PHILADELPHIA CHEESECAKE BARS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine graham crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch square pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool.
• Refrigerate 3 hours.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, stir 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the egg yolk until mixture forms a ball. Pat about two-thirds of the dough on bottom only of 10-inch springform pan (with side removed) to make bottom crust 1/8 inch thick.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown around edge. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Attach side to pan. Pat remaining dough about 1 inch up inside of pan.
• In medium bowl, beat sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until blended; set aside. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in sweet potato mixture on low speed about 1 minute or until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spoon batter into crust in pan. Place springform pan in larger pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into larger pan to one-third the height of springform pan.
• Bake cheesecake about 1 hour 30 minutes, adding very hot water to larger pan as needed, until center is set.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Set Crumb Topping aside.
• Sprinkle Topping over cheesecake. Bake about 30 minutes longer or until topping is set. Remove from pan of water. Cool cheesecake 30 minutes. Loosen side from pan; remove. Refrigerate uncovered 3 to 4 hours or until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.