This comes from Brandy's Baking and it is one of my new, all-time favorite desserts! So easy and so yummy!!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- 10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with
parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with
nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly
combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in
preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your
oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a
large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated
sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1
minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated.
Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside. (*Note: This mixture is going
to be dry...that’s okay. It’s rather like a crumble topping. You’re
going to crumble it on top of the cheesecake layer.)
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a
large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and
sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until
incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Use
your hands to form "clumps" of the cookie dough, smoosh it together and
flatten it out. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the
cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the
dough.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the
cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move
bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in
refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.