Passionfruit Cheesecake Bars
Gifts from my Puerto Rican soil
Never have I ever heard the words “I’m tired of cheesecake bars”. So many ways you can mix and match your favorite flavors and textures to create your perfect cheesecake bars. They are super easy and fun to make too! What’s not to love about all that?! I went this time with passionfruit for a sour twist on these cheesecake bars recipe. Sadly, it’s so rare to find passionfruits from Puerto Rico around here that when I spotted them I knew I needed to take all that I could.
And they are such a surprise because I’m not used to finding passionfruits in the supermarket. Don’t you live in a Caribbean paradise Dev? You might think. And the answer is yes. But yet, I grew up in an era of my beloved island where agriculture was basically non-existent and regarded as an evocative chapter of a golden era. I grew up in a tropical paradise, with a very rich and diverse soil, from coast to mountain. To this day I haven’t tasted a coffee as good as the coffee harvested from the Puerto Rico mountains, which is strong, mellow and full bodied at the same time. Still, we wouldn’t find lots of local fruits and vegetables because agriculture was a dead industry.
But after the storm the sun comes up. And I’m not being poetic, I’m talking literally because it was after hurricane María that we collectively realized how much we needed to be dependent on our own sources of food. From that moment a new generation of farmers was born, maximizing technology and social media for their business efforts. So agriculture is now cool again!! I should have always been cool of course, but now it’s having resurgence within all of us.
One of the efforts of a foundation I’m collaborating closely with, “Fundación Triple-S” is to bring awareness on how important it is to support local growers to create a healthy community and healthy bodies as well with their campaign “Alimenta tu Cuerpo, Alimenta tu Alma, which translates to nourish your body and nourish your soul. This has to be the best collaboration!! Promoting eating delicious and wholesome recipes with local goodies if you are from town or encouraging you to add more tropical and Puerto Rican flavors to your table if your are not. You can check their Facebook page to see all the efforts they are doing.
And please, please, do yourself a favor a make these Passionfruit Cheesecake Bars ASAP!!
Recipe notes
Since it’s hard to find passionfruits around, I love to buy as much as I can. I love to make this mixture and store it in a jar to pour it over vanilla ice cream or a warm piece of pound cake. But technically you can make half of the passionfruit compote to swirl over these cheesecake bars.
Also, because I don't have a square spring form pan (if they even exist), I just cut two long parchment paper pieces and placed them crossing each other. That way I just pull up to take out the bars. Read the first paragraph of the steps to learn how I put this together.
These passionfruit cheesecake bars will be good for a few days if stored in the fridge on an airtight container. You can use the egg whites left from the cheese filling to make a smooth Italian meringue and scoop it on top with some extra passionfruit compote.
Passionfruit Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
◯ Graham Crackers – 15 whole crackers
◯ Raw sugar – 2 TBSP
◯ Butter, melted – 10 TBSP
Cheesecake Filling
◯ Passionfruit pulp – About 1 cup, the pulp of 4 to 6 passionfruits (see notes)
◯ Unbleached all purpose flour – 1 TBSP + 2 TBSP
◯ Cream cheese, at room temperature – 2 - 8 oz packages
◯ Raw sugar – ¾ cup
◯ Eggs – 2, large
◯ Egg yolks – 1, from large eggs
◯ Lemon juice – 1 TBSP, about the juice of half a medium lemon
◯ Vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract – ½ Tsp
◯ Italian meringue made with the egg whites left from the filling if desired to serve. (Cut recipe by half)
Details
Yield:
a 8” x 8” pan, about 16 squares
Total time:
50 minutes
Active time:
20 minutes
Equipment:
parchment paper, 8” x 8” square pan, food processor, stand or handheld electric mixer
Steps
To prepare your 8” x 8” pan:
Cut a piece of cold butter and rub the bottom and sides of your pan. Rub the outer sides as well. This will serve as “glue” to keep parchment paper on place.
Cut 2 - 8” x 16” parchment paper pieces (I use this unbleached parchment paper that is already cut in 12” x 16” sheets, so I just had to cut it 8” wide). Place one paper centered into the pan and press through the bottom and sides, inside and out. Rub some butter on the parchment paper area inside the pan and place the other piece of paper across. Again press the paper through the bottom, inside and outside the pan to seal it toward the pan. Spray some baking spray on the bottom and sides of your pan. Place it in the fridge.
To make the graham cracker crust:
Place the cookies and sugar in a food processor and pulse them until you have small crumbs.
With the food processor running start pouring the butter on a stream through the large lid hole of the food processor. Stop the motor and scrap down the walls and bottom of the bowl to redistribute the butter. Pulse again and repeat this process a few more times, until you press the crumbs and they hold its form. The butter should seem well distributed and the crumbs should look hydrated.
Transfer the crumbs to your pan and press them towards the bottom. You may use a small bowl or measuring cup with a flat bottom to press the cookie crumbs.
Set aside.
To make the passionfruit cheesecake bars:
Preheat oven at 425°.
Combine a bit of the pulp juice with 1 tablespoon of the flour to form a thick paste.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining pulp with the fruit paste. Cook in medium heat until it starts to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes. Retire from heat and let it cool down.
Either in the bowl of a stand up mixer and using the whisk attachment or in a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer with the beaters attached, beat in medium speed the cream cheese for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and mix for 1 minute, making sure there is no sugar on top of the bowl. Decrease speed to low and add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time. Add the remaining flour, lemon juice and vanilla paste, waiting a few seconds before each addition to allow each ingredient to incorporate well. Scrap the wall of the bowl between additions, if needed. Stop mixing as soon as everything is well incorporated.
Pour cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker layer. Gently spoon some of the passionfruit pulp mixture on different spots on top of the cheesecake batter. Do not need to use the whole mixture, just about 10 tablespoons. Using a chopstick or toothpick do some swirls. Bring pan to oven and bake for 5 minutes and then drop oven temperature to 275°. Bake for 30 minutes, until the mixture looks shiny and firm but a bit wobbly in the center. If it is too giggly in the center, bake it for 1 or 2 more minutes. Retire from oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Chill on the fridge for 6 to 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Pour extra passionfruit compote on top if desired before serving. You can also make Italian meringue with the egg whites left from the cheese filling.
