Chocolate Cheesecake Bars - Do I have your attention?!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BARS

¾ cup water
1/3 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 ½ squares Baker’s UNSWEETENED chocolate
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking SODA
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
½ cup reduced fat/low fat sour cream

Cream Cheese Mixture:
1 package reduced fat/Neufachel cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz) milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips (if you are a true chocoholic and buy in bulk, a couple handfuls should do it)

In small saucepan, combine the water, butter and chocolate. Cook and stir over LOW heat until melted. Stir until smooth and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add egg, egg white and sour cream. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate mixture until smooth.

In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg white and vanilla. Set aside.

Spread chocolate batter into a 15”x10” pan, coated with nonstick cooking spray or Smart Balance or Crisco Trans Fat Free shortening. Drop the cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls (I use a teaspoon and plop all over, and spreading a little bit, not swirling. I want that cream cheese on top!). Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool. But they taste great slightly warm. Yield about 4 dozen (yeah, right. Cut yourself a 2”x2” piece and just be done with it.). You can also wrap and freeze these, too.

Source: Taste of Home Best Light Recipes, 2006, page 128