Baking is a popular activity come the holiday season. Families may designate entire weekend afternoons to baking holiday goodies, and those efforts are much appreciated by the beneficiaries of all that time spent in the kitchen elbows deep in flour and confectionersÕ sugar. Cookies tend to be a go-to holiday treat, particularly in households with young children who want to leave out something homemade for the jolly old elf on Christmas Eve. But thereÕs also plenty of room to expand your horizons during holiday baking sessions with the family. A finished product like these ÒToffee Cheesecake BarsÓ from ÒTaste of Home Healthy Cooking CookbookÓ (RDA Enthusiast Brands) by the Taste of Home/ReaderÕs Digest Kitchens can delight guests and might even compel the man in the red suit to smile even wider come the night before Christmas.
TOFFEE CHEESECAKE BARS Makes 21/2 dozen •1 cup all-purpose flour
•3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
•1/3 cup baking cocoa
•1/2 cup cold butter
•1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese •1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
•2 eggs, lightly beaten
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 1/4 cups milk chocolate English toffee bits, divided 1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press in the bottom of an ungreased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until set.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the milk, eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup toffee bits. Pour over crust. Bake 18 to 22 minutes longer or until center is almost set.
3. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours overnight.
