Blueberry Bliss

I made these to take to a friends house for lunch. They were a perfect ending to a perfect meal. Thanks Lori for having us over!

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from BHG

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup ground pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. brandy or milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cup blueberries*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

For the crust: In a small saucepan heat butter over medium heat until the color of light brown sugar. This may take several minutes. The butter solids may burn, but the butter will be nutty and golden. Remove from heat and set aside, til slightly cooled.

In medium bowl stir together graham crackers, flour, coconut, pecans, and 1/4 cup sugar. Pour browned butter through a strainer/sieve to catch all the darker browned solids. Stir in butter until combined. Evenly press on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

For the filling: Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add eggs, brandy or milk, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Pour over hot crust. Sprinkle with blueberries.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until center appears set. Cool in pan on rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars. Store, covered, in refrigerator. Makes about 16 bars, or 32 squares.

*NOTE: I added about 3 1/2 cups of blueberries instead of the 2 cups the recipe called for. Because of this, the cheesecake batter rose and it took longer to bake. After 25 minutes of baking it wasn't near being done. My version took about 45-50 minutes to achieve the "set appearance" the recipe says to look for. Just watch your cheesecake until it puffs slightly and turns slightly golden. The center should not be jiggly when they're done.