Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

 I am at 3rd week of "maidless" days, so far still coping well. Although is exhausted but I am perfectly fine with physically tire comparing to the mentally stress that I had been thru for the past 9 months with the fights between mil and domestic helper. During that period, I was in mixed feeling, looking forward to go home after work and see my little kicker but at the same time, felt so stressed cos may need to listen to the complaints from mil or domestic helper or even both of them.

So at least I am free from these complaints now but of course, stress with sourcing domestic helper, is really not easy to get one now. Another helper threw in white tower when she was on the way to my place with the agent, she didn't even step into my house to meet us yet! The domestic helpers are more choosey and fussier than employers!

Another cut queue post, need to post this up 1st as I have received requests for recipe. Especially for my department gal since she is organising a birthday celebration for her boy, so she want to include this cookie dough cheesecake bar in her party menu.

I baked this for my little kicker's 1st birthday celebration, the dinner started at 5pm and I baked this only at 2pm plus while I was still rushing for the decoration of the Lightning McQueen car cake. Dear husband frowned when he saw me rushing like crazy woman, he said I should have forget about baking this and just focus on the birthday cake. As usual I turned a deaf ear lol, I just carried on with my baking.

Actually this cheesecake bar is really easy to prepare even though it looks like a lot of steps. I let it chilled for 1 hr before asking dear husband to slice into squares for me. When he was slicing, he was complaining that the digestive biscuit base was hard, the cheesecake and cookie portion was fragile, it will crack into pieces when slicing so he had to be extremely careful with the slicing. However I saw his expression changed when he put one small broken piece into his mouth, he said "wow, very very nice!" I told him "Luckily I never listen to you not to bake it!" Hahaha.....

Recipe adapted from Bisousatoi and My Baking Addiction, originated from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook.

Ingredients :
Crust :
1 1/2 cups digestive biscuits (crushed)
5 tbsp or 70g unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough :
5 tbsp (70g) salted butter, room temperature (I used salted butter)
1/3 cup (65g) packed light brown sugar (I cut down to 55g)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt (I omit since used salted butter)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used 1/2 tsp vanilla powder)
3/4 cup (85g) flour
1 cup chocolate chips
 
Cheesecake Filling :
10 oz (285g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (55g) sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tspn pure vanilla extract (I used 1/2 tsp vanilla powder)

Methods :
1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and grease the pan. Set aside. (As I am using removable base baking pan so I didn't line the baking paper)

2. Mix the melted butter and digestive biscuit 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. Do not turn your oven off.

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.

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. Using your hand to form clumps. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

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.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Verdict?
The married of digestive biscuit base and cheesecake and cookie dough are perfectly match. The crunchy digestive biscuit with creamy cheesecake plus the buttery, chocolaty cookies dough, really taste heavenly. This bar is highly addictive, I promised you will not be able to stop at just one piece! I received so much compliments during the party, I have guests who were so full but still forced themselves to squeeze in another piece, and one more piece and the last piece (hahahah...funny right) cos is just simply too delicious. I baked 3 times in total, to share with my colleagues and also dear husband that had requested for his colleagues too. During the distribution of the bars, my sales directors were actually on the way to attend meeting but they turned back to ask for 2nd serving lol. Everyone given thumbs up.