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 »

10 Responses to “Cookie Dough Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes”

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1

Janna — June 2, 2008 at 2:43 pm

These look awesome!
Did it take a long time to get the ice cream to freeze?
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2

Jen — June 2, 2008 at 8:03 pm

Janna,

I let it set in the ice cream about 30 minutes between each step. I wasn’t in a big hurry and 30 minutes was perfect.
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3

Lisa — June 5, 2008 at 4:03 pm

I love the last photo, the way the ice cream has so perfectly filled the liner and the way the frosting swirls on top. And that frosting sounds fabulous! I am going to try it on my Chile Variado Cupcakes for an extra spicy combination.
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4

Ivy — June 5, 2008 at 6:34 pm

This was a REAALLY good idea!
I love cookie-dough anything. 🙂
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5

Katie — June 7, 2008 at 5:28 pm

I totally do the mush thing too! In fact, for all my birthdays as I kid I would ask for cake mush, which meant my mom would take my slice of cake and ice cream and mash it up for me with a fork. The amazing thing is that while I would be full after a slice of cake and a scoop of ice cream, I can eat double that when in mush form. Yum!
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6

Jen — June 12, 2008 at 3:40 pm

That’s awesome Katie – glad I’m not the only cake mush eater out there!
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7

Teanna DiMicco — April 21, 2009 at 2:38 pm

This is insane! And by insane, I mean TOTALLY AWESOME! COME ON!!!! I am SO making these!
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8

Hillary — April 21, 2009 at 4:32 pm

What an awesome idea! How do you store them – does the cake part get too cold if you freeze them?

Hillary
Chew on That
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9

Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer — April 21, 2009 at 4:47 pm

These are so incredible – Love them!!!
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10

Jen — April 21, 2009 at 5:01 pm

Hillary – I kept them in the freezer. It did make the cake part cold, but I’m personally a fan of cold/frozen cake anyways.