Oatmeal Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake bars

I’m on a huge major intense dark chocolate kick right now …

Not that I’m actually eating it all the time, but all I want to do is shovel trunk loads of dark chocolate chips in my face.

I think it has to do something with the intensity of the smell, the depth of the taste – heh, you would think I was an actual food intellect there for a second.

I’m not.

But I have something delicious and jazzy to share with you!!

LOOK AT THESE BARS!!

Also, give me all the berries right now – raspberries especially. Ahh … gimme gimme gimme. Funny fact, one of the reasons I actually really like raspberries besides the crazy colour, and taste, is they don’t require much effort to eat. I can squish them in my mouth and we’re good to go … HOW FREAKING LAZY DOES THAT MAKE ME SOUND?! Mehh … it’s the weekend, let’s embrace it.

Also, these bars have oatmeal in it = breakfast food. Actually, it covers all four major food groups; which means this could totally count as a meal … riiiiigggghhhht?! Mehh … it’s the weekend, let’s embrace it.

Oatmeal Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake bars

For the Crust:

• 2   cup Flour
• ½  cup quick cook oats
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup softened Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• ½ cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

For the Filling:

• 8 oz softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×11-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cornstarch for crust.

Cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and whip to incorporate. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Fold in dark chocolate chips and raspberries. Set aside

In a separate bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients.

Press ½  of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Top with filling mixture

Crumble remaining topping over the filling mixture.

Bake in a 350 oc oven for 1 hour.

Allow to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for 2 hours ( refrigerating is optional, but allows for neat slicing).

Butterscotch Coconut Cookies

Are you sick of cookies yet?! Hah, as if there’s such a thing as being sick of cookies … ppaaalleeeaassse! I do think this year, I’m on an all time record of the amount of cookies that have come out of my kitchen .. what can I say, I’m trying to get into santa’s goodbooks and a little extra snacks on Christmas eve can’t hurt … also, all the snacking that happens – Christmas-ing and holiday partying is hard work … aka sitting around in comfy socks, sipping on hot toddys!!

  

In other anxiety-inducing news, have you finished your Christmas shopping?!?! Have you started?!?! I can officially answer no and no to the above. HELP ME … Why do the malls turn into hunger games around this time of year … can’t we all just be nice and STOP bumping into me – it’s NOT cool … and Santa is watching, so is the creepy elf on the shelf … p.s I’m SO doing that when I have kids … anything to help them with getting a therapist when they’re older.  Isn’t that what the holiday season is all about … *creepy smiley emoticon

These little nuggets of joy are crispy, and boozy, and sweet!! They’re a mix of a macaroon and a rum ball … kind of.

Butterscotch Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon malibu rum

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1 1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Cream coconut oil and sugars. Add egg, and rum. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt and cinnamon. Add to coconut oil mixture. Stir in butterscotch chips and shredded coconut.

Spoon onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.