Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

I've seen a few versions of this recipe floating around and I'd really been looking forward to trying it out. Normally I prefer my cheesecakes to have strawberry or cherry as a component instead of chocolate, but these were very tasty. ;) It spoke to the inner chocolate lover I tell you.

I forget who posted this recipe on one of the lj food groups....I tinkered with it a bit of course. ;)

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one sleeve)
  
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
  
• 2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter. Stir in chips. Make sure your butter was cooled or else you will melt the chocolate chips when you add them....which is why I ended up with a chocolate crust ehehehehe. Press into greased 9 inch pan and bake 5 minutes at 325.

Cookie Dough

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in salt and vanilla. Mix in flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Cheesecake Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add in egg and vanilla. Spread filling over crust. Dot the top of the filling with spoonfuls of the cookie dough. Bake for 25 to 30 mins until set. Cool. Garnish with stripes of milk chocolate. (I am think caramel would make a wonderful garnish as well) Chill.