RASPBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE BARS

CRUST:

1 1/2 (3/4 cup) sticks butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty foil and allow foil to extend 2-inches above pan on both ends.

Beat butter in a medium bowl with mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and salt, beat 1 minute until light and fluffy. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until blended. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the foil lined pan. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool.

FILLING:

4-oz white baking chocolate
1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
2 pkgs (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp liquid red food coloring
1/4 tsp raspberry extract

Melt white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave according to package directions. Cool to room temperature.

While chocolate cools, using a rubber spatula, press raspberries through a fine strainer set over a medium bowl. Discard seeds. You should have 1/4 cup raspberry puree. Set puree aside.

In a large mixer bowl, using medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes or until creamy. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat in flour just until blended.

Remove 1 cup of the batter and stir into the raspberry puree along with red food coloring and raspberry extract. Stir the white chocolate into the remaining batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the white batter over the crust; top with spoonfuls of the remaining raspberry mixture. Top with the remaining white batter to cover. Top with small dollops of the reserved raspberry mixture. Drag a toothpick through the dollops of raspberry mixture and top white batter to marbleize.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes until slightly puffed and set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. To serve, hold foil by the ends and lift to a cutting board. Cut into 4 equal rows lengthwise and 8 rows crosswise.

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