Kitchen Guy’s Cheesecake Valentine Hearts Recipe

Ingredients

Topping:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup pecan pieces, chopped

Base:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Cheesecake:
2 8-oz. pkgs. Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Method

• To make the topping, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the vanilla and pecans and mix again. Set aside.
• To make the heart bases, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then gently blend in flour mixed with salt. Grease the bottom and sides of a glass pan and gently pat the dough into the pan. This will be a very thin layer. Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake 15 minutes. While the base is baking, prepare the filling.
• To make the filling, beat the cheese with sugar until creamy and well blended. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Remove the pan from the oven after 15 minutes. Pour cheesecake filling over the bar base, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-pecan mixture. Return to the oven to bake for about 25 minutes.

Turn the oven off and prop open the door a few inches while the cake fools for the first 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Once the cheesecake has cooled, you can slice it into bars, or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make very tasty Valentine treats. Serve with cherry sauce or fresh strawberries