Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Bars..

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Prep Time: twenty minutes

Total Time: one hour, ten minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:
2-1/2 cups peanut butter sandwich cookie crumbs - see Tip below (625 mL)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (125 mL)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (125 mL)
.
Filling:
four packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar (250 mL)
four eggs
one cup creamy peanut butter - see Tip below (250 mL)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (250 g)
three Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (45 mL)
one teaspoon vanilla (five mL)
two cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (500 mL)
.
Topping:
one cup sour cream (250 mL)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (125 mL)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (75 mL)
one Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 mL)
one teaspoon vanilla (five mL)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (125 mL)

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F./160 degrees C. Line a 13-by 9-inch baking pan with foil.


Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, and butter. Press in to bottom of prepared baking pan and freeze.

Filling:
In a immense mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for three minutes. Add eggs, separately, beating after each addition. Blend in peanut butter and melted chocolate. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour over frozen crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is light brown and the middle has a slight jiggle to it. Icy on the counter for ten minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.

Tip: Use a commercial creamy peanut butter. The natural peanut butters have much oil for this recipe. Use a food processor to chop cookies in to crumbs to the consistency of rough sand.

Topping:
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, peanut butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour in to middle of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Sprinkle with chocolate chunks. Bake for five minutes more. Icy on a rack for two hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting in to bars.

Yield: ten to 12 servings