Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

To make the sugar cookie crust, preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray the bottom and sides of an 8×12″ pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the dry ingredients until well-combined. Press half of the dough into the pan and bake 15–18 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool. (You don’t need the other half of the dough for this recipe, but that’s okay—just make sugar cookies! Roll the dough into 1″ balls and then either freeze them for baking later, or bake 8–10 minutes at 350ºF.)

To make the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the milk and beat until well-blended. Then, beat in the coffee, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips and pour over the sugar cookie crust. Bake 35–40 minutes or until the edges are set (and the center is mostly set, but not completely). Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate another 30 minutes to cool completely.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the cream cheese until fluffy. Spread the topping over the cooled bars and sprinkle with the shredded chocolate. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled before cutting into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.