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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The most viewed recipe on FoodGawker: A review

If you've ever visited the site FoodGawker (which my traffic stats tell me you probably have), you've probably seen these cookies. They're the kinda funny looking square chocolate chip cookies which are (as of this post) the most visited link from the site, and the third most favorited. So I had to try them.

Recipe can be found here.

I followed the recipe exactly (which I rarely do) and the cookies looked beautiful.

The taste, though, is not for me. I'm not a big shortbread fan. Shortbread is dry and doesn't have a lot of flavor. And, honestly, these cookies were just like every other shortbread I've tried. If you like shortbread, you might love these. I, however, did not. That's not to say anything bad about the cookies, they're just not my cup of tea.

Have you tried these? What're your thoughts?

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Egg Custard Tarts

A week or so ago, a friend sent me a link to Serious Eats' write-up on the best egg custard tarts in New York. I knew I wanted to make them right away. I've never had one, but they sounded not-too-sweet and absolutely delicious. But alas, I was neck deep in my series on cake and they got put off. Until today.

These were nice and easy (since I already had puff pastry in the freezer) and were a great late-afternoon project. The filling recipe makes enough filling for about a pound of puff pastry, rolled to about 1/4 inch thick, not counting the scraps.

Makes: Approximately 9 tarts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb puff pastry, thawed
• 4 oz water
• 4 oz evaporated milk
• 1.5 oz sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch thick and cut rounds approximately 3 inches across (or use tartlet pans). Place the puff pastry into muffin tins, stretching the dough as little as possible. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Fill shells with custard to about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until custard is set.

Have you ever had these before? What's your favorite thing about egg custard tarts?

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