Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cheesecake Bars

For a recent lab BBQ (I know hard to believe but even us lab rats have fun outside -gasp!) I was in charge of bringing the sweet stuff. For a group of 13 people with varied tastes this can be a daunting task, so instead of trying something new and wild I decided to try something new yet tried and true - Cheesecake Bars courtesy of Bakerella.

Who can say no to cheesecake - especially cheesecake with a delicious cookie crust topped with a decadent chocolate ganache - apparently my advisor - oops sorry boss! -  but hopefully the rest of the lab would approve!
As with most cheesecakes, the first order of business was the crust. Bakerella suggests Biscoff cookies, the ones that are served on airplanes and I must say great choice.


It was such a great choice that I may or may not have (but definitely did) purchased an extra package in case I got munchy made a mistake.

Next these yummy little guys needed to be pulverized into crumbs, due to the fact I am a poor, lowly grad student who does not have a food processor, I turned to a method I am very familiar with to get the job done - elbow grease.


Please note my awesome ring acquired on a recent trip to Nashville and please ignore what is left of my nail polish (sorry mom).

These freshly crushed cookie crumbs were mixed with brown sugar and butter and patted down into the base of a 9x13 pyrex and then set to the side.

I then mixed up a deliciously smooth batter which included these eggs, of which I took a painfully artsy photo and feel pretty darn proud of it.


Very nice

Smooth, creamy, and delicious

This batter was poured over the cookie crust and then it was thrown into the oven until it looked and smelled done.


Beautiful - there is something very fulfilling to me about pulling a freshly baked good out of the oven - a small victory.

I then covered my small victory in a thick layer of chocolate ganache


It looked glorious, so I oohed and aahed over it and then decided it was time to cover it with plastic wrap, stick it in the fridge, and get my tired self to bed...so i did...kind of...


Thankfully when there is that much chocolate involved no one notices or cares

These bars were enjoyed by labmates and loved ones and me! On to the next experiment!

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