What's your favorite dessert?
I have spent enough time on Food Gawker to know the top desserts that people love: anything with chocolate, Oreos, Red Velvet, cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies. If you're someone who loves cheesecake AND chocolate chip cookies, then this is the perfect dessert bar for you - buttery crushed graham cracker crust filled with a creamy cheesecake layer topped with a slightly crunchy, chewy chocolate chip cookie dough. It's not overly rich and not too sweet. It doesn't make you feel sick after eating it. It's just right. THAT is a problem because these bars are so ridiculously addictive that you just can't stop at one. These are so good you'll gobble them up! Watch them disappear before your eyes!
Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp unsalted butter>
Cheesecake Layer
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
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1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer
5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper with a little overhang on the sides.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter over low heat. Combine the butter with the graham cracker mixture and mix well with a spoon. Press the crumb mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the baking pan, using the back of the spoon. Bake for 6 minutes. Transfer the pan and cool on a wire rack. Keep the oven on.
Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough while waiting for the graham cracker crust to cool. Beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl for about a minute until well combined and smooth. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until smooth and creamy with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until just combined. Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled graham cracker crust. Scoop teaspoon-size clumps of cookie dough and flatten them slightly with your palms.(I actually forgot to flatten the clumps but it still turned out great!) Distribute the clumps of cookie dough evenly over the cheesecake batter. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
Bake for 30 minutes until the top of the cookie dough looks dry and the whole pan looks set when given a slight shake. Move the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely. Chill in the fridge for a few hours for easier cutting. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into desired sizes.
