Martha Mandle’s Festive Cranberry Cheese Squares
📜 Collection: UK3 | ✍️ Attribution: Martha Mandle | 📂 Category: Desserts A festive, multi-layered dessert bar featuring an oat crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and rich mincemeat and cranberry toppings.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Inactive / Chill Time | Yield / Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mins | 55 mins | Chill completely | 24-36 squares |
🔪 Key Equipment
- Mixer bowl
- Electric mixer
- 9x13 inch pan
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
For the Crust & Crumb Topping
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | Flour | Sifted |
| 1 cup | Oats | Quick or old-fashioned, uncooked |
| 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon | Brown Sugar | Firmly packed |
| 10 tablespoons | Margarine | Or butter, softened |
For the Cheesecake Filling
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (8-ounce) package | Cream Cheese | Softened |
| 1 (14-ounce) can | Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk | None |
| 2 | Eggs | Large |
For the Fruit Layers
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (9-ounce) jar | Mincemeat | None Such Ready to Use |
| 1 (16-ounce) can | Cranberry Sauce | Whole |
| 2 tablespoons | Cornstarch | None |
| 1 tablespoon | Sugar | None |
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixer bowl, beat the 1 cup sifted flour, 1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar, and 10 tablespoons margarine or butter until crumbly.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Filling and Assemble
- While the crust bakes, in a small mixer bowl, beat the 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk until smooth, then beat in the 2 large eggs.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the hot, baked crust and top with spoonfuls of the 1 (9-ounce) jar mincemeat.
Step 3: Prepare Fruit Layer and Final Bake
- In a small saucepan, combine the 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir in the 1 (16-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce and cook until thickened. Spoon this over the mincemeat layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of crumb mixture over the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.
- Chill completely in the refrigerator before cutting into squares.
💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: Store the baked squares tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.