Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake Bars

You may not have noticed from my past posts, but I have a sweet tooth.  Actually, I think that every one of my teeth is a sweet tooth. I have read a lot lately about sugar detox and giving up sugar for extended periods of time.  I’m just gonna say right up front…ummmmm no. I applaud the discipline of those who are able to do it but I’m not even going to try. One of the greatest joys in my life is producing some delicious and sweet concoction.   In the past several years I have developed a special satisfaction when I can make something that someone special in my life really enjoys. Consequently, I always think of that person when I make that recipe again. It becomes their recipe, in my mind.  This is one of those recipes. In my mind, it belongs to my sister, Brenda.

First off, I must tell you that I did not develop this recipe.  It was on the side of a cake mix box many, many years ago. In fact, I still use the little piece of cardboard when I make these bars.  I have never bothered to write up a recipe card. I kind of enjoy pulling that tiny piece of box out and thinking about how old this recipe really is.  It is from a Betty Crocker cake so I must credit that company for sharing these wonderful bars with me. Aside from the cake mix you will also need a tub of cherry frosting.  Now, I must say that finding that frosting in my local stores was probably the most difficult part of this whole baking procedure. I finally found it, but I was a little panicked, thinking that I could never make these bars again.  

I first made these Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake Bars years ago for a family gathering.  I’m sure that most of my family members enjoyed them but Brenda’s reaction really stuck with me.  And so, they became her bars. I must admit that I put that little box panel away in my tin of recipes and forgot about it.  I have a really bad habit of trying new dishes all the time and so I don’t have time to go back to favorites as much as I should.  You know how some people are impulse shoppers (my hand is raised in acknowledgement here)? Well, I am an impulse cooker and baker.  It is kind of ridiculous but relatively harmless.

So, a few months ago, I was rummaging around in that old tin full of recipe clippings and found it again.  I put it with some other recipes that I wanted to make but didn’t get to it very soon. Finally, I had an opportunity to make treats for a family gathering and whipped them up.  They were just as good as I remembered and that is high praise coming from me because they are not chocolate. I have been known to say that a sweet that is not chocolate is just a waste of calories for me.  I will definitely make an exception for these. These bars have a slightly crunchy crust with a creamy, sweet cherry cheesecake on top and then a sprinkling of crunch as a finale. They are super easy to make with just a few ingredients and keep well in the refrigerator for days and days – if they last that long.  My prediction is that they will not. Just saying.

For these bars you will need 1 Betty Crocker SuperMoist cherry chip cake mix, ½ cup softened butter, 2 packages (8 oz. each) of softened cream cheese, 1 tub of Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy cherry ready-to-spread frosting and 3 eggs.  

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 13 X 9 inch pan with parchment paper.  

With a mixer, beat the dry cake mix and the softened butter on low speed until combined and crumbly.  Reserve 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.

Press the remaining crumbles into the bottom of your prepared pan firmly to form a crust.  Set aside while you prepare the cheesecake mixture.

To do that, wipe the bowl that you just used for the crust and use it to beat the softened cream cheese and frosting on medium speed until smooth. This takes about 2 minutes or so.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well-blended.

Pour this mixture over the crust.  

Sprinkle the reserved cup of crumbles over the top of the cheesecake mixture as evenly as possible.  You will not have enough to cover the top. There will be plenty of pretty pink creamy cheesecake showing. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center is set.  When you shake the pan, you want just a slight jiggle and no waves.  You can use the toothpick method to test as well. It is ok if there are some moist crumbs sticking to the toothpick.  You just don’t want liquid.

Cool the bars completely on the counter and then place in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours.  Once they are chilled all the way through you can use the parchment to lift the baked cheesecake from the pan and slice into squares.