Aged Havarti and thyme cheesecake bars

preparation

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment and set aside.

Crust:

2. For the Crust: In a food processor, blitz the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add the salt and process a little more.

3. With the processor running, drizzle in the melted butter and process until the mixture clumps together. Pour the mixture into the tin and press down firmly and evenly.

4. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Filling:

5. To make the filling, reuse food processor.

6. Add the flour, sugar, salt, Aged Havarti, thyme and lemon zest, and pulse a few times to combine everything and break up the Havarti.

7. Add the ricotta, lemon juice and vanilla, and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.

8. With the processor running, add eggs one at a time, processing a bit after each one.

9. Pour the mixture into your tins and bake for 30 minutes, until the outer edges are set but the center still jiggles a little. Turn the oven off, open it about halfway, and let it be for about 45 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

11. Cut into bars. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with fresh thyme and enjoy!