May 12, 2012

S'mores Cheesecake Bars

Did you know that May 6th was "International No Diet Day"?  That is my kind of holiday!  A day to eat whatever you want and not have to feel guilty about it (at least until the next day when your pants are too tight)! 

I wanted to make a dessert.  I was trying to decide what the most decadent dessert was?  In my opinion, it is cake and frosting.  I searched through my millions of cake recipes I have in my "to make" stack, but nothing was standing out at that moment?

Then, I was thinking maybe I would make some homemade ice cream or a homemade pie, but still nothing was hitting the spot. . . until someone at work mentioned a cheesecake!  

A cheesecake, huh?  That is not a bad idea.  I have only made one real cheesecake in the past few years.  I consider  cheesecake the kind of dessert you save for a special occasion and "International No Diet Day" was that special occasion.  Maybe you could have "Mother's Day" be your special occasion this Sunday?  Or even Father's Day?
These cheesecake bars were so easy to throw together.  You don't have to worry about cooking them in a water bath or worry that the top is going to crack, because it will be covered with marshmallows.  I loved that you can pick up a square and eat it.  No forks needed.  The graham cracker crust was delicious.  The filling is thick and creamy with a slight tang from the sour cream and has just a light chocolate flavor.  The mallows and chocolate drizzle turn these into the dessert we all love - a S'more!     
S'mores Cheesecake Bars

For the crust:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs (one package)
1 Tbl. sugar
4 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used milk)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tbl. sour cream
1/2 c. marshmallow cream
2 tsp. cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the topping:
1 1/2 - 2 c. mini marshmallows
melted milk chocolate chips, for drizzling on top

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8x8" baking pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork until well combined.  Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚ F.

To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and marshmallow cream.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and eggs until incorporated.  Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until the center is just set (does not jiggle when shaken gently.)  Remove from the oven.
Evenly top the cheesecake layer with the mini marshmallows.  Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough so the marshmallows begin to melt into each other.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the tops of the marshmallows.  (Alternatively, this can be done underneath the broiler with a very watchful eye.)  Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, drizzle with melted milk chocolate if desired.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill 2-3 hours before slicing and serving (I refrigerated overnight). 

adapted from: Annie's Eats originally from: Visions of Sugar Plum

Jenn's Notes: I am a huge milk chocolate fan, so I used some milk chocolate candy bars for both the filling and the drizzle on top.  I personally did not think these were too sweet with the milk chocolate, but I like sweet things.  I thought these bars were super easy to make and they tasted great for several days!    

23 comments:

  1. These look so yummy! I love cheesecake but I love it even more when it's in bar form - that way I can just walk past the kitchen and glad a bar without anyone seeing. :P

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  2. I think every day should be International No Diet Day! :)

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  3. I just went through several posts...saw wonderful sweet treats. Hurray for International No Diet Day. I missed it, so I choose my own day a do a make up. I also saw you Kneaders recipe for cookies...I'm in Utah,too. Fun find. Thanks.

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  4. Yum! They look so good Jenn! I am a huge fan of milk chocolate too! I love your blog...I have visited here before and your recipes look so good! Angie xo

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  5. Oh my gosh! Those look absolutely out of this world!! My mouth is watering :)
    Jennelise

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  6. So lovely and rats! I missed No Diet Day. Let me just make a note...

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  7. I have a S'More Bar I made up, but adding the thought of cheesecake is just amazing. Sounds so good. Jodi @ www.meaningfulmama.com

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  8. These look soooooooo delicious
    I just love s'mores bars and adding the cheese is a fantastic idea

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  9. Oh, I want one of these! (Or, more accurately, the whole pan.) Delish!

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  10. This looks so scrumptious! Thanks for the recipe. I pinned it. Linda

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  11. those look so much easier to eat than traditional s'mores. i end up cracking the cracker and then having marshmallow stuck all over my face. not pretty.

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  12. These look so good! I love anything that has to do with s'mores :)

    I would love it if you would link up at Watch Out, Martha!’s link up party: Martha Mondays, going on now! Hope to see you there!
    http://www.watchoutmartha.net/2012/05/martha-monday-link-up-party_13.html

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  13. Can we start a petition to make *every* day no-diet day? :) I could definitely eat these every day!

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  14. Perfect little treat, who could resist!?

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  15. I just found out that we are going to inlaws tonight for dinner. This is what I am makin to bring for dessert. Thanks as always for the amazing ideas.

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  16. These look incredible and I'm so making them this weekend. Pinned!

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  17. holy crap Jenn! These bars look delicious! I just LOVE s'mores anything. PS: I love love love your blog name. ha! :)

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  18. YUM and double yum!! These look amazing! Thanks for sharing them at the {what's shakin' link party}!!

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  19. Oh wow these look amazing. International No Diet day sounds like my kind of day! I would love if you would share this and any other posts at Showcase Your Talent Thursday http://whatscookinglove.blogspot.com/2012/05/showcase-your-talent-thursday-7.html. I hope to see you there!

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  20. Mmmmm these bars look WONDERFUL!!!! Absolutely delicious looking! I like your blog name too, I wish I could eat cake for dinner every night!

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  21. These look so good - without having to cook them over a fire!! We are so glad you came to another week of our fun "Strut Your Stuff Saturday". Please join us again! -The Sisters

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  22. These look so wonderfully decadent! Definitely something I could sink my teeth into ;) Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!

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