Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Take a look at these beauties... and try not to drool on your keyboard. Don't they look heavenly?



Just reading their name alone made me want to try these cheesecake bars. They start with a graham cracker crust - with chocolate chips mixed in, of course. Would you expect anything else?


The crust is pressed firmly into a square 9-inch pan, and slightly up the sides.


Then you (happily) move onto the chocolate chip cookie dough. You know, you could just make this and sprinkle it over some ice cream. Or heck, just eat it right out of the bowl. You know you want to.


Then comes the luxurious cream cheese filling spread over the crust. Repeat what I said above. Eat this right out of the bowl.


Next, if you haven't eaten all of the cookie dough, drop it by rounded teasponfuls onto the cream cheese layer. Press it down gently.


Bake until set and golden brown.


And your stomach will be growling by now. Be sure to let it cool... I know it's tempting, but you'll burn your mouth.


This next part is totally required optional. Drizzle melted chocolate over the bars to finish them off. Mmmm... now go make these please. You'll thank me.



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
(recipe from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook)

For the crust:
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

For the cookie dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

For the cheesecake filling:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.

2. Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

3. Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack.

For chocolate topping (optional):
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. butter

1. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Add about 1 tsp. of butter if necessary to make chocolate smooth. Drizzle over top of bars.

2. Cool bars in pan completely, about an hour.

3. Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove from pan. Cut into bars and serve.


On a totally unrelated note, Love At First Bite now has its own page on Facebook. I'm patting myself on the back for entering the 21st century! Please, please, please check it out and become a fan (who me? beg?). I'll be posting weekly menu plans to the page that will be super helpful in planning your dinners each week. So check me out and leave me some love!