st. patrick's chocolate & mint cheesecake bars

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix with pudding (such as betty crocker® triple chocolate fudge cake mix)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese flavored frosting (such as betty crocker® rich and creamy)
• 3 eggs
• 6 drops green food coloring, or as needed
• 3 drops creme de menthe candy flavoring (such as wilton®), or as needed
• 1 (10 ounce) package dark chocolate and mint chips (such as nestle® toll house® dark chocolate and mint morsels)

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Ready Time: 3 hrs 15 mins


• preheat oven to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c).
• beat cake mix and butter with an electric mixer on low speed in a bowl until crumbly, 3 to 5 minutes. set aside 1 cup for topping.
• press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• place in preheated oven and bake until edges begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. remove from the oven and cool slightly.
• beat cream cheese and frosting with an electric mixer on medium speed in a bowl until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
• drop eggs one at a time into the cream cheese mixture and beat until blended, 2 to 3 minutes.
• pour in 6 drops green food coloring, or more for a darker color; beat until color is blended, about 2 minutes.
• beat in creme de menthe candy flavoring until thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes. taste and add more flavoring if needed.
• pour batter over the chocolate crust in the 9x13 pan.
• sprinkle 1 cup reserved crumb mixture over cheesecake batter.
• top with 1 cup chocolate and mint morsels; reserve remaining morsels for finishing touches.
• place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until set, 42 to 45 minutes.
• remove pan from oven and cool completely.
• cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• pour reserved chocolate and mint morsels into a small microwave-safe bowl. microwave morsels in 45 second intervals; stir until completely melted and smooth.
• pour melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag.
• clip a small bottom corner of the bag. gently squeezing the bag, drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cake through the clipped corner.
• cut cake into bars to serve.