Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These were a tasty treat!  The filling is creamy and the cookie layers create a perfect combination.  Make sure you have someone to share with or you will end up eating the entire pan...unless you want to eat the entire pan...and I wouldn't blame you at all!

This recipe makes 12-18 servings.

Cookie dough (this recipe is slightly too much, so I made 1 dozen cookies and used the rest of the dough for the bars):
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 C flour
1 C chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350.
Lightly grease a 7"x11" or 8"x8" baking dish.
To make the cookie dough, begin by creaming together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar.
Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
Add the baking soda, salt, flour, and chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
Set the cookie dough aside.
In another bowl, cream together the cream cheese filling ingredients with a mixer.
Spread 2/3 of the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan.
Cover with the cream cheese mixture.
Flatten the remaining dough into circles and place on the top of the cream cheese mixture (leaving small parts of the cream cheese exposed).
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cream cheese mixture is firm but still slightly "jiggly" in the middle and the cookies on top begin to look golden around the edges.
Let the bars cool completely before cutting and serving.


This is adapted from recipe I got from an unknown friend a long time ago (if it from you, please let me know!)

Snickers Cheesecake

 

This cheesecake was my husband's birthday dessert request.  It turned out to be an extremely deliciously decadent dessert that you just couldn't stop eating!
Making a cheesecake was a lot simpler than I though it would be and I look forward to many more in the future!

 This recipe serves 6-8.

9 oz. Oreo cookies, ground into fine pieces
4 TBSP butter, melted
24 oz., cream cheese, softened
1 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C heavy cream
Fun size Snickers bars (a bag full - around 1.5 lbs.), cut into smaller squares (each piece is cut into 6-8 smaller pieces)
fudge dessert/ice cream topping

You will also need a 9.5"-10" springform pan to make any kind of large cheesecake.

Preheat the oven to 325.
Combine the Oreo crumbs and butter together.
Press the Oreo crust mixture into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan.
In a separate bowl, use a mixer on medium speed and cream together the cream cheese and sugar for about 1-2 minutes.
Mix in the eggs one at a time.
Add the vanilla and cream and beat the mixture for another 3-4 minutes on medium speed.
Using a spoon or a spatula, fold in 1 1/2 C of the Snickers pieces.
Pour the mixture into the crust lined pan.
Bake for 1 hour + 15-25 minutes until the cheesecake looks slightly done but can still "jiggle" in the middle.
Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle the remaining Snickers pieces on top and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before slicing and serving.

This recipe is altered slightly from showmenan.blogspot.com.