BLOODY CHEESECAKE BARS WITH BROKEN GLASS CARAMEL

Bloody Cheesecake Bars with Broken Glass Caramel image

Provided by Trisha Yearwood

Categories dessert

Time 8h25m

Yield 36 cookie bars

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

Two 17.5-ounce pouches sugar cookie mix (plus required ingredients)
2 tablespoons red gel food coloring, such as Americolor Super Red
Six 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Broken Glass Caramel, recipe follows
Raspberry Blood Sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
One 13-ounce jar raspberry preserves

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving excess paper on both ends to use as handles later on.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare the sugar cookie mixes according to the package instructions. Stir the food coloring into the cookie dough to create a bright red dough. Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared baking sheet. Bake until crispy around the edges, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake layer. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the beater attachment, whip the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Whip on high speed for 1 minute more to incorporate the ingredients.
Spread the cheesecake mixture over the cooled cookie layer. Use an offset spatula to make the top of the cheesecake very smooth. Tap the baking sheet against the counter several times to remove any air bubbles. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill the cheesecake until firm, at least 6 hours.
Lift the cheesecake out of the baking sheet, using the excess parchment paper as handles. Cut the bars into jagged triangles of various sizes (see Cook's Note) and place on a serving platter. Decorate the bars with pieces of Broken Glass Caramel and Raspberry Blood Sauce.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
Attach a candy thermometer to a heavy-bottomed pot. Pour the granulated sugar, light corn syrup and 3/4 cup water into the pot and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F, about 40 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow the caramel to cool until set, about 20 minutes.
Break the caramel into pieces to resemble shards of broken glass.
Put the preserves into a small saucepot over medium heat. Heat until the preserves melt into a thin syrup, about 3 minutes. Strain the syrup with a fine-mesh sieve; discard any seeds and pulp. The strained syrup is ready to be used as a "bloody" sauce for dessert. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.