Dessert
ably be gobbled up much sooner than that.
The number of berries required will vary based on which baking sheet size, and design, you choose. We used blueberries and raspberries to build the American flag motif. Seasonal strawberrieswould be aworthy redfruit substitute.
FLAGCHEESECAKE BARS
Makes enough tofill one half-sheetpan or two quarter-sheetpans
Make ahead: The bars need to be refrigerated a few hours tofirmup. Without the final application of berries, thebars can be refrigerated up to overnight.
16 tablespoons(2 sticks) unsaltedbutter, melted andcooled, plusmore for thepan 41/2cupsfinelyground chocolatewaters, such asNabiscoFamous(2 packages; fromabout 80wafers) 1cupchilledheavy
whippingcream 1poundcreamcheese, at
roomtemperature 8ouncesmascarpone cheese, at room temperature 2 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice(from1 lemon) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4cupconfectioners’sugar Freshblueberries, for
garnish (seeheadnote) Freshraspberries, for garnish (seeheadnote) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to grease the sides of a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine themelted butter and ground chocolate wafers in amixing bowl, stirring until evenly coated.
Press the mixture evenly over the bottomof the sheet and about halfway up the sides.
Bake (middle rack) for about 10 minutes, until the crust is slightly puffed. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, pour the heavywhipping creaminto the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with balloon-whisk attachment or into the bowl for a handheld electric mixer. Beat on high speed, just until firm peaks form. (Pull offthe whisk attachment or the beaters out and see how the creamlooks in the bowl and on the beaters. If it flops over, it needsmore time; if it holds its shape, you’re set.) Transfer the whipped cream to a container; cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Combine the cream cheese and mascarpone in the samemixerbowl (no need to wipe it out); use the mixer’s paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth andwell incorporated.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract; beat (medium speed) until smooth. Stop to add the confectioners’ sugar; beat on lowspeed until thoroughly incorporated.
Use a flexible spatula to gently fold in half the whipped cream. Lift the creamcheese-mascarpone mixture fromthe bottomof the bowl over the top of the whipped cream, rotating the bowl as youwork and trying not to deflate the whipped creamtoo much.
This folding stepwill help lighten the cheesemixture. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream. This is your filling.
Use an offset spatula or spoon to spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust. Decorate with the berries and refrigerate for a few hours to cool and firm up. If you are making the bars a day in advance, wait to apply the berries to avoid any pooling of juices.
Cut into squares and serve.
Serves 24. Per serving: calories: 310; total fat: 25 g; saturated fat: 14 g; cholesterol: 70 mg; sodium: 220 mg; total carbohydrates: 20 g; dietary fiber: 1 g; sugars: 11 g; protein: 3 g. FromWashington Post staff writer Becky Krystal; crust recipe adapted from“Gourmet Today: More Than 1000 All-NewRecipes for the Contemporary Kitchen,” edited by Ruth Reichl (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009).