Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars 

By: PAIGE FOSTER 

Staff Writer 

Ingredients: 

Crust: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar 
• 1 stick cold butter, diced 
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 large egg 

Carrot filling: 

• 1 cup carrot juice 
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp whole milk 
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 6 large eggs plus 4 additional egg yolks 
• 2 sticks (1 cup) of diced cold butter 

Walnut Crumble: 

• 2 tbsp butter 
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped walnuts 
• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar 
• 2 tbsp rolled oats 

No-Bake Cheesecake: 

• ⅓ cup heavy cream 
• 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (from appx. ½ of a lemon) 
• 1 tbsp sour cream 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions: 

1. For the crust, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment, leaving a two-inch overhang on 2 of the sides. 
2. Add the flour, confectioner’s sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon of cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and prick it all over with a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool slightly on a rack for 15 minutes. 
3. For the carrot filling, whisk the carrot juice, granulated sugar, milk, cinnamon, salt, whole eggs, and egg yolks in a saucepan over low to medium heat until the mixture is well combined. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and making sure the butter is melted before adding more. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, which should take 12-15 minutes. Strain the mixture if any lumps form, then pour into the crust and smooth with a spatula. 
4. Bake the crust and the filling together for 35-40 minutes, or until the curd is set. A small part in the center of the curd may still be a little jiggly, but the majority should not be. Once out of the oven, let cool for 30 minutes on a rack and then 30 minutes in the fridge. 
5. For the walnut crumble, microwave the butter in a small bowl until melted. Stir in the walnuts, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Microwave again for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool in the bowl until the crumble is slightly crunchy. This should take about 30 minutes. Then cover the bowl tightly and store at room temperature until ready to use. 
6. For the cheesecake, begin whipping the heavy cream once the carrot filling is chilled. Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl with a whisk until stiff peaks form and set aside. 
7. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. This will take 3-4 minutes. Then, reduce the speech to medium-low, add the lemon juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula. Make sure to avoid knocking the air out of the mixtures by mixing until just combined. 
8. Pour the batter on top of the curd filling and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover tightly and refrigerate until set, which should take at least 6 hours or can be left for a full day. 
9. Just before serving, sprinkle the walnut crumble on top and cut into squares. Serve cold. 

Source: www.foodnetwork.com