Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Cups

It was inevitable right?  Back to work means less cooking and sometimes forgetting that I have a blog.  That being said, it was a phenomenal first week of touring the company's properties on and off The Strip, being treated to lunches at some pretty fab restaurants on the properties and of course, beginning the training.  I'm pretty excited to be exposed to the most mature PMO I've ever seen....process and project lifecycle methodologies defined and practiced= wooohoooo!

Brooklyn is thrilled with her doggie day camp and comes home more exhausted than me...so it's been cereal, cereal and more cereal for dinner.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to get back into the kitchen this weekend.  Since sis was cooking Easter dinner, I covered dessert. This particular recipe embraces two dessert favorites: cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough.  Cookie dough is dessert right?

Nope.  I did not make homemade cookie dough. Why would I when storebought cookie dough is so convenient and tasty?

Nope, I did not make my own shortbread.  Why would I when Walkers is so fabulous?

Love the way the chunks of cookie dough stay soft in the middle.   If you don't fully cover the dough with cheesecake batter, the pieces sticking out bake into a crunchy cookie...also quite tasty....definitely one of my favorite cheesecake recipes! 

Happy Easter--hope yours were especially blessed!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients

1 package shortbread

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream 

1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

mini chocolate chips

24 muffin papers

Directions:

Line muffin pans with papers

In a small food processor, pulse enough Shortbread to make 1/2 cup of crumbs.  Add butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened

Press crumbs into the bottom of muffin papers

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar until smooth.

Add eggs and beat until combined.

Add sour cream and vanilla, beat until well blended.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling to almost halfway

Cut up cookie dough into small pieces and sprinkle into each muffin cup

Fill cups with remaining batter and completely covering dough

Sprinkle tops with mini chocolate chips 

Bake at 350F for 9 minutes  and reduce heat to 325 and bake additional 9 minutes until just set

Turn off heat, crack door open and allow cheesecakes to cool in oven for 1 hour 

Remove from oven and refrigerate overnight

Top with sour cream mixture (1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla) if desired