Black Bottom Banana Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Ingredients:


Bottom:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, but at room temperature

1 box (18.25 ounces) chocolate devil's food cake mix

.

Topping:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1/2 pound or 2 large bananas)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with foil.



For the Bottom:

Cream 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1 egg, and butter together on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Blend in cake mix by hand until combined. It will be very thick, but piable like a soft dough. Press into bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.



For the Topping:

Place cream cheese, bananas, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth, at least 3 minutes or longer if need be. Add eggs one at a time, beating only until incorporated. Spread cream cheese batter evenly over bottom chocolate layer.



Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Cool completely. Carefully remove from pan, peel off foil, and cut into squares. Just prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar.



Yield: 24 bar cookies