Family Favorite: Fifth Avenue Bars

I can't believe that I've been writing this blog since last August and haven't shared one of my family's favorite sweets, Fifth Avenue Bars. Let's remedy that right now. If, on a rare occasion, my mom asks me to make something for her to take to a work function, it will always be these bars. She loves them and, I suspect, hides most of them before she gets to work. My aunt Barbara is the master Fifth Avenue Bar baker in our family. But, I don't think she would mind if I tried my hand at it and shared the recipe here with you. This is the perfect recipe to make to carry to a potluck. If you bake it in a 15"x10" pan, it can feed a large crowd!


Fifth Avenue Bars

1-18.25 oz. butter-flavored cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, divided
1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1-16 oz. box powdered sugar

In a large bowl, prepare the crust by with the cake mix, melted butter, and one egg. Blend with a mixer. The mixture will be thick. Pour the mixture into a greased 15"x10" pan. Press the mixture evenly around the bottom of the pan. Using the same bowl, prepare the filling by blending the cream cheese, remaining two eggs, and vanilla flavoring together until smooth. Add the sugar a little at a time until all of it is fully blended. Spread the filling over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely, preferably overnight. Cut into squares.

I like a recipe that starts with a cake mix. This is my favorite brand - Duncan Hines Butter Golden.

Pour the cake mix in a large mixing bowl.

Add one egg and a stick of melted butter. Blend together with a mixer. The mixture will be thick.

Like this thick...

Press evenly into the bottom of a greased pan.

You don't have to wash the mixing bowl or the beaters, just use them for the filling. Start with a block of softened cream cheese. Add the vanilla flavoring and eggs. Now, here's where my recipe differs from my aunt's version. She cooks her bars in a 9"x13" pan so only uses one egg in the filling. She thinks two eggs makes the batter too gooey. But, since I use a larger pan and my bars are thinner, I use two eggs. So, you can adjust accordingly to the size of your pan.

After I've blended the cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla, I add the powdered sugar a little at a time.

Pour the batter over the crust and spread evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Of course, if you use a smaller pan, you'll have to cook a little longer before your bars will be thicker. Just start watching them closely after the 30-minute mark.

The top will be crusty and the edges will be chewy.

And, everyone will be happy! Welcome to the family!

Enjoy!!!

If you have a dessert recipe that you would like to share here on a Well-Seasoned Life, add it to the Sweet Induglences Sunday linky party. I can't wait to see what you've made.

Linked to: Little Rays of Sunshine's So Sweet Sundays, Alli-N-Son's Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweet as Sugar Cookies' Sweets for a Saturday