Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Squares

CRUST: Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with two crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Finely grind crackers with sugar and salt in a food processor. With motor running, add butter and process until combined.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes.

FILLING: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand for 2 minutes to soften.

Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Gently, but thoroughly, stir in dulce de leche. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top.

Put pan in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of baking pan. Bake cheesecake until center is just set, about 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours, then refrigerate, covered, for at least 6 hours.

Within 2 hours of serving, glaze the cake: Melt the chocolate and butter with corn syrup in a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.

Pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to cover top evenly. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang. Cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping knife clean after each cut.

NOTE: Wheat-meal crackers are sometimes called digestive biscuits. The cheesecake, without the glaze, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Today by Ruth Reichl, 2009.