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I didn't know how much I needed Biscoff cookies to be cheesecake crust until I made these cherry swirl Biscoff cheesecake bars. The spiced cookie crust is the perfect crispy base to a silky smooth, creamy, dreamy tangy cheesecake bar. Swirl in some fresh cherry compote and you've got cheesecake bar perfection. When you're craving cheesecake but don't feel like dealing with the hassle of a water bath situation, make these cheesecake bars.
Biscoff Crust
Biscoff cookies are crisp, delicate cookies that taste of deeply caramelized sugar, with a mixture of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. They're good. Like, really good. Their texture is similar to that of a graham cracker, and when pulverized and mixed with butter, they bake up to make a crust similar to a graham cracker crust - crispy, buttery and nutty.
For this recipe, Biscoff cookie crumbs are mixed with melted butter and a pinch of salt and pressed into the bottom of a 8" square pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
Cherry Compote Swirl
I've loved cherries in cheesecake since the days of no bake boxed cheesecake mix, which is the only cheesecake my mom made when we were growing up. For this recipe, I made a quick cherry compote to swirl into my cheesecake batter. You can use fresh or frozen cherries for this recipe. Make the compote in advance of making the cheesecake bars so that it has time to cool and thicken up.
Cheesecake Filling
The (not-so) secret of getting a silky, creamy cheesecake filling is room temperature ingredients. Stopping the mixer to scrape down the bowl every so often also helps to incorporate any unmixed ingredients, contributing to a smooth cheesecake filling.
Cream cheese and sugar are beaten together until smooth. This is the time to really make sure there aren't any big lumps of cream cheese. You don't want to go extra on beating the mixture after the eggs are added, so get that cream cheese smooth now. Add in the lemon juice, flour, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix just until combined. Give the bowl one final scrape and mix again for another minute to ensure everything is smooth and well blended.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled crust. Add teaspoonfuls of cherry compote over the cheesecake filling. Use a butter knife, or a skewer to gently swirl the compote throughout the cheesecake mixture, taking care to not scrape the crust under the cheesecake mixture. Bake the bars until there *just* a slight wobble in the center. Cool at room temperature for half an hour before chilling completely in the fridge.
If you these cherry swirl Biscoff cheesecake bars, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more cheesecake recipes, check out these posts:
Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies
Cherry Swirl Biscoff Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Cherry Compote
- 1 cup (160g) red sweet cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted and quartered
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Biscoff Crust
- 2 ¼ cups (191g) Biscoff cookie crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 8oz blocks (454g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (57g) sour cream, room temperature
Instructions
Make the Cherry Compote.
- Place the cherries into a small saucepan over medium low heat.
- Use the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up the cherries.
- Bring the cherries to a simmer/low boil for 5 minutes to further break down the cherries and release their juices, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Whisk the mixture into the cherries.
- Keep whisking while bringing the cherries back up to a low boil/simmer.
- Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature before using.
Make the Biscoff crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 pan with two pieces of parchment paper which extend over the sides to give you a ‘"handles" (this helps with removing the slice easily once it is set).
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, salt and butter.
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared 8" pan. Evenly spread out the cookie mixture along the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool completely while preparing cheesecake mixture.
Make the cheesecake filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat for another minute.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again, then add in the sugar. Beat until combined.
- Add in the flour, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat on low until combined, about a minute.
- Scrape the bowl. Add in the eggs, 1-2 at a time, beating until combined, scraping the bowl between additions.
- Beat in the sour cream just until combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan on top of the cooled crust, and use an offset spatula to evenly smooth out the batter.
- Spoon teaspoonful dollops of cherry compote on top of the cheesecake batter.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl the batter, avoiding the crust below the cheesecake batter.
- Bake the cheesecake bars for 40-45 or until the center just has a slight wobble.
- Cool the bars at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 4 hours or overnight.
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