Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Bars Recipe

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F./160 degrees C. Line a 13-by 9-inch baking pan with foil. Crust: In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, and butter. Press into bottom of prepared baking pan and freeze. Filling: In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in peanut butter and melted chocolate . Mix in lemon juice and vanilla . Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour over frozen crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly. Topping: In a small bowl, combine sour cream , sugar, peanut butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour into center of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Sprinkle with chocolate chunks. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting into bars. Tip: Use a commercial creamy peanut butter. The natural peanut butters have too much oil for this recipe. Use a food processor to chop cookies into crumbs to the consistency of rough sand. Yield: 10 to 12 servings Recipe Source: 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary (Robert Rose) Reprinted with permission.