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
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I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
These look SO good. I was actually looking for s’mores _____ because I wanted to bake something with chocolate and marshmallows. These may be just the thing!
These are so cute! Now I’m craving real smores!
So freakin cute, I love them, so would my boys. Just today, Liam was picking up sticks in the yard and asked if he could start a fire so that he could make smores. I kid you not. He is 5. Where do they get these ideas?
Adorable Jen! Thanks so much!
I lurve smores! Your mini smore cupcakes are so fabulous. Great job!
-Clara
yum! what a great idea!
That idea is brilliant! Smores is one of my favorite all time treats and who doesn’t love a mini muffin? Wow, what a great idea.
WOW. those look completely luscious!
want some.
i’m hoping to enter the hero challenge this time, but i can’t quite decide what to make. . .
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kate
http://www.thecleanplateclub.net
join the cookie carnival!
http://www.bubbleandsqueak.biz/cleanplateclub/2008/03/cookie-carnival-march.html
These are so wrong, but so right! That batch would be seriously unsafe in my house. They’d have to be given away immediately or I’d risk eating every last one and never fitting in my pants again.
These will be perfect for an upcoming family vacation. We’re not camping, but are renting a house with a fire pit and we usually spend every night out there making s’mores. I can easily make the cupcakes beforehand and then we can roast the marshmallows outside. It will be something cute and different. Thanks for this recipe!!!