Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

After sitting around the hospital, waiting to see my new niece, all day, I had a lot of baking energy when I got home. And I had been planning what to make all day. I still had some chocolate chip cookies left from a few nights ago, and knew they'd make a great crumb crust. So, upon returning home, I went to work. The chocolate chip cookies worked great for a crumb crust, because they required little additional butter. The chocolate chips plus about a tablespoon of butter provided enough fat to get the crumb crust perfect, and I worked the filling out by taste.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz chocolate chip cookies
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 lb cream cheese
• 6 oz sugar
• 1 oz yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 5 oz chocolate chips
• 4 oz chocolate
• 2 oz heavy cream

Directions:

1. First, process the cookies in a food processor until they get to be fine crumbs, then drizzle in the butter and pulse until combined.
2. Press this into the bottom of an 8-Inch Square Baking Dish and preheat the open to 300 degrees F.
   
3. Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and yogurt together until smooth.
4. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Then mix in chocolate chips and pour onto the top of the crust.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until just set.
6. Cool fully.
7. Scald the cream in a small saucepan.
8. Pour over chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.
9. Immediately pour onto the top of the cheesecake bars. Allow to set, approximately 10 minutes.
10. Refrigerate or enjoy right away.

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Apple Oat Bars

I went to a family gathering this weekend, and there was no way I was going without a dessert. It took a few minutes' brainstorming, but I knew what I wanted to make: apple oat bars. Maybe it was being around family or maybe it was just a flashback, but when I first bit into one, I was reminded of the muffins with an apple oat topping my aunt used to get for us when we'd come visit. I loved them. I was 12 or so and didn't care much about food, but I couldn't stop raving about them. Then they changed. I knew they came from Costco, but when I finally convinced my parents to pick some up, they had changed somehow. I had almost forgotten about them, until yesterday when I sunk my teeth into these bars. Oh man were they delicious. I'm glad I snagged a piece and hid it away so I could take some pictures when I got back. I used an irregular sized baking dish for these, something like this. You can probably use a 9 by 13, but the bars will be a bit thick.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz quick oats
• 15 oz flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb brown sugar
• 12 oz butter, melted
• 2 lb granny smith apples, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3.5 oz sugar
• 2 oz butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and melted butter into a dough.
3. Press half of the dough into a baking dish lined with foil.
4. Toss together the apples, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl.
5. Spread the apples on top of the dough and place little chunks of butter on top of the apples.
6. Top with the rest of the dough and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
7. Let cool, refrigerate for 1-2 hours, and turn out and cut.

Enjoy on their own or topped with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce.

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