Strawberries and Cheesecake Chocolate Bars

April showers bring May flowers. Or so they say.

For me they brought mud.

Highly attractive to kids.

I know, because it is ALL OVER THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE!

Yep, the back of the house has artistic splatters of mud on it.

Authors: my two daughters.

Effect: pissed off mom, laughing Husband and happy kids.

I was never a play-in-the-mud child.

I saw this as a virtue of sorts. Or maybe it was my fear of bugs and all creepy-crawlies that live in the ground.
I do not fancy these, you know. :)

But apparently, mud is fun! It makes you "cool" to have it all over your feet and hands. It has this magical abillity to attach to surfaces it is thrown onto.

So I made something pretty. In my kitchen. With strawberries and cheesecake.
Maybe not artistic and original, but delicious!

The chocolate layer is rich and muddy fudgy, not cakey at all. A perfect base for a creamy cheesecake layer topped with sweet strawberry conserve. 

Strawberry Conserve

16 - 20 medium size strawberries, cleaned, hulled and chopped
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
4 Tbsp water

Combine the strawberries with water in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle with sugar.
Cook until berries are soft and release juice.
Cook 15 minutes on medium-low.
Cool completely. Drop by tablespoon over the cheesecake layer. Gently spread with the back of your spoon but do not cover the cheesecake layer completely.

source: Bon Appetit Magazine June 2011

Chocolate Layer

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract

Lightly grease or spray with cooking oil a 13" x 9" baking dish. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, sugars, cocoa powder, soda and salt ).
Add butter, egg and vanilla and mix with a wooden spoon, until it all comes together and forms a dough.
Pat the dough onto the bottom of your baking dish.

Make cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake layer

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
4 Tbsp coffee creamer
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp milk

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and creamer and beat for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and yolks, beat until smooth. Add milk and beat until combined.
Spread over the chocolate layer.

Bake in 350 degrees oven for 30-35 minutes, until the cheesecake layer appears set and is light brown.

I recommend making more of the strawberry conserve to enjoy on toast. It is much easier and faster to make than a jam.


Did you like to play in mud as a child?

xoxo,