Marbled Cheesecake Bars

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 ounces chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces (ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (they are to go in the crust)
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325ºf.
• 2 crust:.
• 3 combine flour, pecans, butter or margarine, and brown sugar; mix well.
• 4 press the mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 8" or 9" square baking pan.
• 5 bake 15-16 minutes, or until light golden brown.
• 6 let cool while preparing batter.
• 7 batter:.
• 8 melt the chocolate (broken into 1" pieces)in a double boiled over hot, but not boiling, water, water.
• 9 stir the chocolate occasionally until smooth.
• 10 set aside.
• 11 in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended.
• 12 add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after.
• 13 remove 1 cup batter and reserve.
• 14 add the melted chocolate to the mixing bowl and combine.
• 15 spoon the chocolate batter over the crust.
• 16 pour the 1 cup of reserved plain batter over the chocolate batter.
• 17 using the blade of a butter knife, swirl the batter to create a marbled effect.
• 18 bake 30-35 minutes, or until center is set.
• 19 place the pan on wire rack and cool to room temperature.
• 20 cover, and transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill, approximately 3 hours.
• 21 store in covered in refrigerator.