Recipe: Cheesecake Brownie Bars

Quite possibly the only thing more delicious than these guys.

Cheesecake Brownie Bars

Makes 16

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut up

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

4 tsps all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp vanilla

non-stick spray coating

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. For chocolate batter, melt unsweetened chocolate and butter or margarine in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the 1 1/3 cups sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Cool 15 minutes. Beat in the 3 eggs and 3/4 cup flour.
2. For cheesecake filling, combine cream cheese, the 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 4 tsps flour, and 1/4 tsp vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat until creamy and well blended.
3. Spray an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick coating. Spread two-thirds of chocolate batter in the pan. Spoon cheesecake filling over batter. Dollop with remaining chocolate batter.
4. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, and bake for 12 minutes more. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

These layered bars are dense and very rich (you'll want a tall glass of cold milk at hand!). Because of the cheesecake filling, they need to be stored in the fridge. I lined the pan with tinfoil before adding batter, I would suggest doing this.*

The last time I made these I used a rectangular baking pan, rather than a square one. So this time I followed the recipe, used the 8x8x2 square pan, BUT I discovered, to my horror, that the cooking time was not near long enough. The batter at the centre of the pan was still raw! So my suggestion would be to leave it in the oven for an extra 10-20 minutes or so, or else use the rectangular pan and follow the original baking time.

*FOUR REASONS TO LINE BAKING PANS FOR BAR COOKIES WITH FOIL*

• It makes it easy to remove the baked cookie from the pan -- just lift it out along with the foil.
• The cookie is easier to cut when removed from the pan.
• To freeze the cookie, simply overwrap it with another piece of foil.
• Cleanup couldn't be easier -- just throw away the foil.

To line the pan, tear off a piece of foil large enough to extend over the edges of the pan. Invert the pan (put it upside down) and shape the foil to fit. Then turn the pan rightside up and place the foil inside, smoothing to fit. If the recipe calls for a greased pan, grease the foil instead, then continue with the recipe.

Enjoy!