EggNog Cheesecake Bars - Church PotLuck Dessert

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These are indeed special.  They taste DELICIOUS with a hint of Christmas season in every bite.  Always appropriate for any Church PotLuck meal (or your dessert table) all year round as Charles Dickens through Ebenezer Scrooge advised us all, "I will honor Christmas in my Heart and try to keep it all the year".

Just a couple of notes... I made this for a Labor Day BBQ.  I wanted to serve something chilled.  It was a big hit and everyone raved.  BUT, I did use some fresh made spiked EggNog in the recipe.  Meaning there was a slight hint of Bourbon in the nog.  No problem at my backyard, but could be an issue if you are indeed making this for a church PotLuck.  The alcohol does cook out even though there is far less alcohol in the Bourbon than if you used the same amount of vanilla extract (which is about 70 proof).  So, if serving this in church, either use "virgin" EggNog or simply don;t tell.  Like I said, the alcohol cooks out.

As to the nog, I have to be honest, I make these all the time.  In the past I guess I only made them close to Christmas since I used a carton of store bought nog.  This time since I was making them in early September I found out that EggNog is not available at any of the three stores I normally shop at.  So I made my own and for the first time I added the bourbon to the EggNog before mixing into the filling.  I have also made this with store bought nog and no booze at all.  Different taste, still good though.

All in all, you will LOVE these bars!

OK... Here's what I did...

EggNog Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Vanilla Wafer Cookies
• 1-1/2 Cup PLUS 1/3rd Cup Sugar
• 1 Stick (8 TBS) Butter
• 4 Bricks (32 Ounces) Cream Cheese, allowed to warm to room temperature
• 6 Large Eggs... ONLY 4 Whole Eggs and Just the Yolks of 2 Eggs
• 1-1/2 Cups EggNog
• 4 TBS Flour
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
• 2 Pinches Salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a food processor, crush the vanilla wafers add 1/3 Cup sugar and cut in the butter until well mixed. Will look like tiny pebbles.
3. In a non stick sprayed 9X11 Baking Dish, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form the crust. Let cool
4. Bake until crust is just browning around the edges, about 12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1-1/2 Cup Sugar, 4 Whole Eggs, 2 Egg Yolks, EggNog, Flour, Vanilla, Nutmeg and Salt: Beat until silky smooth
6. Pour the filling mix over the crust.
7. Set pan in a high edged baking sheet. Add enough hot water to cover up to about 1/2 the side. This will help prevent the top of the cake from cracking.
8. Bake until set for 1 Hour
9. Remove from water bath and allow to cool for 45 minutes
10. Transfer to a refrigerator and allow to cool for several hours before cutting into bars. Cut with a knife dipped in HOT water.
11. Serve Chilled and ENJOY!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Cakes and Pies at Home"!

These are the desserts you make for your family.  No fancy amazing wedding cakes, just the rustic beauty of the classics.  From pumpkin pie to cheesecakes to layer cakes, these are what your family craves for dessert.  You may even see a few unusual crusts and frosting ideas to try.

You get the idea. These recipes are simple, delicious and will have your family wanting dessert first...

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And,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook COOKIE, BARS and TRUFFLES"!!!

Old school like classic criss cross peanut butter to new takes on interesting recipes like a beautiful Red Velvet with the cream cheese mixed inside the cookie, accented with white chocolate chips!  Even a Pineapple Cream Cheese EASY Bar with only 5 ingredients! 

Stop on by, there's always a new cookie in the cookie jar!

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I LOVE to serve something sweet and creamy like a do ahead cheesecake at a backyard BBQ.  Do ahead and a crowd pleaser!  So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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This recipe has also been added to my growing list of
"52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...


Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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