Salted Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars

For the crust

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup flour

½ cup (about 3 ounces) toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped hazelnuts (see note)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup packed light brown sugar

For the salted butterscotch

1 cup packed light brown sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 or 5 pieces

¼ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

For the filling

24 ounces (3 packages) low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Pleat a 22-inch-long piece of aluminum foil lengthwise to make a 9-inch-wide strip, then fit it into the pan like a sling, pressing the foil into the corners to line the bottom and 2 short sides of the pan (the foil will overhang the two short sides).

Combine the flour, hazelnuts and salt in a food processor. Pulse for about 20 seconds, or until the nuts are finely ground; stop to tap down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Combine the 8 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a hand-held electric mixer; beat on high speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale. Reduce the speed to low; add the flour-hazelnut mixture to make a soft dough. Press the dough evenly into the lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust just starts to brown around the edges. Let cool while you prepare the butterscotch and filling. Leave the oven on.

For the salted butterscotch: Combine the brown sugar and butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat; once it starts to bubble a bit, stir constantly for about a minute, so the mixture is smooth. Then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat.

Immediately and carefully add the cream (the mixture will bubble), stirring until well incorporated, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Set the pan aside to allow the butterscotch to cool slightly.

For the filling: Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Pour over the partially baked crust. Add about half the salted butterscotch, trying to somewhat evenly distribute it over the batter. Use a butter knife or metal skewer to swirl it into the batter, making sure to leave some pockets of salted butterscotch.

Bake (350 degrees, middle rack) for about 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and pour in the remaining half of the salted butterscotch. Repeat the swirling, taking care to be a little gentler because the cheesecake batter will have begun to set. Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the center is mostly set (there may be a slight bit of wobble, but that's okay). Let cool (in the pan) to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to cut and serve the bars, run a knife around the inside edges to release the bars from the pan. Use the overhanging foil to transfer the slab to a cutting board. Cut into 24 equal bars.

Note: To skin the hazelnuts, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Add the hazelnuts and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice and water. After 2 minutes, remove one nut and drop it into the ice water. If the skin can be easily removed, drain the nuts and add them all to the ice water. If not, test one nut every minute until the skin comes off easily. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Slip off and discard the hazelnut skins, then dry the nuts and spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Warm in the oven until they're completely dry, which could take 15 to 60 minutes, before coarsely chopping for this recipe.

Makes 24 bars

Nutrition | Per bar: 260 calories, 4 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 22 g sugar

Adapted from "Quick-Shop-&-Prep 5 Ingredient Baking," by Jennifer McHenry (Page Street Publishing, 2015).