Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies
[served at Spelman Memorial Hospital in Smithville, Mo.]

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pcans
2 pkgs. [8 oz. each] PLUS 2 pkgs. [3 oz. each] cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
6 tablespoons milk
3tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the flour and pecans, and mix until crumbly. Reserving 3 cups of the mixture for topping, press the rest into the bottom of a small jellyroll pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool

Combine the cream cheese and the granulated sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, milk lemon juice and vanilla, and beat well.

Spread this over the cooled crust, sprinkle with reserved crumbs and bake in a 350 degree oven 25 minutes. Cool and cut into 2 inch squares.

* Note: To make half the recipe, use a smaller pan, reduce the eggs to 2, and the cream cheese to an 8 oz. plus a 3 oz. pkg. and the granulated sugar to 1/3 cup. Makes 24

BJ's personal recipe file
Source: old newspaper clipping