Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 28 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 48 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 in a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. beat in egg and vanilla.
• 2 combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture until blended.
• 3 fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.
• 4 set aside a third of the dough for topping.
• 5 press remaining dough into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
• 6 bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• 8 beat in eggs and vanilla.
• 9 spoon over crust.
• 10 drop teaspoonfuls of reserved dough over filling.
• 11 bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• 12 cool on a wire rack.
• 13 cover and store in the refrigerator.
• 14 yield: 3 dozen.