Molly’s Kitchen: Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Mark Bittman’s no-bake blueberry cheesecake bars are one of the best summer desserts I’ve come across (thanks noraleah!) Just a few ingredients, a couple minutes of prep time, and you’re golden.
Ingredients
- 16 graham cracker squares (8 whole crackers), crushed
- 1/4 cup ground pecans or walnuts, optional
- 4 tablespoons melted butter (i increased this from 3 because the graham crackers weren’t getting moist enough)
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature (i accidently bought whipped cream cheese, which possibly made my topping a little fluffier. Not a bad thing!)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- Rind of a lemon, freshly grated
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- OPTIONAL: No more than 1/8 cup of sugar if you want a sweeter filling, vs. cream cheesy tasting
Directions
- Combine crushed graham crackers, nuts if using, and melted butter. Press evenly into bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square pan (glass is good) to form a crust about 1/4-inch thick. Put in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Using a standing or hand mixer, or a whisk, combine cream cheese, ricotta, honey, lemon rind and salt, and blend until smooth.
- Spread cheese mixture carefully and evenly over crust, using a spatula or butter knife to smooth top. Cover with fresh blueberries and chill for at least an hour, or until set. (The second time I made this I only had a half hour to chill, and it definitely came out more like pudding.) Cut into squares or bars and serve.
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
