PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Today I present to you the second dish on my Thanksgiving dinner menu, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!  I’m skipping from appetizer straight to dessert!!!

Are you confused?  I’ll explain.

These bars can be made ahead and frozen.  If you would like to alleviate some of that Thanksgiving dinner pressure, you can make the bars for dessert tonight or this weekend and put them in the freezer and just thaw them out in the refrigerator a day or two before you want to serve them!

  

 

 These bars came about out of my desire to make an easy Thanksgiving dessert, and my favorite cookie dough being on sale. 

I really like pumpkin and chocolate together, so it makes perfect sense to me that chocolate chip cookie dough would make a great crust for pumpkin cheesecake bars.  Actually I pie was what first popped into my noggin, but I wasn’t sure about the cookie crust holding up when sliced into a wedge.

I used the pie recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin and just added a block of cream cheese.  I didn’t add any additional sugar because the cookie crust is sweet enough.  That turned out to be a good decision because the dessert is the just the perfect amount of sweetness, not to sweet or heavy for the end of the big Thanksgiving feast!

Here’s what you do.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

I was making this up as I went along so you can see that I started with one package of cookie dough, but that wasn’t enough.

So… 

…Use two packages of chocolate chip cookie dough.  If you place the two blocks of dough side by side, it will be easier to press out.

Put some flour on your fingers to keep the dough from sticking, and use your digits to press the cookie dough in an even layer over a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan.  

There’s no need to grease the pan.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden.  

When it comes out it will be puffy, but as you allow the cookie crust to completely cool, it will sink.

 

Use a handheld mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy.

 

Beat in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

 

I loooove sweetened condensed milk; I always clean the can out with a spoon and I lick the spoon.  I could drink the stuff, but I would probably get sick.

Beat that in too.

 

Finally beat in the eggs.  Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat it again to be sure it’s all mixed.

 

Pour the batter over the cookie crust.

 

And bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  The sides will be set, and the center will barely jiggle.

 

Allow the bars to set overnight before slicing into squares or bars.

Run the knife around the outside of the pan to loosen the cheesecake, before you slice the bars.

 

  

Y’all, these bars are so super simple to make, yet your friends and family will marvel at how effortless you make entertaining appear.

 See the note at the bottom of the recipe for freezing instructions.

Serves 8 to 12

2-16 oz.  packages             Chocolate Chip cookie dough

1-8 oz.   package               Cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1-15 oz.  can                      Pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

2           tsp.                       Pumpkin pie spice

½          tsp.                       Salt

1-14oz.  can                       Sweetened condensed milk

2                                      Eggs

1.        Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Put some flour on your hands, and use your fingers to evenly spread the two packages of cookie dough over the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan.

3.       Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden.  Allow the cookie crust to cool completely.

4.       Once the cookie crust has cooled completely, make the filling.  First; in a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the cream cheese until fluffy.

5.       Beat the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt into the cream cheese, until thoroughly mixed.

6.       Beat in the sweetened condensed milk.

7.       Beat in the eggs.  Use a spatula to scrape the bowl and be sure everything is combined.

8.       Pour the mixture into the pan over the cooled cookie crust.

9.       Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sides are set, and the center barely jiggles.

10.   Allow to cool and set overnight before cutting into bars.

*Note:  Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars can be made ahead and frozen!  Allow the pumpkin cheese cake to cool overnight. Cut it into bars.  Put the bars in single layer in a freezer proof container and freeze up to 6 weeks.  A day or two before you want to serve the bars put them into the refrigerator to thaw.

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PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE RICE KRISPIE TREATS

 My good friend Leigh called me to ask if I could baby sit; that her and Oscar had been invited out for a fancy dinner.  It is a week night so I would need to come over to their house.  I’ve had a busy week and no time to cook; if I don’t cook, I don’t have recipes, if I don’t have recipes, I don’t have a blog.  Well their daughter Sophia and I are great friends and we have a really good time together so I want to say yes, but I really need to have something to blog about.  I’ve got it…Sophia and I will cook together!  “Yes, I will come and hang with Sophia, and we’ll make Rice Krispie treats for my blog!” ( She’s almost 11 so it’s more hangin’ then babysitting).

The more I think about it, I more devious I become.  I have an even better plan; I will get Sophia to do all the work (heh, heh, heh… that’s my villainous laugh). 

I show up with my bag of ingredients. “Hey Soph, we’re gonna have a blast tonight.  You’re gonna make Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats and I will take photos of you.  Fun right?  Heh, heh, heh.”  (Oops did I laugh like that out loud?)  Leigh and Oscar leave their daughter with me; none the wiser to my scheme, although confused by the laugh.

Here is my plan in action…

First grease a 13 x 9x 2 inch pan with a lot of butter.

 

 Then put the butter and 1/3 cup of peanut butter into a large microwave safe bowl, or the top of a double boiler.

 

Microwave the butter and peanut butter for about 40 seconds on high.




 

When it has melted add the marshmallows and nuke for 1 ½ minutes on high, stirring after 45 seconds.

This is the butter, peanut butter and marshmallows, already melted.

 

Stir in 4 cups of Rice Krispies.  Mix really well.

Press the mixture evenly into the greased pan.  It helps to use your fingers to press it into the pan, just be sure to put a little butter on them first.

Melt the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of peanut butter in a small microwave safe dish, or the top of a double boiler. 

Microwave first for 30 seconds, stir; and then 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time.

 

Spread the chocolate evenly over the Rice Krispies.

The chocolate needs to set up before cutting into the Treats, so you can wait for an hour or so. 

 

I didn’t want to wait that long, so I put them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

By the time Sophia was done doing the dishes, they were ready to cut!

 

Really my scheme is a win for all of us.  Sophia had fun, and has a sense of accomplishment, her parents get to enjoy her delightful treats, I have a recipe for my blog and I didn’t have to any work!

Makes about 24 squares

¼             cup         Butter or margarine, plus some extra to grease the pan

1/3         cup         Peanut butter, smooth

1              bag         Marshmallows, 10 ½ ounce bag

4              cups       Rice Krispies cereal

3              Tbsp      Peanut butter, smooth

1              cup        Milk chocolate chips 

1.        Liberally grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with softened butter or margarine, use about a tablespoon.

2.       Melt the butter and 1/3 cup of peanut butter together either in the top of a double boiler;

*or use a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 40 seconds.

3.       Add the marshmallows to the melted peanut butter and butter, stir over the heat until melted;

      *or return to the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes, stirring after 45 seconds.

4.       Stir the Rice Krispies into the melted mixture, mix well.

5.       Press the mixture, evenly into the greased pan.  It is easier to press the mixture into the pan if you put a little butter on your fingers, and use your fingers.  Don’t press too hard.

6.       Melt the 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and the chocolate chips either in the top of a double boiler; or in the microwave. 

*In the microwave melt on high for 30 seconds then stir, and then put back in the microwave for only 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time.

7.       Pour the melted peanut butter and chocolate over the Rice Krispie treats and smooth out the chocolate to cover the entire surface.

8.       Cut into squares once the chocolate has set.  To speed up the setting of the chocolate, you can put the pan of treats into the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.


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