There are always the someecards that talk about going on Pintrest to find a recipe to bake and then you end up spending hours on Pintrest and don't bake anything. For once, this did not happen to me, but I do have a tendency to get off track at times. I found this recipe after my mother asked me what I was going to bake for my grandmother's for Easter. [I happen to be designated family baker.]
I am a huge fan of cookie dough and cheesecake so what better to make than cookie dough cheesecake bars. While very involved, it is a delicious recipe. I did alter it a little because the cookie dough says not to use any egg, but to me, that does not make sense and it is difficult for the dough to keep together, but maybe they wanted it to be like that on purpose. Whichever the reason, mine came out fine so it doesn't matter anyway!
Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients:
[crust]
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
[chocolate chip cookie dough]
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
[cheesecake filling]
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an eight inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, allowing a little to overhand, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. [I don't like to line my baking dishes because everything comes out looking strangely shaped. I just buttered a casserole dish a per my usual method.]
Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs [I crumbled them in a food processor.] until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooking rack. Do not turn off the oven.
While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed and mix until just incorporated. Add egg until dough comes together. Mix in the chocolate chips then set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixed, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low until just incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Smooth out to cover the entire crust. Using your hand to form clumps of cookie dough. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough on top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter. [To make it a little more chocolatey, you can sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on the batter.]
Bake for about 30 minutes until the top feels dry and firm [the cookie dough layer] and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. [I stuck a toothpick in it to see if the cheesecake layer was done. It will come out clean if it is baked all the way through.]
Just for the record, my house smells absolutely amazing right now. Even when I was baking the graham cracker crust my house smelled like heaven. Add chocolate and cheesecake. Ultimate deliciousness.
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
[chocolate chip cookie dough]
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
[cheesecake filling]
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an eight inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, allowing a little to overhand, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. [I don't like to line my baking dishes because everything comes out looking strangely shaped. I just buttered a casserole dish a per my usual method.]
Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs [I crumbled them in a food processor.] until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooking rack. Do not turn off the oven.
While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed and mix until just incorporated. Add egg until dough comes together. Mix in the chocolate chips then set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixed, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low until just incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Smooth out to cover the entire crust. Using your hand to form clumps of cookie dough. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough on top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter. [To make it a little more chocolatey, you can sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on the batter.]
Bake for about 30 minutes until the top feels dry and firm [the cookie dough layer] and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. [I stuck a toothpick in it to see if the cheesecake layer was done. It will come out clean if it is baked all the way through.]
Just for the record, my house smells absolutely amazing right now. Even when I was baking the graham cracker crust my house smelled like heaven. Add chocolate and cheesecake. Ultimate deliciousness.
I will post a picture of them actually cut them. I'm really excited to try one! Yum!
