Gooey Bars (aka Cream Cheese Bars)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Gooey Bars (aka Cream Cheese Bars)

I have no idea what these bars should actually be called or where this recipe really came from… It’s likely to have come on the back of a cream cheese box for all I know. (Actually, Google helped me to find this recipe which is the same). This is another recipe that my family loves. My sisters practically know this recipe by heart. Similar to the “best dang thing ever bars”, my sisters also prefer to underbake these bars, hence the name gooey bars. I tend to like my bars fully cooked so they hold their shape better. If you prefer an even gooier texture, take these out of the oven a couple minutes early.

I know some of you will shudder at the thought of using a box cake mix. I agree that in general, I would much rather make a cake/cookie/brownie from scratch. For starters, it’s a lot more fun as a baker to measure everything out and follow a recipe that has more than two steps. Not to mention knowing exactly what is in your food (and being able to pronounce it all!) I do however believe that boxed cake mix has a time and a place. One of those places being in this bar.

These bars taste almost like a cheesecake with a great chewy shortbread crust. Everyone that tried one really enjoyed them and Hubby ate an embarassingly large number of these bars.

Gooey Bars

Yield: 30

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
1 8-oz package cream cheese

Directions:

Mix cake mix, margarine & 1 egg with fork. Press into bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan, set aside.

Beat powdered sugar, cream cheese and 2 eggs for 4 or 5 minutes. Pour over cake mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Recipe from my step mom

Don’t forget – I’m offering a chance to win a cute tote if you donate $5 or more to my Avon Walk by the end of January. See details here.

Bars and Brownies, Dessert, Family Favorites

27 comments »

12 Responses to “Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies”

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1

Fun and Fearless in Beantown — January 3, 2011 at 5:40 pm

I love, love, love how serious your distinction is between chewy puffy vs. chewy thin vs. crispy thin cookies. It makes me smile.
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2

Jen — January 3, 2011 at 5:57 pm

Like I said, I’m weird about cookies 🙂
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3

Cupcake Activist — January 3, 2011 at 6:02 pm

I love molasses and chocolate chip cookies. Great idea to put them together. I like chewy thin cookies.
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4

Blog is the New Black — January 3, 2011 at 6:27 pm

I don’t like flat cookies, either! i like fat, soft ones! (TWSS)
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5

Daisy — January 3, 2011 at 6:37 pm

If f anyone is entitled to be weird abotu cookies it is you. these look yummy, I’m all about flat and chewy!
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6

Megan — January 3, 2011 at 7:36 pm

One of my co-workers makes a ginger chocolate chip cookie that I was surprised to find I liked. These seem like they’d be similar.
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7

Shannon — January 4, 2011 at 12:13 am

sometimes responses from friends and family is all you need! there’s always the next batch for you to love 🙂
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innochkaskitchen — January 4, 2011 at 2:39 am

Hmmm so I love chocolate chip cookies…and my husband LOVES molasses cookies…I wonder if this is our perfect compromise…
Great recipe!
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9

cookingwhims — January 4, 2011 at 2:28 pm

These look and sound amazing–I’ll have to try these 🙂
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10

ann — January 4, 2011 at 4:11 pm

These look great. It’s hard to find a good Molasses Cookie.
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11

Jo — January 15, 2011 at 8:13 pm

I love these cookies because I am the worst person at remembering to take butter out to soften and with these I don’t have to worry about that. I made my first batch with milk chocolate chips and my second with butterscotch chips (since my FIL can’t have chocolate) and they were both wonderful. The 8 year old finds them too tangy – so more for me 🙂
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12

Julsey — January 27, 2011 at 4:09 pm

Best. Cookies. Ever. Making them for a 2nd time today and mailing half to my friend in Colorado who desperately needs a pick me up 🙂