Here’s a delicious recipe that is perfect for all those holiday gatherings you’ll share with friends and family…unless COVID keeps you socially distanced. Whether you share these with a crowd, or enjoy them in the comfort of your own home, this dessert combines some of your favorites into one tasty treat.

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Line a 9X13 pan with buttered parchment paper that comes up the sides, so you can easily remove the finished dessert for easy cutting later. This recipe has several stages: crust, crust topping, cheesecake, final topping. And you can time them out to fit your schedule, if you can’t do them all at once.

Brownie Crust

(If you want to make brownies by themselves another day, you can double this recipe.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine together:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together:

3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Add the dry to the wet ingredients, mixing just until dry disappears. Stir in:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Spread out evenly in your prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until done. Don’t over bake, as you’ll bake this crust again with the cheesecake.

Caramel for Topping

What would a turtle cheesecake bar be without the caramel? You can make your own, or take this shortcut:

In a microwave, heat together for 1 1/2 minutes on high:

Unwrapped caramels from 11 oz. bag

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Stir well then reheat if needed and stir more until smooth. This can take a little patience, but less work than making your own from scratch. If you want your topping thicker, reduce the amount of evaporated milk.

Take about half of this caramel topping and pour it over the baked brownie crust. Sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans, at least 1/2 cup.

Vanilla Cheesecake

Have ingredients at room temperature. Turn oven down to 325 degrees. In a mixer, mix together until smooth:

1 lb of cream cheese (2 8 oz. boxes), softened

3/4 cup sour cream

Add in and combine:

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

pinch of salt

Mix in until well combined:

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 eggs

Pour cheesecake mixture over caramel/nut-covered brownie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Drizzle remaining caramel on top, sprinkling with more toasted chopped pecans and about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips. Place pan in the refrigerator to set, at least 4 hours.

Use the excess parchment paper sides to remove dessert from pan and place on cutting board, so you can make nice squares. Remember this is a rich dessert and servings can be on the small side. Enjoy!