colleenmomof2
Well-known member
Dh and I have been "cutting back," enjoying lots of fruit at dinner but no dessert (and we're dessert people!) So I messed up, bought too many bananas and felt compelled to make a banana cake. Fortunately (or not) it didn't turn out well - think it was the baking powder. Anyway... I had pulled a Cool Whip from the freezer to make a pineapple topping for the cake and after discarding the cake, I had to find a way to use the Cool Whip. And it turned out wonderful!
I started with mboley's Blueberry Crunch
http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=192089
but I changed the recipe so much to use what I had on hand, that the new concoction is really only similar - my notes throughout. I think that you can use other berries, cherries, peaches, plums, apples, and this will still be a wonderful dessert. Even make individual portions in foil cupcake liners! Great as a breakfast treat, too! Still tasty after 3 days!
Older son commented there was not enough filling (I made more topping than called for - so the filling is plentiful as written) and asked for more lemon (don't agree!). Younger son loved everything about the bars, especially the cinnamon graham cracker crust.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Make topping, crust, then filling. Chill everything, then combine.
Topping: (***I used 2 cups+ recently frozen Michigan blueberries, 1/2 cup blueberry jam, cinnamon to taste, sugar to taste (ended up being 2 TBS because the berries were sweet), several sprinkles of Penzy’s cinnamon sugar, lemon zest from 1 lemon, lemon juice from 1/2 lemon. Cooked, then thickened w/2TBS corn starch in 2 TBS brandy and 2 TBS lemon juice - from other 1/2 lemon)
Original topping recipe
3 T corn starch
3/4 c water
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups blueberries
Mix first 3 then add berries. Cook over med heat till thick. Cool then chill
Crust: (***I made graham cracker crust instead - 1 1/2 cups finely ground (9 sheets cinnamon) graham crackers, 1/3 cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, melted, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional - taste before adding). Press into 9x13" pan. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes - cool)
Original crust recipe
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 c brown sugar
1 stick melted butter
Mix and press in greased 9x13". Bake 350 for 15 min. Chill.
Filling (***I used 8oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip - maybe try 12 oz next time but I really liked the thicker texture, with 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond extract)
Original filling recipe
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
12 oz cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix and chill.
Spread chilled filling on cooled crust. Spread blueberry topping over filling. Chill and serve.
http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=192089
I started with mboley's Blueberry Crunch
http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=192089
but I changed the recipe so much to use what I had on hand, that the new concoction is really only similar - my notes throughout. I think that you can use other berries, cherries, peaches, plums, apples, and this will still be a wonderful dessert. Even make individual portions in foil cupcake liners! Great as a breakfast treat, too! Still tasty after 3 days!
Older son commented there was not enough filling (I made more topping than called for - so the filling is plentiful as written) and asked for more lemon (don't agree!). Younger son loved everything about the bars, especially the cinnamon graham cracker crust.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Make topping, crust, then filling. Chill everything, then combine.
Topping: (***I used 2 cups+ recently frozen Michigan blueberries, 1/2 cup blueberry jam, cinnamon to taste, sugar to taste (ended up being 2 TBS because the berries were sweet), several sprinkles of Penzy’s cinnamon sugar, lemon zest from 1 lemon, lemon juice from 1/2 lemon. Cooked, then thickened w/2TBS corn starch in 2 TBS brandy and 2 TBS lemon juice - from other 1/2 lemon)
Original topping recipe
3 T corn starch
3/4 c water
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups blueberries
Mix first 3 then add berries. Cook over med heat till thick. Cool then chill
Crust: (***I made graham cracker crust instead - 1 1/2 cups finely ground (9 sheets cinnamon) graham crackers, 1/3 cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, melted, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional - taste before adding). Press into 9x13" pan. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes - cool)
Original crust recipe
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 c brown sugar
1 stick melted butter
Mix and press in greased 9x13". Bake 350 for 15 min. Chill.
Filling (***I used 8oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip - maybe try 12 oz next time but I really liked the thicker texture, with 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond extract)
Original filling recipe
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
12 oz cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix and chill.
Spread chilled filling on cooled crust. Spread blueberry topping over filling. Chill and serve.
http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=192089