As I’ve mentioned before, Son loves cheesecake in pretty much any flavor. I wanted to make some bar cookies and he wanted something”peanut butter”. I have to admit I think I’m finally rubbing off on him because when I asked if he wanted a chocolate layer on top, he said “how about a drizzle.” So here you have it, a peanut butter cookie layer, covered by a peanut butter cheesecake layer, with a drizzle of chocolate on top (and I doubled the crust recipe and made a few peanut butter cookies on the side).

 Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars                              

CRUST         

 1/4         tsp          baking soda         

 1/4         tsp          baking powder         

 1/4         tsp          table salt         

 1/4         lb            butter (1 sticks), salted         

 1             cup         packed dark brown sugar         

 1/2         cup         peanut butter         

 1                            egg         

1             tsp          vanilla extract         

                               FILLING         

 2                            (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened                                                

 1             cup         brown sugar firmly packed         

 1/3         cup         peanut butter         

 3             Tbs         all-purpose flour         

 4                            eggs         

 1/2         cup         milk         

                               CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE         

 1/4         cup         heavy (whipping) cream         

 4             ounces  Good Quality Bittersweet Chocolate         

 1/2-1     cup         peanuts to sprinkle on top         

 Procedure         

 CRUST         

 1.            Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.         

 2.            Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.         

 3             Mix butter until creamy, then add brown sugar beating until fluffy.  Add peanut butter and mix, then add the egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix.         

 4.            Place dough into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, flattening to cover the entire surface.         

 5.            Bake for about 10 minutes until firm, but not fully baked.         

 FILLING         

 1             While the crust is baking, mix cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and flour together until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, then milk mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared crust.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature to 250 and bake for 35-40 minutes longer.  The top should be firm but not brown, with a little jiggle in the center (not much though).  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.          

 CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (GANACHE)         

 1             In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream to just below boiling, about 1 minute.  Add the chocolate and stir gently until melted and smooth.  Drizzle over the top of the bars.         

2             Refrigerate for several hours to overnight, then slice into small squares (it is very rich).                

Servings: 24