Tequila Lime Cheesecake Bars

Note this requires a minimum of 3 hours of refrigeration time, so plan ahead!

Start by making the pretzel crust:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix the pretzel powder with melted butter and brown sugar. Place the crust mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan that’s been lined with tin foil. The foil should hang off the sides of the pan for easy removal! Make sure to press the mixture down firmly.

Bake this in the preheated 350 F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep the oven on.

While the crust is cooling, make your filling. Again, all of the filling ingredients should be a room temperature for optimal creaminess!

Beat cream cheese and sugar with your stand mixer until creamy. Now mix in lime juice, lime zest, tequila, and Grand Marnier. Mix until completely combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once everything has been fully incorporated, beat in eggs one at a time. Now pour the filling on top of the crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The edges will have lightly browned and the center should have a slight jiggle. Remove from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Now, place it in the fridge for at least three hours before serving.

The raspberry syrup:
Blend the fresh raspberries and sugar in a food processor until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. This takes a little elbow grease. Use a spatula to press the mixture through. You should end up with about ½ cup raspberry sauce. Place in a squeeze bottle and drizzle over the bars!

Notes:
1. The tequila flavor gets stronger as the days go by. I thought these were perfect on the first day, but if you really like the taste of tequila, these are great a few days later, too!
2. Filling adapted from Sweet Peas and Saffron!