Caramel Macadamia Cheesecake Squares

These squares are sooooo amazingly decadent. Worth every calorie laden bite I assure you. I will definitely be making them again.

I used this recipe for the brownie base.....I call this the ridiculously fudgy brownie recipe. ;) Oh so tasty....but man that is a gooey brownie eheheheheh. I've made so many brownies lately I thought I'd give a different recipe a whirl....plus it suited this cheesecake. The cheesecake recipe is based on one I found in a Taste of Home Cookbook.

I used my very own caramel for this recipe which I automatically thin when I cook it up. If you don't feel like making your own caramel sauce (wussie! ehehehehe) just use a package of caramels from the store and thin them with 1/4 cup evaporated milk.


Caramel Macadamia Cheesecake Squares

Brownie Base:
1 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup tub margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbls cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour

Melt chocolate chips and margarine in the microwave, stirring often. Be careful that you don't overheat the chocolate. Stir in vanilla, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl before adding them to the chocolate mixture. Mix in the flour. Pour batter into greased 9x9 pan and bake at 350 for about 12 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake.

Middle layer:
18 oz salted caramel sauce
6 oz macadamia nuts
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Reserve 4oz of the caramel sauce for drizzle over the finished cheesecake squares. Pour the other 14oz of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer. Chop about 4oz of the macadamia nuts roughly. Sprinkle them over top of the caramel and press them down lightly.

Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring often to prevent overheating. Line a plate with waxed paper. Pour the remaining 2oz of the whole nuts into the melted chocolate and mix together. Using a spoon, fish out each chocolate covered nut and put it on the waxed paper to set up. You can do small clusters if you like. Put the plate into the fridge to chill. You will use these to garnish the finished squares later.

Cheesecake layer:
2 packages (8oz each) reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 squares (2oz) unsweetened chocolate

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, being careful not to overheat. Set aside. Beat the cream cheese and the sugar together. Beat in eggs until just combined. Fold in the melted chocolate. Pour the cheesecake batter over top of the macadamia nuts. Spread out evenly. Bake 15 to 18 minutes at 350. Be careful not to over bake. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cheesecake when it comes out of the oven. Cool and then chill before cutting into squares.

Put reserved caramel into a ziplock bag with a corner cut off. Drizzle caramel across the cheesecake squares. Take the chocolate covered macadamia nuts and arrange them on each square. Chill until ready to serve.


Another picture of the glory.....
I was on a sugar high for a quite a while after eating one of these....ehehehe. It was worth it....except for that whole babbling thing I had going on....seriously talked a mile a minute for line an hour. ;)