Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
This is perhaps the best thing I made this year. They are SO good. The best part is that you can have a small piece, & they're still satisfying.
Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen via the Cookin' Canuck
Ingredients
Crust
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter (melted)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
Filling
2 (8 oz. each) packages of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Reese's peanut butter cups, divided, cut into 6 pieces each
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.
The crust:
Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor (realize you need a bigger food processor) & pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, & salt.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
The filling:
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
[possible additional step:
1. realize you don't have an electric hand mixer & that your cream cheese isn't creaming in your stand mixer.
2. turn off oven
3. grab wallet & keys & run down to the car
4. drive to Target
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
5. realize half-way there that you took your wedding ring off so it didn't get all yucky baking & you didn't put it back on. Panic when you realize this is your first time in public in three years without a wedding ring on. Press onward anyway, instead of turning around to go home & get it.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
6. run into Target, purchase really nice hand mixer that is super on sale
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
7. drive back home]
Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream & vanilla extract until fully combined.
Fold cut up Reese's peanut butter cups into the cream cheese mixture. It's easier to do this with a spatula, not a mixer.
Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved
Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.
Bake until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken gently, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Place the pan on a cooling rack & allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil & refrigerate for at least 3 hours, & up to 24 hours.
Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil & cut into 16 bars.
Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese's peanut butter cup.
Makes 16 bars.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter (melted)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
Filling
2 (8 oz. each) packages of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Reese's peanut butter cups, divided, cut into 6 pieces each
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.
The crust:
Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor & pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, & salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
The filling:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters & sides of the bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream & vanilla extract until fully combined. Fold cut up Reese's peanut butter cups into the cream cheese mixture. It's easier to do this with a spatula, not a mixer.
Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly. Bake until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken gently, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Place the pan on a cooling rack & allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil & refrigerate for at least 3 hours, & up to 24 hours. Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil & cut into 16 bars.
Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese's peanut butter cup.
Makes 16 bars.
Previous treats-a-palooza:
Monday: chocolate covered everything
Tuesday: Gena's rockin' sugar cookies
Wednesday: a new spin on chocolate peppermint bark
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter (melted)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
Filling
2 (8 oz. each) packages of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Reese's peanut butter cups, divided, cut into 6 pieces each
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.
The crust:
Place graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor & pulse until the crackers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, & salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
The filling:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters & sides of the bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream & vanilla extract until fully combined. Fold cut up Reese's peanut butter cups into the cream cheese mixture. It's easier to do this with a spatula, not a mixer.
Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly. Bake until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken gently, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Place the pan on a cooling rack & allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil & refrigerate for at least 3 hours, & up to 24 hours. Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Gently remove the foil & cut into 16 bars.
Place bittersweet chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle chocolate over the bars, top each with a small chunk of a Reese's peanut butter cup.
Makes 16 bars.
Previous treats-a-palooza:
Monday: chocolate covered everything
Tuesday: Gena's rockin' sugar cookies
Wednesday: a new spin on chocolate peppermint bark
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