Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place strawberries in an 8-inch square baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and very soft, 35 to 45 minutes.

Process strawberries in baking dish with an immersion blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour strawberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl; discard any solids. Refrigerate puree until slightly cooled, about 20 minutes.

While puree cools, coat a 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Stir together ground pretzels and brown sugar in a medium bowl; stir in butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.

Bake until lightly golden and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add cornstarch, vanilla, and salt; beat until just combined, about 15 seconds. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes total.

Transfer 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture to a small bowl; set aside. Add strawberry puree, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and food coloring to cream cheese mixture in large bowl; beat on low speed until well combined, about 45 seconds.

Pour strawberry mixture into cooled crust. Dollop reserved 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture over top; swirl into strawberry mixture with a wooden pick. Gently tap pan on counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake at 300°F until cheesecake is set around edges but still slightly jiggly in center, 35 to 40 minutes.

Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool inside for 30 minutes with door ajar. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.

Using parchment paper as handles, transfer cheesecake to a cutting board. Cut into 15 bars. Serve chilled.