STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE BAKE WITH RHUBERRY SAUCE

Wow. Is it ever hard to be on a diet and be around dessert - let alone be the one to make it, too! However, I managed to test only a teeny little piece of the crust from the dessert I made for the Strawberry Fruit of the Month Workshop last night. Now I can confirm that, yes indeed, it tasted very good!

The original recipe calls for peaches. I substituted strawberries (it is not unusual at all for me to change ingredients in recipes!), and added my favorite recipe for using rhubarb: Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce. I call it "Rhuberry Sauce".

Doesn't it look just so yummy on this plate I made? Hard to tell from the photo, but the plate is an "apple" design for a future Fruit of the Month workshop sample.

OK... so the bottom layer is the cream cheese bake portion. Then a large scoop of ice cream was placed on top... and smothered in Rhuberry Sauce. You can click on the photo to make it larger if you really want to drool!

Dorothy and Phil were the first ones to sample the dessert, while Sara worked away on her very special creation. I'm not going to give away any descriptions of it right now - we'll see how it turned out in the final slump. I can tell you, though, that after the first firing, everything sure looked pretty good!

We had a great time. I wish you could have been here! Unfortunately, now Marge and Phil are going to have to finish all the dessert that was left over!

So... Here are some before and after photos of the Strawbery Cream Cheese Bake with Rhuberry Sauce... as well as the recipe at the very end! Enjoy!

Need to figure out the best way to pre-rinse handmade glass dishes?

Phil demonstrates how to clean the rest of the sauce off the plate.

And here is the recipe I promised so that you can make it yourself at home.

It is really, really, really good... even though that judgment is based on just the teensiest little bit of crust I sampled. It is just not very low-cal!

Strawberry Cream

Cheese Bake with

Rhuberry Sauce

Rhuberry Sauce:
4 c. thinly-sliced rhubarb
20-24 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed slightly
3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch + water to bring up to 1/2 c.
4 drops red food coloring

Instructions: Place all ingredients in large saucepan; bring to boil, stirring often, until sauce is thickened. Reserve 1 c. sauce for making the cake, and about 2 c. sauce to serve with the cake. Place remainder in freezer containers to store.

Cake:
2 c. thinly-sliced fresh strawberries
1 c. strawberry rhubarb sauce
2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 sticks cold margarine or butter
One 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
One 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Combine flour and sugar in large bowl; cut cold margarine into the mixture until very finely blended (mixture will be dry—or you may blend it with your hands to make it more crumbly). Reserve 2 c. for topping.
3. Press remaining crust mixture in 9”x13” glass pan that has been sprayed with non-stick flour spray. Bake crust for 15 min.
4. While crust is baking, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the condensed milk until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
5. After crust has baked, carefully (the pan is hot!) lay the sliced strawberries over the crust. Drizzle 1 c. rhuberry sauce over the sliced strawberries, then carefully pour the cake batter over the top. Sprinkle the remaining dry crust mixture over the top of all in the glass pan.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is just beginning to turn brown.
7. Set baked dish aside until it has cooled a bit; then chill for a few hours to make it easier to slice and serve.
8. Serve with ice cream and more rhuberry sauce, or just rhuberry sauce alone.

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