Rosh Hashanah Chess bars

Happy New year! (well, a few days ago anyway)

We went to a friends for a Rosh Hashanah lunch and I was asked to bring a dessert. She is sweet to ask since she is an AMAZING cook herself. Apples dipped in honey is a traditional food to eat so I wanted to play with that idea.

That's the amazing Emily and the finished dessert. Both are very sweet.

 

I saw a yummy looking recipe on Pinterest for Chess squares. I wanted something cheesecakey so this looked like a good base. I have a few boxes of cake mix in the pantry that I never use so I love having a reason to use one.

I followed the recipe nearly exactly, just using some honey to replace some of the powdered sugar and mixing in some spiced apples I canned a few weeks ago.

Glopped apple sauce, waiting to be swirled into the cream cheese. Mmmmmm.

Rosh Hashanah Chess Bars Recipe:

• 1 box cake mix (vanilla, white or yellow)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup walnuts chopped fine or ground
• 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup apple sauce, preferably spiced

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 8 x11 glass baking dish.
2. Mix the cake mix, 1 egg, the walnuts and the melted butter. Press into a greased baking dish.
3. Mix the cream cheese, 2 eggs, powdered sugar and honey until smooth. Pour into the baking dish on the crust.
4. Glop the apple sauce around the top of the cream cheese, then swirl it in to mix.
5.  Bake for 60-80 minutes until set. Enjoy!

It was a lovely lunch, very full belly indeed.

These were intensly sweet. Next time I would cut down on the sugar and honey to let the cream cheese flavor stand on it's own more. But other than that, delish!
You could also use a 9x13 baking dish for a thinner bar, cooking for 40-50 minutes.