"Lime In The Coconut" Frosted Cheesecake Bars

I really shouldn't have.  But I did.  The good news is that I was able to control myself.  But it was hard.  I had to give most of them away.  Which was even harder because I wanted to keep them all to myself.  I can be selfish like that sometimes.  I'm working on it.  

These delectable bars were created by a very talented cooking friend of mine, Janice Elder, and they won the online voter's choice award last year in the Mix It Up With Betty! Cookie Mix Recipe Contest.  They are fluffy, creamy and dreamy with a flavor combination that I just adore--coconut and lime.  I didn't have the canned whipped cream cheese frosting that the original recipe calls for, so I came up with my own version, and it worked out very nicely.

Frosted cheesecake?  Does life get any better than that?

“Lime in the Coconut” Frosted Cheesecake Bars

Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

Printable version

Cookie Base:

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup softened butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

Filling:

2 (8-ounce) packages softened cream cheese

1 (16-ounce) can cream of coconut

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1 1/4 cup toasted coconut

2 teaspoons lime zest

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

2.    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat 2 packages cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in cream of coconut until well blended.  Beat in lime juice, vanilla and 2 eggs until smooth. Spread over cookie base.

3.    Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set and light golden brown on edges. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate 1 hour to cool completely.

4.    For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.  Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream.  Carefully spread frosting over filling. Sprinkle with coconut and lime peel. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.