Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Serves 12-16.

I've been making these for a few years now and they never seem to disappoint. I mean, look at them. Do you feel disappointed?

Source: Cooking Pleasures magazine

Crust:

1-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

5 T. unsalted butter, melted

3/4 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Filling:

10 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

Dough:

5 T. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

3 T. sugar

1 t. vanilla

dash salt

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9" pan with foil, leaving extra foil extending over edges. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in miniature chocolate chips. Press into bottom and 1" up sides of pan. Bake 6 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.

Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 c. sugar at low speed until smooth. Beat in egg and 1 t. vanilla until just blended. Pour filling into crust.

In same bowl, beat 5 T. melted butter, brown sugar, 3 T. sugar, 1 t. vanilla, and salt at medium speed 1 minute or until blended. Beat in flour at low speed just until incorporated. Stir in 1 c. chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough over filling. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set through.

Cool. For topping, drizzle melted chocolate across evenly.

A Note From The LL: I'll make things easy on you. Use an 8-oz. block of cream cheese and call it a day. The 2 oz. don't make enough of a different to include them. Lazy? Skip the chocolate drizzle too. There's quite a bit of chocolate already packed into these bars. But, by all means, if you like to follow directions 100%, go for it.