Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars

We were inside a lot this weekend because my husband was well, we will say he was under the weather and I needed to bake. We did venture out to a friend’s house for dinner and I brought this. See picture. I found this over at Picky Palate awhile ago when I discovered her blog.
When I was at the store collecting the ingredients for this dish I started thinking about the last time I had a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. I am not a big candy person unless it is Dove chocolate. Love it. I have a cookie jar on my counter full of Dove chocolate, not cookies. But, that is where my candy knowledge ends. Don’t get me wrong, if given a test of random candies, outside of their wrappers; I think I would pass it. So, I was standing in the candy aisle looking at the Reese’s and thinking to myself that they did not look large enough. However, probably the last time I held one was when I was a child and my hand was smaller. But, not too much smaller because I’m an adult with hands the size of a fourth grader’s. Really annoying.
This dessert was good, but I baked mine too long. The recipe says 30-40 minutes and she said it took 30 minutes for hers. At 30 minutes I did a check and it seemed too gooey so I kept it in for 5 more minutes. Too long. I think 30 minutes would have been better. Mine was a little dry on the bottom for my taste. The cream cheese layer was excellent but a little hard to spread with the Reese’s in it. They liked to clump together. Some people got a lot and some got a little. Chocolate cake, cream cheese, salty peanut butter, with melted chocolate on top, you really need to give this one a try.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars
from Picky Palate
1 box devils food cake mix
1 egg
1 stick softened butter

8 oz softened cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 Cup sugar
10 regular size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, cut into little pieces

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
4 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with tin foil. Spray with non stick cooking spray. Mix cake mix, egg and butter together then press into baking dish.
2. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in egg until well combined then stir in peanut butter cups. Pour over cake layer and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through (it only took 30 minutes in my oven). Remove and let cool completely.
3. Carefully lift bars out of dish using ends of foil. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until melted through. Stir in heavy cream and stir until glossy smooth. Spread chocolate over cheesecake layer, cut into squares and serve.