New York-Style Cheesecake Bars

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There used to be a wonderful Jewish deli, not far from where I used to live, that had the most amazing meats, bread, and chicken salad. Sadly, as happens, the couple who owned it grew older and retired; I still miss it. Not so sadly, for those of you who love Jewish pastries as much as I do, the new book by author Beth A. Lee, The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook, has helped me get over my grief.

Loaded with one delicious, not-too-difficult-to-make recipe, after another, the cheesecake bars were calling my name. Easy to assemble, these will please the masses. Lemon lover that I am, I doubled up on the lemon zest to give it a lot more zing. To make them extra special, top each square with fresh fruit, a drizzle of chocolate, or fruit sauce (Instructions below; I used blueberry). Both book and recipe are keepers.

Any Fruit Dessert Sauce

1 c. any flavor jam
3 T. water

Place jam and water into a small saucepan and heat, stirring, over low/medium heat until it becomes “saucy.” If you want it runnier, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Nothing is easier, and this makes any dessert company worthy.