Why don’t I feel good about breaking that record?
Maybe because if I’m going to be a witness to record-breaking, I’d rather there be something more fun involved, like cheesecake eating. Has anyone ever broken a cheesecake-eating record? I’m sure. I’d like to be told about it, but please don’t send me any videos.
The upside of winter is that, like horrible phases your kids go through, it’s temporary. My daughter is going through this thing where she falls asleep in the car on the way home from school every day. Then she wakes up at home, starts screaming, makes me hold her and doesn’t calm down for an hour. It’s super fun.
But see, I’m a seasoned mom now, and I know that everything ends. And that’s both a blessing and a curse, because while her afternoon screeches will come to an end, so will her adorable baby cheeks. I mean, she’s almost three. They can’t stay around forever.
And neither can these cheesecake bars. I believe they disappeared in record time. And how could they not? They’re chock full of Tagalongs!
These bars begin with my peanut butter graham cracker crust, which is very simple. You just melt peanut butter chips along with the butter, and there you go. The crust is topped with a basic cheesecake batter which becomes beyond fun with the addition of chopped Tagalongs, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter-filled chocolate chips.
While I love using Girl Scout cookies for baking, I tend to use Tagalongs the most. After all, I’m a bona fide, die-hard peanut butter girl. So don’t be shocked if you see at least one more Tagalong recipe on here in the near future. But I’ll try to give Samoas some mo’ (get it?) love soon!
Cheesecake bars are always addictive, but these are above par, believe me. If you want to ensure that people will eat what you bake, this is it. In life, everything is temporary. It’s up to us to savor the good and realize that the bad is, well, a learning experience. How’s that for positivity on a Monday?
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter chips and butter for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Add the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs, stirring until moistened.
- Press the crumbs tightly and evenly into the prepared pan with a spatula. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla, beating until completely smooth.
- Fold in the chopped Tagalongs, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter-filled chips, reserving a few of each for the top. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan, smoothing out. Press the reserved chips/Tagalong pieces into the top lightly.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the bars sit in there until the oven cools.
- Remove and cool completely. Chill for 2-3 hours before cutting into squares.