For the first seven weeks of the 2012 Cookie Challenge, the cookies were treats best served warm. For the eighth week, the kitchens of Full Moon Cuisine decided to take things down a few degrees, with a cookie best served cold. Though many people think anything related to cheesecake is difficult, these bars could not be easier or more impressive for your diners. Here's what you'll need:

- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 stick of butter (at room temp)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 8-oz packages of cream cheese (softened/at room temp)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla (1/4 for the crust, 1/4 for the filling)
- 3 large eggs (at room temp)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
- Pinch of salt

Note: This recipe will make approximately 2-dozen cookies

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and use a cooking spray on a 9x13 baking dish. You can also put a sheet of parchment paper down in the dish too, if you want (will make it easier to pull them out at the end). Next, mix the butter and light brown sugar together, and then mix in the cup of flour, salt, and 1/4 tsp vanilla. This should result in a mix like wet sand. Pour the mix into the greased baking dish and pat down, forming a layer. Bake for approximately 13-15 minutes (depending on your oven), then allow it to begin cooling on a wire rack and do not turn off your oven.

After this, mix the cream cheese together with the 3/4 cup of sugar. Following this, add in one egg at a time until all three are combined. Once mixed, add in the 1/4 tsp vanilla, the sour cream, and 1-cup of the chocolate chips. Pour the mix over the still warm cookie crust and return the dish to the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. You're looking for the cheesecake layer to be set, not jiggling. Remove the dish to the wire cooling rack and allow to cool for approximately one hour.

Now for the finishing touch!

Take the remaining chocolate chips and microwave them in a bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring at the end of each interval until they are fully melted. Now, if you want, you could take a spoon, dip into the melted chocolate, and drizzle it over the top of the bars. Or, if you feel a bit more artsy, you can pour the chocolate into a sandwich bag, cut a small hole in one of the corners, and use it as a piping bag to create some lines or patterns with the chocolate. Either way, add the chocolate over the top, cover the dish in plastic wrap, and park in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to firm up. You can then cut them into bars and serve, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three-days. Remember, these bars need to be kept cold when you're not serving them!

Cheesecake is always a crowd pleaser. By taking this treat and making it into a handheld cookie, complete with chocolate chips and a chocolate drizzle, it helps to give your diners a new perspective on this familiar dessert. Cookies are great treats and are often best served warm. In this case, keeping things chilled is the way to go. With the popularity of cheesecake, the kitchens have made extra helping to handle the demand. Care to place an order?

Want to know what this challenge is all about? Check out my journal and feel free to send in recipes for cookies! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3096204/