The secret to a really good cheesecake or pie is in the crust. It is the base – the foundation – of all good things. Just like pizza – you can’t have a good product without first developing the dough and the groundwork for all the goodstuff. And, I suppose, this is just like life. The bedrock of our being creates our well-being.
Enough said. This cheesecake bar recipe has an amazing “bedrock” crust of butter biscuits, a layer of bourbon toasted pecans, creamy apricot “well-being” feeling, and a garnish of fresh apricot flowers. Yum!
Apricot Bourbon Butter Biscuit Cheesecake Bars
Crust:
8 Tbs. butter, melted
1 sleeve butter biscuit cookies, processed into a fine crumb
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the melted butter and crumbs, stirring well.
Transfer to a parchment lined cheesecake pan or quick release square pan for bars.
Bake for 15 minutes, until just beginning to brown.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Bourbon Pecans:
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 Tbs. bourbon
Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a large skillet, stirring frequently, until aromatic. Glaze with the bourbon and carefully cook until the liquid has evaporated.
Sprinkle over the top of the butter biscuit crust.
Creamy Apricot Filling:
13 oz. Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves
8 oz. cream cheese
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt
fresh apricots, thinly sliced
Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
As the crust and pecans cool, whip together the filling ingredients (minus the fresh apricots) until silky smooth.
Pour the filling over the pecan topped crust.
Bake for at least 2 hours on low heat, checking every 30 minutes or so – carefully. You will know the cheesecake is done when a golden dome just begins to form and the center is completely set with just a tiny wiggle of the pan.
Remove from the oven and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Thinly slice fresh apricots and garnish the top before slicing.
