Chocolate Swirled Cheesecake Bars

There’s one thing that should be readily apparent by now to those who follow this blog with any regularity – lately, I really like desserts that can be made in bar form. So I figured, what better way to present a cheesecake than in bar form? It’s a relatively simple recipe and doesn’t even require a cheesecake pan – perfect for someone like myself who has never made a cheesecake before. I’m happy to report that the results were delicious, but come on – it’s cheesecake. Did you expect anything less?

Recipe adapted from Group Recipes

Difficulty: Medium
Active Prep Time: About 1½ hours
Total Prep Time: About 5 hours
Special Equipment: Food Processor, Stand Mixer
Serves: 10 – 20

Ingredients:

20 Oreo chocolate-filled sandwich cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
6 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.

2. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.

3. Place Oreos into a food processor and blend until there are no large chunks of cookie remaining.

4. In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter. Pour into the baking pan press firmly onto the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. While the crust bakes, use your stand mixer to beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended.

6. Add sour cream. Mix on medium speed until well blended.

7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until blended.

8. Scoop out 1 cup of the batter and set aside.

9. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat, stirring to avoid burning.

10. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter in large bowl. Pour over crust.

11. Top with the remaining 1 cup plain of batter. Cut through batters with knife several times for a swirled effect.

12. Bake 40 - 45 minutes, or until center is almost set.

13. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Store in refrigerator.