Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

As you can see, this is a well decorated platter with just an 8x8 inches of simple cheesecake bars...a total of 4 large pieces, with the ends trimmed off, but every thing is in the "decoration"...the "presentation"...otherwise, it would be just a simple Cheesecake Bars, if not for the above mentioned...and of course, most important, the "platter"...Originally, I was going to do the next guest post for Lora's blog, with this easy dessert, but she is home now, from her huge surgery, and is getting her strength back little by little. I was at her house making this dessert, and both Teresa, and her husband Domenico kept asking me..."che fai?" What are you doing? ...because I was trying to uplift my photography skills, by enhancing the shots, at every different angle. It certainly helps when you have a nice camera, and a pint of gorgeous fresh, and perfectly ripened strawberries.

Instead of having the glaze on top of the overturned strawberry slices, I added the jam glaze directly on the cooled cheesecake bars, and sprinkled powdered sugar over the top of the strawberries, overlapping on the cheesecake, and on the platter...within a few minutes, the strawberries get their own natural glaze, just from the sugar...the rest is "trick photography!"...my theory...you aim, shoot, and hope for the best!

Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
my own recipe

For the Crust:
2 cups of vanilla wafers ground
1/4 cup butter (1 stick) melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the wafers in a food processor to make 2 cups. Add sugar, and grated orange, stir in the melted butter, just to moisten evenly, and press into a large non-stick tart pan, with a removable bottom.
Use a large soup spoon to press down, and not with your fingers, or hand, (so butter does not get too pressed into the crust) Also, do the same on the sides of the tart pan. Bake crust for no longer than 15 minutes, and follow the topping, and filling process.

Filling:

8 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
(at room temperature)
1 cup of sour cream (at room temperature)
7 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and let it overhang about two inches. Spray the bottom with cooking spray. Mix the cookie mix with the butter and sugar, and pat down into the baking pan with about an inch around the sides. Mix the filling ingredients in a food processor, or blender for about a minute or two till blended and creamy, and pour the filling right over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and lower the temperature to 325degrees and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes till it gets a little color on the top. Cool, and glaze with melted strawberry jam. Just heat about 1/4 cup of strawberry, or other seedless berry jam, adding the juice of 1 lemon. Spread on cooled bars. Let it chill, and lift out from pan for easy cutting. Garnish with fresh berries. Such an easy, and delicious cheesecake bars, with or without berry topping. It is more dense, than actual cheesecake, but the same taste, especially with the glaze, and topping. Enjoy!

I'm linking this to: Swathi-Hearth and Soul Hop #43

The way I took this photo was to go outside the patio at my daughter's in the late afternoon, not too strong of a sun, and canape cover on top, of patio for nice shade...hanging plant...plate in left hand, and somehow I managed a nice shot. Also, I zoomed the shot in, as well!

You can see the yummy glaze right on top of the cheesecake and not on top of the strawberry slice, which was turned over on the opposite side, which is just as decorative, and artistic if you would leave it whole, cut in half, and glazed...either way, nothing "beats" gorgeous and ripe strawberries, for visual, and tasty effect. Also, notice, fork is on the right side...as opposed to the left side which most people have when they do a close-up shot. It just tells you that I'm right handed, like most people are!

On a lighter note: I will leave you with more photos from my favorite place in our city....within a city, called
City Place
This fabulous gelato shop..Italy, Italy...grandson Luca, already enjoying his gelato...Lora with "black bag" standing in line...her f-in-law Domenico gazing at the many different sweets and gelatos...now, you can enjoy a nice snack, lunch or dinner outside, on the red chairs, with actual white and red linen table cloth lined elegant tables.

Pre-set desserts lined up, and disappearing in no-time...at all!

My choice was the lemon, and raspberry gelato in a cup...every one in the family looking at me all bewildered because they give you such a huge portion...enjoyed every bite of it, so smooth...not too sweet, and so different and much lighter than regular ice cream. My second favorites are the sorbets...Yumm!