Recipe: Raspberry Cheesecake Squares (baked in a baking sheet, makes 65 squares)

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE SQUARES

FOR THE PASTRY:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pound sweet butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups walnuts
FOR THE FILLING:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
Zest and juice of one lime
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
GARNISHES:
10 lemon leaves
1 pint fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE PASTRY:
Put the flour, sugars, butter, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife blade and pulse 8-10 times, until the ingredients resemble coarse cornmeal and remain crumbly. (Do not overprocess.) Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the crumbs.

Place the remaining crumbs in the middle of a 15 -by-10 -by-1-inch baking sheet. Press the mixture with your fingertips until it evenly covers the bottom of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside at room temperature while you make the filling.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, zest and lime juice and vanilla and almond extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the raspberry jam over the cooled pastry shell. Pour the cream-cheese filling evenly over the jam, and sprinkle with the 1 1/2 cups reserved pastry crumbs.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cheesecake to room temperature.

FINISHING TOUCHES AND TABLE PRESENTATION:
Cut the cake into 1 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch squares. Arrange the squares on silver trays or in flat baskets, garnished with the lemon leaves and clusters of fresh raspberries.

Makes about 65 squares
Source: Invitation To Dinner: Abigail Kirsch s Guide to Elegant Entertaining and Delicious Dinners at Home by Abigail Kirsch with David Nussbaum