St. Patrick's Chocolate & Mint Cheesecake Bars
photo: allrecipes.com
St. Patrick's Chocolate & Mint Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients:
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix with pudding (such as Betty Crocker® Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese flavored frosting (such as Betty Crocker® Rich and Creamy)
- 3 eggs
- 6 drops green food coloring, or as needed
- 3 drops creme de menthe candy flavoring (such as Wilton®), or as needed
- 1 (10 ounce) package dark chocolate and mint chips (such as Nestle® Toll House® Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Beat cake mix and butter with an electric mixer on low speed in a bowl until crumbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside 1 cup for topping.
- Press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
- Place in preheated oven and bake until edges begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
- Beat cream cheese and frosting with an electric mixer on medium speed in a bowl until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drop eggs one at a time into the cream cheese mixture and beat until blended, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in 6 drops green food coloring, or more for a darker color; beat until color is blended, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in creme de menthe candy flavoring until thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes. Taste and add more flavoring if needed.
- Pour batter over the chocolate crust in the 9x13 pan.
- Sprinkle 1 cup reserved crumb mixture over cheesecake batter.
- Top with 1 cup chocolate and mint morsels; reserve remaining morsels for finishing touches.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until set, 42 to 45 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and cool completely.
- Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
- Pour reserved chocolate and mint morsels into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave morsels in 45 second intervals; stir until completely melted and smooth.
- Pour melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag.
- Clip a small bottom corner of the bag. Gently squeezing the bag, drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cake through the clipped corner.
- Cut cake into bars to serve.
original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/st-patricks-chocolate--mint-cheesecake-bars/detail.aspx