Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits, I could eat them every day. Also, I bake with them a lot not just during summertime but also in colder months. The sweet and tart flavors of red raspberries make them truly versatile. One of the things I learnt about them is that frozen raspberries is the best way to go when you want to keep them in your fridge for a longer period of time. We are just 2 people at home so sometimes we can’t eat fresh produce very fast, buying frozen fruit has been the solution to reduce waste and perfect to use for smoothies, salads, baked goods, garnishes etc.
When talking about fresh raspberries I totally recommend Washington Red Raspberries. In the cool, marine climate of the Pacific Northwest, Washington produces approximately 90% of the nation’s frozen red raspberry crop. They are picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen within hours of being harvested, locking in flavor and nutrition.
Why frozen raspberries?
* 80 calories per cup
* Excellent source of fiber
* One of the lowest in natural sugar content compared to other berries
* Available year-round
I decided to create cheesecake bars which are easy to make and perfect to use frozen raspberries during any time of the year. The crust is made with lemon cookies, the cheesecake filling has a touch of vanilla and white chocolate. The most important part is the raspberry sauce which gives the perfect final taste for each bite, tart and sweet at the same time. Decorate with frozen raspberries and enjoy!
Also, Washington Red Raspberry Commision would like to invite you all to participate in their #RazzYourBaking consumer challenge where you have a chance to win $500! Enter by sharing a picture of your creation on Instagram using #RazzYourBakingChallenge for a chance to win.
Contest ends July 31, 2022. Visit redrazz.org/razzyourbaking for more details on how to enter.
Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to watch the video of how I made these delicious treats, don’t forget to visit me on Instagram because I’ll be posting on my stories and a reel about them @pastry_tales
This post is sponsored by WRRC.
Yield one 8×8 square pan
Ingredients
For the raspberry sauce
2 cups Washington Red Frozen Raspberries (do not thaw)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
For the crust
8.5 oz. (about 241 grams) of lemon cookies, finely ground. I used lemon shortbread cookies that had lemon icing. You should get about 1 and 1/2 cups of cookie crumbs.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the cheesecake filling
16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
6 oz white chocolate melted and cooled. You can use chocolate chips.
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
For decoration
Directions
For the raspberry sauce
1.- In a small saucepan combine frozen raspberries and sugar. On medium heat cook both ingredients until raspberries softened and it turns into a sauce. Use a fork to smash raspberries. This process will take you about 5 minutes.
2.- In a small bowl and using a fine mesh catch all the seeds (you won’t use the seeds). Place this sauce in the fridge so it chills.
When the raspberry sauce is cold, make the crust and filling.
For the crust
1.- Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.- Line the bottom and sides of your baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
3.- In a bowl mix cookie crumbs with melted butter. Mix until it resembles wet sand.
4.- Pour this mixture into your prepared pan, pressing down carefully with the palm of your hands or using the bottom of a measurement cup.
5.- Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until the edges start to get a golden color. Take it out from the oven and let it cool.
For the cheesecake filling
1.- In a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat your cream cheese for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
2.- Add granulated sugar and keep mixing for another 3 minutes.
3.- Add in eggs one by one beating well after each addition.
4.- Add in vanilla, mix for 30 seconds. Add in melted chocolate and mix until everything is well combined for about 2 minutes.
5.- Finally, add the Greek yogurt and mix for another 2 minutes.
6.- Pour half of this cheesecake filling on top of the cooled crust. Then, using a spoon drizzle some of the raspberry sauce on top. Pour the other half of the cheesecake filling. And then spoon out more raspberry sauce on top and using a knife make swirls, do not be shy! Swirl a little, swirl a lot, it will look pretty!
7.- Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the edges are golden and a little puffy and the center is still a bit jiggly. Each oven works different so if your cheesecake is not done after 40 minutes, give it 5 more minutes. Remember that the center should not be runny.
8.- Take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Finally, place it in the fridge and chill for at least 3-4 hours before serving. If you leave it overnight, that is fine too.
9.- When ready to serve, take it out from the fridge, take out the cheesecake out of the pan and carefully cut it into 9-12 squares.
For decoration
I use frozen raspberries to decorate so I will give you the trick on how to achieve that “frozen” look without having that frost bite that is not very pretty.
First, you will grab some frozen raspberries. If they are sticked to each other, separate them with your hands and place them on top of a shallow tray (it can be a small baking sheet). Leave space between each raspberry. Place this tray into the freezer for a couple of hours. When ready to serve, carefully grab one by one and place it on top of each cheesecake bar. Do not use your hands for this because as soon as you touch them the “frozen” look will not work. I recommend using cooking tweezers or something delicate that you can grab them with.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe, let me know!
