Mango Macadamia Cream Cheese Dream Bars
A delicious and light dessert that is easy to prepare and even better to eat! Prep time: 35 minutes |Cook time: 10 minutes |Total time: 45 minutes |Servings: 8•9 Graham crackers, crushed finely
•5 tbsp. of unsalted butter, melted
•1 tbsp. of ground allspice
•8 ounce(s) of mango puree (16 ounce bag of frozen mango chunks defrosted then pureed yields 8 ounces)
•1/4 cup(s) of granulated sugar (for mango puree)
•1 tbsp. of freshly grated nutmeg
•1 tbsp. of cornstarch, mixed with small amount of cold water to form a slurry
•1 cup(s) of Macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
•16 ounce(s) of softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
•1/3 cup(s) of granulated sugar (for cream cheese filling)
•1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
•1 1/2 tbsp. of lemon zest
•1 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
•1 mango, sliced into thin slivers for garnish
•1 pinch of Kosher salt
•3/4 cup(s) of caramel sauce
Steps
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.In a small mixing bowl combine melted unsalted butter with finely crushed graham crackers and the ground allspice
3.Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an 8" x 8" baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
4.Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown and firm; set aside and let cool completely
5.Sprinkle cooled crust with a few of the toasted and chopped Macadamia nuts
6.Puree mango chunks (either in a blender or food processor)
7.Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of freshly grated nutmeg and the cornstarch slurry until well combined
8.Pour mango puree over cooled graham cracker crust and place in freezer while you make your cream cheese topping
9.In a large mixing bowl add your softened cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
10.Mix on high speed until light and fluffy
11.Place this mixture into a zip-top bag (or pastry bag) remove all the air from the bag and close securely
12.Remove your crust with mango filling from the freezer
13.Snip a large corner off your zip-top bag and pipe your cream cheese mixture over the slightly hardened mango filling and spread smooth
14.Sprinkle with remaining toasted and chopped Macadamia nuts and refrigerate for 1 hour
15.Slice into bars and garnish each bar with your thinly sliced mango slivers
16.Sprinkle with Kosher salt
17.Drizzle with caramel sauce
18.Enjoy!