There are some recipes that you just know, without a doubt, that they'll be a hit. These are one of those. Chocolate chip cookie bars? Cheesecake filling? A guaranteed win! My hunch was proved correct when I brought these to church one Sunday and kept refilling the plate until they'd all disappeared. I liked them best straight from the fridge when they were still soft and chewy but the cheesecake filling was firm and chilled.
These do use both butter and shortening. While I know that many people prefer to bake without shortening, I believe everything (even shortening!) is fine in moderation and I couldn't deny that it created the perfect texture in these cookie bars. If you insist, I'm sure you could make it with butter only and it would still work. Let me know if you give it a try!
One Year Ago: Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix
Two Years Ago: Coffee Ice Cream
Three Years Ago: Praline Party Mix
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Cheesecake Filling
from Heat Oven to 350
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup unsalted butter
-1/2 cup shortening
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
-1 tbsp cider vinegar
-1 large egg
-1 tsp baking soda
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
for the cheesecake layer-
-1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
1. Cream together sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla, salt, and cider vinegar in a large bowl. Add the egg, beating after the addition, followed by the baking soda and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese with the sugar until well mixed. Add the egg and the vanilla, beating until combined.
3. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread half of the cookie dough in the prepared pan, lining the entire bottom. Top with the cream cheese mixture. Spread the remaining dough over the cream cheese (You kind of have to take chunks of dough, flatten them, and carefully place on top of the cream cheese. It may be difficult to cover the entire surface area, but dough will spread while baking.)
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cooked through. Cool completely before refrigerating. Cut into squares and serve chilled.
