Crazy About Cookie Dough

It's baking week around here!  Hooray!

I made quite a mess in my kitchen yesterday as I prepared baked goodies for the Teacher Appreciation Lunch at Caroline's school.  I made two things:  cookie dough cheesecake bars and peach cobbler bars.




For the sake of not going into photo overload in this post, we'll just talk about the cookie dough cheesecake bars today.

Because who doesn't love cookie dough?

I should also add that instead of pulling out Ebony, my faithful Kitchen Aid mixer, I used Ebony's under appreciated and oft forgotten step sister, the hand mixer.

With no offense intended to my beloved Ebony, I just didn't feel like hoisting her out of her resting spot and cleaning any extra equipment.

I've made these cheesecake bars several times before; it's hard to go wrong with a tried and true recipe.

Especially one that starts with a graham cracker crust.

You know what is better than a graham cracker crust?

A chocolate chip graham cracker crust.


This is a messy recipe.  And one that requires the dirtying of many, many bowls.  It's worth it, though.  Trust me.

Next up:  make the cookie dough:

And roll into little balls.

It's tedious, for sure, but again, totally worth it.  Especially when you sneak a few dough balls as you're rolling.  They're egg free, so no worries for the food police type.  Like me.

The cheesecake filling is next.  This is where Ebony's step sister came in handy.  She may not be as pretty or as powerful, but she did the trick.  Even hand mixers need love every now and then.

Then we fill the crust,

top with dough balls

and admire the beauty of such a creation.

Baking happens.  Then there is cooling time.

Next up?  Drizzle!

I went a little overboard on the drizzle, but I can't help it.  Drizzle, like glaze, makes all things better.

Amen.

The pan must chill for several hours and then we can cut into squares.

Behold the beauty of a cookie dough cheesecake  bar.

 I hope the teacher's liked them.  Especially because my kitchen was destroyed in the creation of this dessert; I'm not sure it'll ever be the same.  But you know, given the amount of time and attention they give our kids, they deserve so much more than some baked ziti and a cheesecake bar.  I'll happily mess up my kitchen every day if it means Caroline is getting a great education from fun and caring teachers.

I'm so thankful for her school and for her teachers. 

Tomorrow we'll talk about peach cobbler bars.