100% CLEAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CHEESECAKE SQUARES

I have a new favorite...nyum nyum...get the pan AWAY from me before I eat it ALL!  THIS is a keeper.

• Crust :
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or GF flour or spelt
• 1 cup oats
• 1/4 cup sucanat or coconut/palm sugar
• 1 dash of sea salt
• 1/2 stick butter, melted (or use butter olive oil from Heavenly Olive Oils and Vinegars in LS, MO)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1-2 handfuls of chocolate chips or carob chips
• OPTIONAL:  for a nutritional boost, toss in some ground flax.

Preparation Instructions
Whisk together the dry crust ingredients. Stir in the wet crust ingredients until just blended. Press the crust into the sides and bottom of a 8x8 pan, using your fingers. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until the crust starts to look golden.  LET COOL IN FREEZER OR FRIG WHILE YOU PREPARE REST OF INGREDIENTS.  ADJUST OVEN TEMP TO 325.

Cookie Dough:
2 1/2 T. butter, room temp.
2 1/2 T. of coconut oil or unsweetened applesauce or combination of both
1/3 c.  sucanat (or coconut/palm sugar)
2 T. maple syrup
1/4 t. coarse sea salt
1 ts. vanilla extract
2/3 c. white whole wheat flour
2-3 handfuls of chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
5 oz. neufchatel cheese or low fat cream cheese, room temp. (do NOT use fat-free)
2/3 cup of FAGE (Greek strained yogurt)
2 T. c. maple syrup
1 egg white
1 t. vanilla extract




For cookie dough:
Using mixer and the paddle attachment, mix butter/oil/applesauce, sucanat, syrup, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Adjust mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

For cheesecake:
Using hand mixer, beat cream cheese and syrup until smooth. Add egg whtie and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.
Remove crust from freezer.  Pour batter into cooled, baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling. The dough isn't too crumbly so you'll have to squeeze/roll it if you want balls. I put in as many dough balls as I could, then just crumbled the rest over the top. It seems like a ton of cookie dough, but it is just so good, so go ahead and use it!
Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to chill several hours. (or you can be impatient like me and stick the entire thing in the freezer for an hour & a half and then proceed to the topping.)


Topping:
 2 T. chocolate chips
1/2 t. coconut oil


For the topping:
Combine the chocolate chips and coc oil and melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval; repeat until melted.

Drizzle over the bars before serving. Note: Bars will look better if you cut before drizzling -and use a sharp steak knife to cut.

COMPARE MY INGREDIENTS W/ ORIGINAL RECIPE (BELOW)


Recipe:
Crust:
1 & 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
5 T. butter, melted
2/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 T. butter, room temp.
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. coarse salt
1 ts. vanilla extract
3/4 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract


Topping:
1/3 c. chocolate chips 1 t. shortening