Chocolate Chip Cookie and Cream Cheese Dessert

Today I was craving for something.  I didn’t know exactly what I wanted;  something a little chewy, maybe something a little creamy.  I was in luck because I had on hand a roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, AND a package of low-fat cream cheese that was just about at it’s “use by” date.  The question was how to combine those two ingredients into some kind of a dessert that would satisfy my craving.

Full disclosure:  I have never made this dessert before and in fact I couldn’t find a recipe for guidance, so what I am about to describe was purely an experiment.  As with any good mystery you won’t find out how it all turned out until the end,  so hang in there with me.

I started by slicing the cookie dough just like you do to make cookies,

Cookie Dough sliced as if to make cookies.

but then decided to use them to make a crust in a shallow baking dish. I placed the slices close together on the bottom of the bake dish, pressing them with my fingers so they completely covered the bottom,  then I cut some of the remaining slices in half and stood them up around the sides,  so the baking dish now had a shell of cookie dough.

Line a baking dish with the cookies to make a shell.

When this was completed I still had some slices of dough left.

Cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla; ingredients for the filling.

Next I placed the block of cream cheese in a mixer bowl and with my hand mixer, whipped it smooth, adding an egg, some sugar and vanilla.

Beat filling ingredients with a beater till smooth.

Then I poured this mixture into the lined baking dish.  On top of this I placed as many of the remaining cookie slices as I could fit, snug against each other, and where there were small openings I broke up the remaining few slices and put them into the spaces.

Cover filling with remaining sliced cookies.

What I had now was shell of chocolate chip cookie dough with a cream cheese center.   Into the oven it went at 350* for 30 minutes.  At the end of that time the center tested “wet” and was jiggly, so I gave it another 10 minutes.  Testing it again indicated that it was cooked.  Oh, I must tell you that the aroma coming from the oven was wonderful.  My husband asked  “what are you making?—–when will it be ready to have some?”   I too was anxious to cut into it and give it a taste,  but I was a little too anxious;  the pieces were still soft, and they broke.  This dessert needs to cool completely before cutting.  It firmed up and cut more cleanly after I chilled it in the refrigerator.

Mouth-watering aromas came from the oven while this was baking.

The verdict ?     We loved it!    I got just what I had been craving:  a chewy cookie crust with a creamy cheesecake-like center.  Because I made it in an 8-inch round baking dish I cut it into wedges for serving.  I think it could also be made in an 8 – inch square pan in which case you would cut it into squares for serving.

This cut nicely after chilling.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE AND CREAM CHEESE DESSERT

YIELD:   Serves 6 – 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package refrigerated slice and bake chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 8 ounce package reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 – 4 Tablespoons sugar

Grease or lightly spray an 8 – inch round or square baking dish.

Slice the cookie dough as directed on the package  (about 1/4 inch thick slices).  Place as many slices as will fit in the bottom of the baking dish, pressing with your fingers, to make a solid bottom crust.  Next cut some of the slices in half and stand them up around the edges of the dish, rounded edges up.

In a small mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, vanilla and sugar till smooth. Pour over the cookie crust base.

Using the remaining cookie slices place them over the filling, and cut some into halves and quarters to fill the spaces.  If there are small openings where the filling shows through, that ‘s OK.  It looks nice when its baked.

Place into a preheated 350*F  oven and bake for 40 minutes.   Test with a toothpick for doneness.  Let cool at room temperature, then chill before serving.

Who’s to say you can’t top this with a dollop of whipped cream?

SOURCE:   A Carolyn Original