Spike the Eggnog Cheesecake Bars
Cheesecake bars on a sugar-cookie and vanilla-pudding crust, flavored with bourbon and nutmeg for a spiked eggnog effect, topped with caramel sauce.
Ingredients
| 1 pouch | pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (crust) | |
| 1 box | box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | packed brown sugar |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | butter, melted |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla |
| 1 | egg | |
| 2 packages | cream cheese, softened (8 oz each) (filling) | |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | sour cream |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | granulated sugar |
| 1 | egg | |
| 3 | egg yolks | |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | bourbon |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | ground nutmeg |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | caramel sauce (topping) |
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir Crust ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.
- In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining Filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.
- Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until set in center. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. Spread caramel sauce over cooled cheesecake bars.
- For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
- Pushing the cookie dough crust up the sides of the pan just 1/2 inch will ensure the filling doesn't seep below the crust to the bottom of the pan. However, be careful not to push the crust too far up the sides! The filling should cover the crust entirely, coming all the way to the sides of the pan before baking.
- Grating your own fresh nutmeg will give these bars the best possible flavor.
- To get clean cuts when cutting cheesecake bars, dip knife into hot water, and wipe blade with a towel after each cut.