Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars - 2 Ways

If you have a lover of cookies and cream ice cream in your house.

If you open a package of Oreos, then turn around and they are gone.

If cheesecake a one of the main food groups on your household.

Then this is a recipe for you!

I got this recipe from Recipe Girl.  I have made it several times and it is always a hit.  Once, I converted it from squares into a cheesecake.  That rocked also.  And now, I have taken it a step further. 



But, first... here is the original recipe.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars

1 pound Oreo Cookies
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
24 ounces, Cream Cheese, at room temperature (3 pkgs)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups Sour Cream at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 whole large eggs, at room temperature

1.  Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

2.  Crust:  place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground.  Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened.  Place the cookie-crumb mixture int eh lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom.   Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling.

3.  Snap the rest of the cookies in half, put them into the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.  Set aside.

4.  Filling:  In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform.  Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt.  Scrape down the bowl and mix again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined.  Stir in chopped Oreos.

5.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan.  Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.  When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at leas 3 hours.  Best when chilled overnight.

6.  To cut, use the foil overhang to left the cheesecake out fo the pan and place on a large cutting board.  use a sharp chef's knife to cute the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it driy between each cut.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yield: 24 bars
Note:  Double Stuffed Oreos do not work as well for this recipe.  


As if these aren't absolutely fabulous all on their own, I had to mess with them and came up with....

Oh yes I did!!



Mint Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars!!! 

The variation is simple.

1.  Use mint Oreo cookies instead of regular Oreos.
2.  Use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon mint flavoring
3.  Add two drops of green food coloring if you desire the minty appearance.

The mint flavor is just right.  Distinctly mint without being over powering of the other flavors.

You know you want some.

This morning while I photographing the bars, I place them on a wooden bench in front of my french doors to maximize my natural light.  I turned around to put one of my models back in it's container, and when I turned back, there was one of my cats, chowing down on some mint cookies and cream cheesecake.  I had forgotten that cats like mint.  It didn't even occur to me that the little rascal would be interested in dessert.

Of course, my first instinct was to shoo the cat away from what was about to be my breakfast (look away all nutritionists) instead of catching her on camera.

So there you have it.  It's cat approved.