Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I just need to tell you guys that Brandy is awesome because without her, I would have never discovered these gems.

I made these cheesecake cookie bars for my family a couple of weeks ago and they were devoured in a day.  Mind you, my family consists of my mom and dad… that’s it.  We have dessert issues.

If you like cheesecake, you’ll like these.  If you like cookie dough, you’ll like these.  If you like them both, you’ll love these.

Also, to add to how happy these cheesecake bars make me, I’m just going to post some more things that are making me happy right now  (*Note: the only pictures that are mine are the cheesecake bar photos):

 

What are you loving right now??

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
From:  Brandy

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker 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 pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

• 10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8″ square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.

3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric 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. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside. (*Note: This mixture is going to be dry…that’s okay. You’re going to crumble it on top of the cheesecake layer.)

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Use your hands to form “clumps” of the cookie dough, smoosh it together and flatten it out.  Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Halloween is right around the corner and I have no idea what I want to be.

I was reading Joy’s blog today and all I could think the whole time was, “Thank GOD.”

Her post was all about how slutty costumes are no bueno and I couldn’t agree more.

Living in the dorms, it’s almost impossible to get away from slutty costumes.  I just have absolutely no desire.  I mean it’s your one night of the year to be whatever you want.  Why would you pick something slutty?  I just don’t get it.

First of all, they’re just not cool. And they’re completely unoriginal.  And weird.  I saw a “sexy Spongebob” costume. Isn’t that just stupid?  Why would you want to turn completely innocent things, sexy?

So, if you want to be something unique for Halloween, don’t dress slutty.

I’m done ranting, now on to things that are actually cool.  Cookies.

I am obsessed with Starbucks’ Salted Caramel Frappuccino.  It’s amazing.  It’s fall in a cup.  I had to make it in cookie form, which is a bad idea if you don’t want to be on sugar overload because that’s exactly what happened to me.  These are amazing!  The only problem I had with them was that they stuck to the well oiled pan, so I definitely suggest using parchment paper.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:


1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups (11 5/8 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped caramels
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt


Directions:

1. Place the very soft butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and stir well. Add the egg and stir until well blended. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and caramels.
2. Scoop rounded teaspoons of dough onto light-colored baking sheets. Flatten into disks, using gentle pressure from your fingers.  You can also flatten with the bottom of a cup or something.  Sprinkle a little pinch of salt on each of the cookies.
3. Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned; the tops shouldn’t brown, they should still be slightly gooey. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then slide them onto a rack to cool completely.