Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Brace yourselves. There are going to be quite a few dessert recipes in the next few days. -s has a couple of work functions where it’s been requested that he bring desserts. This recipe comes from the Southern Living, September 2006 issue. These cheesecake bars are EXCELLENT! There are a couple of things we did do differently and a couple we will do differently next time, and I’ll note those changes at the end.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (12-oz.) package NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Mini Morsels, divided

Directions:

1. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Increase speed to medium, and beat until well blended and crumbly. Pat mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Add sour cream, vanilla, and 1 cup chocolate morsels, beating just until blended. Pour over baked crust.
4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Microwave remaining chocolate morsels in a 2-cup glass measuring cup on HIGH 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Drizzle over cheesecake. Cover and chill at least 4 hours; cut into bars.

Notes and Tips:

1. To avoid cracking use the traditional water bath for the cheesecake. Simply place the pan in a larger pan filled about half way with water.
2. We used a slightly smaller pan (our other 2 large pans were otherwise occupied) than the recipe calls for. The crust was the correct thickness, but the cheesecake was too thick for even cooking. So next time, we will use a bigger pan and make 1.5 of the crust recipe. I think one recipe of the crust in a bigger pan will make the crust too thin to hold up to the cheesecake.
3. Cut the bars and then drizzle with chocolate.
4. The best way to drizzle: put the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, cut a small amount of the bag off in one of the corners and then pipe the chocolate onto the bars.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars: