Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake Bars

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

Are you one of those people who, like me, had thought that cheesecake and chocolate are not possible together?

Well, then I have something to tell you.

Something very important.

Something enlightening!

Dear friends, cheesecake and chocolate ARE possible to exist together.

SO possible.

Beyond possible!

Finger-licking possible!

Let me show you…

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

These are our lovely ingredients.
chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

1. First, place the first three ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer…

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

2. …and beat them at medium-low speed until combined.

Then increase the speed to medium, and beat until well blended and crumbly.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

3. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch (33 x 22 cm) pan.

A good trick is to use the bottom part of a measuring cup or a glass to do that.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

4. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

This is a lovely, delicious and easy substitute for crushed wafers that are often used in cheesecake recipes.

Cool, huh?

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, cheesecake filling

5. Now, let’s make the cheesecake filling.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat at medium speed until creamy.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, add the eggs

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition.

7. Finally, add the sour cream, vanilla, and one cup of the chocolate chunks.

Beat just until blended.

Of course, you can use chocolate chips instead of the chunks.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, pour the cheesecake mixture over the baked crust

8. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the baked crust.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, using a spoon or an offset spatula, even out the surface

9. And using a spoon or an offset spatula, even out the surface.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, bake

10. Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for about 25 minutes or until set.

 

11. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, melt the rest of your chocolate chunks

12. Then melt the rest of your chocolate chunks.

Microwave oven will work just fine.

(Oh, and use microwave friendly dishes, please. The one in the picture hadn’t gone to the microwave oven. If it had, things would have gotten sparkly… I guess. Don’t ask me how I know. Please.)

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures, stir the melted chocolate until smooth, then drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake

13. Stir the melted chocolate until smooth. Then drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake.

 

14. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Then cut into bars.

Also, I’ve found out that it’s fine to reheat the bars in the microwave oven for a little while before serving. That way the chocolate will melt slightly making the whole eating experience even more divine.

chocolate chunk cheesecake bars recipe with step by step pictures

Enjoy, dear friends.

 

(This lovely recipe was adapted from here. The recipe makes about 14 3×1.5-inch (8 x 4 cm) bars. The recipe takes about 1 hour to prepare and about 4 hours to chill. And the whole thing takes about 10 minutes to eat. Funny but true.)

Tea Cookies

These bite-sized cookies are perfect for having with tea.

(Psst, coffee is all right too.)

They taste wonderful and are very, very simple to make.

I like to prepare them when my sugar craving strikes out of the blue. Or when friends call unexpectedly saying they will come soon.

These cookies just save lives.

Here’s the list of ingredients.

1. To make your own Tea Cookies, first preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

2. Sift the flour and sugars into a larger bowl.
 

3. Add the softened butter, two egg yolks and lemon zest…
 

4. …and use pastry cutter or just a plain fork to turn the ingredients into a crumbly mixture.

 

5. Then use your hands to form a ball.

Like this one.

Though creating a face is not necessary.

But it helps.

Kidding!

But it really does.

Kidding again!

 

Now I’d like to tell you this: Please, be patient when you find yourself in the phase in-between the crumbs and the dough ball. It only takes patience and trust that those crumbs will eventually come together. Give it five minutes or so and you’ll see success!
 

6. Place the dough ball on a very, very lightly floured surface.

This dough is almost not sticky at all so you really need very little flour, if any.

And besides that, the more flour you’d be using the firmer the cookies would get. And we don’t need that.

 

7. Using the palms of your hands, roll the dough until you form a log which is about 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) wide in diameter.

 

8. Then cut the log into about 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick rounds.

9. Place the rounds onto the sheet and bake in the preheated oven (350 °F – 175 °C) for 10 minutes.

The cookies should still be very pale in color when baked.

10. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Enjoy, dear friends.

(This recipe makes about 30 cookies and will take you about 40 minutes to make.)

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