Lime & White Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake Bars

Money has been a little tight lately, but I've been working to ensure that pinching pennies doesn't mean that I have to cut back on my baking! I was looking for a recipe with the following qualifications (set by my boyfriend Joe and our friend Igor): few ingredients, something the equipment-poor kitchen at Joe's apartment could produce, not too much chocolate, and nothing too fancy. These cheesecake bars greatly exceeded expectations! They were gone within an hour of my offering them to the hoard of (five) young men who were currently occupying the apartment.

Lime & White Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake Bars

Adapted from Bon Appétit 

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. Lindt (or other high-quality) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 10 oz. of chocolate flavored Teddy Grahams
• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. whipping cream
• 8 oz. of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• optional garnish: white chocolate chips or curls, lime wedges, edible glitter

To Make:

1. Line 8x8 baking pan with foil so that some can fold over each side.
2. Use food processor to finely grind Teddy Grahams. Add 2 tbsp. of whipping cream to crumbs and pulse to combine. Firmly press Teddy Graham mixture into the baking pan, and store in freezer while making the filling.
3. Whip the remaining 1/2 c. whipping cream in medium bowl until it holds stiff peaks.
4. In large bowl, beat to combine cream cheese, sugar, and lime juice. Add whipped cream in 2 parts and stir until smooth. Fold in white chocolate. Smooth mixture over prepared crust and chill for at least two hours. Garnish before serving.

Some Notes:

• I wanted to serve the bars quickly, so I chilled the bars by freezing for one hour before serving. After that hour, I would keep the bars in the refrigerator to keep from ruining the texture of the filling.
• Garnishes are a personal choice. Be creative! I used white chocolate chips left over from another recipe and edible glitter (available in cake decorating stores) to make the bars more professional looking and magical!