Graham Cracker Crust

As I announced a few weeks back after my break from blogging I started a new job back in August. It’s always a rough transition moving out of your comfort zone into something totally new. New environment. New responsibilities. New coworkers. Eek! It can be kind of nerve racking! Well the way I deal with nerves is food. Yes, I am an emotional eater! So I made a batch of these wonderful delicious bars but I couldn’t bear to eat them all so what did I do, I took them to work to share with my new co-workers. Way to bond and score some points at the new gig, right? Well these were a hit and I apologize that the recipe is 5 months late getting to you. Good news is I am still at my job so I must have made quite the impression with my tasty treats or maybe it’s my mad skills.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp butter, melted

CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

COOKIE DOUGH INGREDIENTS
5 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c flour
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

STEPS

Preheat oven to 325º.
Line a 8” x 8” baking dish with foil making sure there is enough to go up all four edges of the pan.
In a medium bowl mix together all of the graham cracker crust ingredients.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the baking pan using a spoon or backside of a spatula making sure that it is firmly packed.
Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
While the crust cools beat together all of the cheesecake ingredients on low speed until smooth.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt until well combined and smooth.
Add in the flour until well incorporated.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Sprinkle small clumps of the cookie dough over the top of the cheesecake mixture making sure to cover most of the dish.
Bake until the cookie dough looks cooked and the cheesecake has set, about 25–30 minutes.
Move the dish to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
Chill in the fridge for a few hours.
Remove the entire “bar” from the baking dish by holding onto the edges of the foil and lifting it from the pan.
Slice into small squares and eat up.

My name is Rebecca and I am a cheesecakeaholic. There I said it and boy does it feel good to get it off my chest. I love the stuff. Cherry cheesecake is my kryptonite. I could sit there and eat filling by the spoonful before it even hits the crust. One of the many reasons I LOVE this recipe is that it is quick and effortless to make. There is no need to wait for cooking and cooling for hours like a traditional cheesecake. This takes less than 20 minutes to make and just an hour to cool. It just doesn’t get any easier. The Cool Whip makes it incredibly light and fluffy unlike some of those dense baked cheesecakes. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! I have a feeling you just wont be able to get enough.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
½ c sugar
½ c butter (1 stick), melted
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
8 oz tub Cool Whip
3 c powdered sugar
2-21 oz cans cherry pie filling (I like the ones with more fruit)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350º.
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and stir until well mixed.
Pour the crumb mixture into a greased 9” x 13” baking dish.
Using the backside of a spatula press the mixture down to pack it into a thin crust.
Bake crust in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove crust from oven and allow to cool.
While crust is cooling use a hand mixer and beat together the cream cheese, cool whip, and powdered sugar until smooth.
Spread the cool whip mixture over the crust.
Next, spread the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese base.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Devourer!