Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling time
Active Time: 50 minutes
Makes: About 18 bars
Ingredients:
For the crust:
• 2 ½ cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs, such as Nabisco Nilla Wafers
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
For the filling:
• 4 ounces (113 g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
• 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
• 4½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 3 (8 ounce/226.7 g) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Method:
For the crust:
- Heat the oven to 325°F (162°C) and arrange a rack in the middle.
- Coat a 13-by-9-inch pan with butter. Place cookie crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour the crumb mixture into the pan and, using the bottom of a cup, press evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides.
For the filling:
- Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until evenly melted. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk together sugar and flour in a medium bowl and set aside. Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, pour in sugar-flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
- With the mixer on low, add vanilla and then 1 egg, allowing to incorporate completely. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Return the mixer to low and repeat with remaining 2 eggs, allowing each to incorporate completely before adding the next.
- Pour 2¾ cups of batter from the mixer into a medium bowl and reserve. Add cooled chocolate to the remaining batter in the mixer and beat on medium speed until evenly incorporated.
- Randomly drop spoonfuls of chocolate batter over the prepared crust, then drop spoonfuls of reserved vanilla batter in between the chocolate. Drag a knife through the batter in a figure eight to create a marbled pattern. Bake until the outer 1 inch of batter is set and puffed but the center is slightly jiggly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled and firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/24710-marble-cheesecake-bars