Apricot Cheesecake Squares - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter butter, diced
9 None eggs
7 1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
1 cup sugar
1 packet instant vanilla pudding powder
2 14 oz cans apricots, drained
1/4 cup sugar crystals

Preparation

Grease and flour 12 x 15 inch cake pan. Sift flour, cocoa and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Stir in butter and 1 beaten egg and mix well. Knead the dough by hand. Press dough evenly into the base and up the sides of the pan to make a shell. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F. Bake cheesecake shell for 10-12 mins on a low rack. Meanwhile, mix the cottage cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in 8 eggs one at a time. When the eggs are well combined, stir in the vanilla pudding powder.
Remove baked cheesecake shell from oven, leaving the oven on. Spoon the filling evenly into the pastry shell. Arrange apricot halves neatly on top of the filling. Bake for 45 mins at 350\u00b0F.
Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge before serving. Cut into slices and sprinkle with sugar crystals.