chilled plate from the freezer and spoon a small dab of the mixture onto it. Give the jam about 30 seconds, and push it with your finger. If it wrinkles, its set and done; if it moves about on the plate, it needs to be boiled a bit longer before you test it on the other plate. You'll also know the jam is done when it reaches 210*F/100*C on a candy thermometer. When the jam is set and done, remove it from the heat and stir in 1 TABLESPOON OF COLD SALTED BUTTER CUT INTO SMALL PIECES. Skim off any foam from the surface with a metal spoon, then pour the jam into clean heat-safe containers or jars. The jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. VARIATIONS: For Raspberry Jam: Decrease the amount of raspberries to 2 cups and add 1 tablespoon of strained fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon of finely grated orange zest to the berries when stirring them with the sugar. Do the same for Blackberry Jam, but simply increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.
• To make the CRUST: Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450*F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, nuts, vanilla and salt. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, using your hands or the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to compress the crust. Put the pan in the freezer.
• To make the FILLING and TOPPING: In a large bowl using a hand held mixer (I find this works better for the job, rather than a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest and orange zest on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters to make sure there's no lumpy cream cheese in sight. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla all at once, mixing until smooth and the eggs are well incorporated. Mix in the sour cream until just incorporated.
• Remove the crust from the freezer, put on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap the sides of the pan with aluminum foil. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and put the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the top is puffed.
• Lower the oven temperature to 225*F and bake until the cake is mostly firm but still slightly wobbly in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. (If the cheesecake is not done after 45 minutes, check it every 5 minutes or so until it is.) Once the cheesecake is done, remove it from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature in the pan. Cover and refrigerate it for 8 HOURS before topping.
• To make JAM TOPPING: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the jam with 1 teaspoon water until it is pourable. Let it cool to room temperature and pour over the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator until the jam topping is set before serving and topping with the fresh berries. Do not place the fresh berries on top longer than a day in advance of serving.