Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars

By srumbel

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars are the perfect blend of cookie and cheesecake into one easy to hold bar cookie. Grab a glass of milk…you are going to need it! Dark chocolate cookie bars with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake baked inside makes a great dessert for any dinner.

from insidebrucrewlife

Ingredients

• For the Cookies
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• For the Cheesecake
• 1 cream cheese, softened (8 oz.)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 12 Reese's peanut butter cups, frozen and chopped
• For the Topping
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon shortening

Details

Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 70mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Sift together the salt, baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder. Slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
Press half the dough into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and peanut butter and beat again. Stir in the chopped Reese's peanut butter cups by hand. Pour over the top of the dough in the pan. Take spoonfuls of the leftover cookie dough and flatten in your hands. Place on top of the cheesecake gently. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 hours, then refrigerate until cool completely. Cut into 24 bars.
Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat 30 seconds and stir. Repeat for 15 seconds if needed. Spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic baggie and cut one tip off. Drizzle over the tops of the cheesecake bars. Let set. Keep refrigerated. Makes 24 cookie bars.