Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

•1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
•5 tbls unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate chip cookie dough:

•5 tbls unsalted butter, room temp
•1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
•3 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•3/4 cup flour
•1 cup chocolate chips 

Cream cheese filling:

•10 oz cream cheese, room temp
•1/4 cup sugar
•1 large egg
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Directions:

•Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper allowing an over hang, and then spray with nonstick spray. 

•Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until well combined. Press the graham cracker crust in the prepared pan and bake for 6 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool. 

•While the crust is cooling, start making the chocolate chip cookie dough. Mix the butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer. Once well combined, mix in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and then set aside. 

•Now start to make the cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla until just incorporated. Pour the cheesecake better into the prepared crust. 

•Using your hand form the cookie dough into clumps. Flatten the clumps and distribute them on top of the cheesecake batter. Make sure to use all the cookie dough; you will end up covering almost all of the cheesecake batter. 

•Bake for 30 minutes until the cookie dough feels dry and firm and the entire pan feels set if you give it a shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. 

•Once completely cool lift the bars out by using the over hang. Slice into desired size and store in the fridgerator. 

Carrot Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

Carrot Cookies:

• 6 tbs of butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 18.25 oz Carrot Cake mix
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temp
• 3 tbs unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Carrot Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place powered sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside for later use. 

Combine butter, eggs, and carrot cake mix until there are no lumps. Roll the dough into balls (about one tablespoon) and coat in powdered sugar. Place on the cookie sheets leaving 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops have cracked and they look set. The centers will still look slightly gooey. Once pulled out of the oven let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

Cream butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon. Add powdered sugar and beat until well combined. 

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag or directly onto the cooled carrot cookies. If using a piping bag pipe a dollop of frosting into the center of the cookie and then sandwich together. 

Serve immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.