Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I think it's hard to get much more decadent than these. And I know a bit about decadence. I'm not saying it's impossible; never say that, but these are up there. Let me put words to the picture you are drooling over. Chocolate-chip-graham crust. Creamy vanilla cheesecake filling. Chocolate-chip-cookie-dough topping. Drizzled with melted chocolate chips. Can you guess what kind of cookbook I might have gotten this from?
And here is the deal with the cookie dough and why it doesn't just bake into a cookie in the oven - no eggs. It has the real deal taste of cookie dough, but I think it's like the cookie dough in ice cream - no dangerous raw stuff, which also means it's still very cookie-dough-ish even after it bakes. Clever, clever!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (print recipe)
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 T unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup (4 ounces) mini semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 T granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Filling:
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Make the crust. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 325. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line the pan with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to extend over two opposite sides of the pan. Butter the paper. (OR spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.)

2. In a medium bowl, stir the crumbs and melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

3. Make the dough. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour, mixing just to incorporate it. Stir in the chocolate ships. Set aside.

4. Make the filling. In a large bowl, using clean beaters, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed just until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla, beating just to blend them in. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough over the top of the batter. Bake until the top feels dry and firm and looks set if given a gentle shake, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack.

5. Make the topping. Put the 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water; the water should not touch the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Use a teaspoon to gently drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate over the top of the bars. Cool the bars completely in the pan, about 1 hour. The chocolate topping will be set when the bars are cool.

6. Loosen the sides of the bars from the unlined sides of the pan and use the ends of the paper to lift the bars from the pan. Use a large kitchen knife to cut the bars into 16 pieces, wiping the knife clean as needed, and slide the bars off the parchment. The bars can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook by Elinor Klivans

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