Jalebi Cheesecake Bars

“Go where your energy is reciprocated, celebrated and appreciated.”

Whew, I am so glad I am getting this recipe out in time for Thanksgiving for you guys. I must say – it took every bit of my energy to bake these bars after work Friday night, set up a shoot for the bars Saturday morning, edit the pictures, write up the recipe and post it all this weekend!

I literally had to push myself Friday night to attempt this concoction, but boy oh boy am I sooooo freaking glad I did! That feeling of having a vision and executing it, simply drives me.

If you are going to make one recipe this thanksgiving, please make sure it is this one! No really – that energy I used up can not be in vain LOL.

All joke aside – I assure you this will be a crowd pleaser. It has all the tastes of a fusion cheesecake that you will love and your family will love.

Hope you all have a safe and amazing holiday week with your loved ones!

Jalebi Cheesecake Bars

Bits of sweet Jalebi pieces and hint of saffron come together in these creamy and oh so smooth cheesecake bars

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 bars

Ingredients

For Crust:

• 24 Parle G Biscuits
• 3 tbsps butter melted

For Cheesecake:

• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tsps rose water
• 2/3 cup ricotta
• 2 tsps cardamom
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 7 jalebis + syrup crushed and finely chopped up, or roughly a 1/4 pound if getting from an indian sweets store, ask for a little syrup in the box
• 1.5 tsps saffron

For garnish

• 3 jalebis crushed, for topping, more if you want to use whole jalebis on top of the bars

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 9×13 inch glass pyrex with aluminum foil, allowing two of the sides to overlap (creating an overhang on two sides so you can use that to lift the cheesecake out of the pan). Lightly spray with a baking spray.

2. For the crust: In a food processor, pulse the biscuits until a fine powder forms. Add in 1 tbsp of melted butter at a time and continue to pulse until the crumbs start to stick together. (To melt the butter you can microwave the butter 1 tbsp at a time for 60 seconds) By the time you add in the last tbsp of butter, the crumbs should be sticking together. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pyrex pan. Use your hands and a spoon to press down on the crumbs.

3. For the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. (About 4-5 minutes). Next add in rose water and beat again for 30 seconds. Then add in ricotta and cardamom. Beat again for ~1 minute. Slowly add in one egg and at a time and continue to beat, until all ingredients are incorporated. Lastly add in the jalebi pieces with the syrup they came in and saffron. Beat on low speed just until all the jalebi pieces have incorporated into the batter.
4. Pour the batter over the crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes (my oven took 45 minutes). When done, the filling will be set around the edges with the center slightly jiggly. The cheesecake will continue to cook as it cools. Remove bars from oven and cool at room temperature for 40 minutes. Refrigerate until cold for at least 5-6 hours or preferably overnight.
5. When ready to cut the bars, use the overhand to lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Cut into squares, wiping the knife with a damp cloth in between cutting. Refrigerate until ready to serve!
6. Serve with some crushed jalebi pieces on top if desired.