Strawberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Bars

Don't you love fresh strawberries? And they're absolutely delicious right now. If you're picking them yourself, the warmth of the sun makes them so sweet, you eat them as fast as you pick them, barely able to fill up your container. Once home, there are so many options for serving, from desserts to salads and salsas. Start with a simple dessert: dip them in dark brown sugar and sour cream...an old favorite of mine. Or try the recipe my MIL served frequently in the summer: Strawberries Romanoff.

With my last batch, I made certain I had enough strawberries left to make this bar....so many flavors to tempt your palate. The recipe was adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens raspberry bar recipe, and was the result of a trip to a California strawberry farm by Gerry from Foodness Gracious, where all sorts of strawberry recipe possibilities were explored. I hadn't seen the original raspberry bar recipe, so loved the idea of using goat cheese along with cream cheese. Gerry, besides substituting strawberries for raspberries, added some fresh basil to the cookie layer, which made the bars even more tasty. Rosemary would be even better. I've used that herb in my crusts quite often.
Super summer dessert.

Strawberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Bars
From Foodness Gracious

Ingredients for the base:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped finely

Ingredients for the filling:
3 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved, quartered if big
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (I just used some high quality balsamic vinegar)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces chevre goat cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
Zest of two lemons
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9x2 baking pan with foil, leaving enough hanging over the sides to lift out after baking.
In a mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add the brown sugar and salt and mix until combined. On low speed, add the flour and the basil. Mix just until the dough comes together.
Break the dough into clumps and spread over the base of the baking tray with your hands, making it as even as you can. Bake for about 20 mins or until just turning golden brown.

Prepare the strawberries:
Add the butter to a saute pan over medium heat. The add the strawberries, sugar and balsamic and toss to coat the fruit.
Cook for about 10-12 minutes and the mixture has turned thicker. Set aside.

Beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together until soft. Add the white sugar and tablespoon of flour and mix well.
With the mixer running, add the egg, egg yolk, zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
Beat until smooth.
When the base has baked, drizzle most of the strawberry pan liquid over it. Pour the strawberries into the cheese mixture and gently fold once or twice. Not too much as you want it to look marbled.
Pour the whole mixture over the base evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes and set in the middle. Let cool for at least one hour before storing in the fridge for another hour. Slice into squares with a sharp knife and dust well with powdered sugar.