Sunday, September 11, 2011

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Pin It

So, it's that time again - football season!  And, not just regular old football, but Fantasy Football!  This is my 4th season, and I've won two Superbowls - last year, my winnings totalled $371 - not bad, no?  Unfortunately, I had the 10th round pick, and my team is less than stellar.  The husband had the 9th round, so he fared no better.  The bright moment of our draft?  Food, of course! (Not the best segue, but I'm still on my second cup of coffee.)
I made Creole jambalaya, jalapeno cornbread, and 7-layer taco dip, all adapted to be gluten-free.  The hit of the day, however, was turtle cheesecake.  This, too, was gluten free, as I used a nut crust, but you could certainly use the standard graham cracker crust.  I made the cheesecake in a 13x9 pan, because I wanted to serve it as a bar rather than a wedge, and it worked perfectly.  You can certainly use the traditional springform pan.
The husband and I both love cheesecake, and this recipe was just my standard cheesecake with the addition of caramel, pecans, and semi-sweet chocolate.  Hope you love it as much as we did!

Turtle Cheesecake
Crust
3 cups finely chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Filling
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Toppings
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 11-oz bag caramel candy, unwrapped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons milk, divided

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • Line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper, so that parchment extends over long side of pan.
  • In a bowl, mix crust ingredients together with a fork; press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. 
  • Bake crust for 20 minutes; while crust bakes, prepare filling.
  • Cream together cream cheese, yogurt or sour cream, sugar and vanilla.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  • After crust bakes, remove from oven and immediately sprinkle on 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Pour filling over chocolate chips and return to oven; bake for 50 minutes. 
  • Allow cheesecake to cool for about hour, then place in refrigerator to chill overnight.
  • When ready to serve, remove cheesecake from pan using parchment paper and place on serving platter, then prepare toppings:
  • Toast pecans in oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Unwrap caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl, along with 4 tablespoons milk.  
  • Microwave in 30 second intervals until caramels have melted and sauce is smooth.
  • Pour caramel sauce over cheesecake and immediately sprinkle on toaste and chopped pecans.
  • Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, along with 2 tablespoons milk, and microwave in 30 second intervals, about 2 minutes total. 
  • Stir until smooth and drizzle over caramel-pecan topping.
  • Allow chocolate to set before serving.


Linked to these terrific blogs - go visit them!
Let's Do Brunch

Blogger Tips - Get This Gadget



Posted by Louanne Bertrand at 09:30
Labels: , ,

29 comments:

  1. wow! I'm pinning this on my boards at Pinterest!

    ReplyDelete

  3. I think I can taste them - they look amazing!

    ReplyDelete

  4. Oh, my! These look gooey and delicious!

    ReplyDelete

  6. I'm gazing in awe at this decadent cheesecake! It's so dreamy Louanne! I love that you cut them into squares instead of doing the round pan.

    I nominated you for the 7 link project - you can find out the details on my blog. If you're too busy or don't want to do it that's ok - no obligation. xoxo

    ReplyDelete

  7. Wow, your Cheescake looks seriously good! Good luck with the Football season, hope you win more this year! :)

    ReplyDelete

  8. OMG That looks absolutely sinful!  I love it!  I love cheesecake & who doesn't love turtles!  Total NUMMY!  What a recipe to show up with at your ladies get together or with the holidays coming woo hoo! Love it! Thanks for playing along with us and sharing!  I'm your latest follower.  Nice to meet you & have a great day! Hope to see you next week too!

    ReplyDelete

  9. Mmm, this looks totally delicious!

    ReplyDelete

  10. Mmm, this looks totally delicious!

    ReplyDelete

  11. Thanks, Cathy!  They were so good!




    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  12. Thank you!  I love new followers, and it's great to meet you, too!





    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  13. Holy moly these have me drooling at my desk! I love all things turtle, and these bars I'm sure are no exception! Love your up-close shots... they seem so close that I just wanna take a bit outta the screen :)

    ReplyDelete

  14. Oh yum, Oh yum, Oh YUM!!  I came to see, because I'm a huge fan of turtle anything, and I thought it may be a recipe I could adapt to gluten free.  And you already did!!  You're my hero!  I'm a new follower, and I'm going to stumble this so I have it for a perfect time.  (Did you and your husband eat the whole thing?)

    ReplyDelete

  15. Thank you, and welcome!  I love new followers!  I'm sure we could have eaten ourselves silly, most of the fantasy football league were at our house, so everyone took part in the deliciousness :)  Enjoy! xo,

    Louanne

    ReplyDelete

  16. LOL, thank you!  They were so yummy!


    xo,
    Louanne

    ReplyDelete

  17. Oh my Louanne,
    You have outdone yourself with this recipe. Turtle Cheesecake Bars looks like an awesome treat! I can't wait to make this great recipe. Hope you are having a great week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

  18. Oh Louanne, these look SO yummy! What a sweet and delicious treat. Thank you so much for sharing your turtle cheesecake bars with Let's Do Brunch. I can't wait to try them! 

    ReplyDelete

  19. Thank you, April!




    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  20. This looks absolutely fabulous! I cannot wait to try this!
    I love to cook and try new recipes. Thank you for this
    wonderful dessert~mmmmmmmm! Vicki in Clarksville, Tn.

    ReplyDelete

  21. Hi Vicki!  Thank you - it was so good and gluten-free, too!
    x, Louanne




    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  22. These look so yummy. I think they will find there way to my Thanksgiving day dessert. thanks

    ReplyDelete

  23. Thanks, Eileen!  They are super delicious!

    x, Louanne

    ReplyDelete

  24. I made these last week and they ARE as delicious as they look. I am wondering if I did something wrong, as the nut crust fell apart very easily. Also, better to cut after putting the toppings on or before? I plan to take this to my office potluck and want a nice presentation. THAKS!

    ReplyDelete

  25. Thank you! I find they cut best after they've been chilled overnight. Also, be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so you can lift it out onto a cutting board. Then, carefully remove the paper. Dip your knife into very warm water before cutting, too. You can definitely cut them before you add the toppings, but I'd chill again to set the topping.

    x, Louanne




    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  26. Oh LOVE!!!!!   BTW - you can now buy Carmel in "dot" size. I found them in the baking section during December!  The Carmel melts evenly and is soooo delicious!  Also great for mixing into Cookie dough for awesome cookies!

    ReplyDelete

  27. Cool beans!
    Best, Louanne




    ________________________________

    ReplyDelete

  28. Hi, can you specify what kind of caramel candies you use in this recipe? I tend to have HORRIBLE luck with melting caramel candies. Thanks so much!!

    ReplyDelete

  29. I used caramel bits from Kraft. http://www.kraftbrands.com/caramels/products/default.aspx. When you melt them, don't forgt to add the milk and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds. Best, Louanne

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my kitchen! Thanks for leaving a comment!

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)