Taste of the Week: Sweetie Swirl Cheesecake Bars {for Valentine's Day, maybe?}

These cheesecake bars cut no corners when it comes to indulgence: rich raspberry-white chocolate swirl cheesecake–so creamy and decadent—blanketing a buttery, shortbread crust.  I read the recipe twice—real butter, cream cheese, sour cream, white chocolate.  But these sweet treats won’t break your calorie budget with their completely-worth-it 172 calories each (15g carbs, if you’re interested).  The secret here is clearly portion control.  Make sure you cut them into the 32 medium-sized bars the Women’s Day recipe suggests, before you take a bite!:)

Crust:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

4 oz. white baking chocolate

1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

2 bricks (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp red food coloring

1/4 tsp raspberry extract

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
   Spray a 13×9-in. baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In mixer bowl, beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Add confectioner’s sugar and salt; beat until fluffy (about a minute).  On low speed, gradually beat in flour just until blended.  Using your fingers, press mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
3. Bake 18 minutes or until golden.  Place pan on a wire rack; let cool.
4. Melt white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave.  Cool to room temperature.
5. Press raspberries through a fine strainer with a spoon.  You should have about 1/4 cup of puree.
6. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed 2 minutes or until creamy.  On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.  Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract, then flour, just until blended.
7. Stir 1 cup batter, the food color, and the raspberry extract into the raspberry puree.  Take out 1/2 cup of raspberry mixture and reserve.
8. Stir melted white chocolate into remaining batter.  Pour 1 1/2 cups white batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of remaining raspberry mixture, then remaining white batter to cover.  Top with small dollops of reserved raspberry mixture. Drag a knife through cream cheese mixture in circular motions to marble.
9. Bake 32-35 minutes until slightly puffed and set. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least one hour until firm.
10. Cut into 32 bars.

Source: Guilt-free Sweet Treats: a Woman’s Day Specials Publication…check it out!

Trust me, this is the perfect dessert for your sweetie!:)