Turtle Cheesecake Bars

Good morning! How was your Easter? Or your weekend, if you don't celebrate Easter...

My family and I all went to mass yesterday TOGETHER, which made me VERY happy. :) When Mama's happy, life is better, right? Or however that saying goes. HA!

Anyhoo. I needed to bring a dessert to my Mama's house and I was in the mood for cheesecake. I came up with this little diddy. Yes, I know it has been done before, but not MY way. :) Apparently chocolate crusts were on everyone's minds this weekend because Walmart was out of the ready made ones (gasp) and even the graham crackers that are chocolate. I had to improvise. This is what I found:

Yes, that's right. Chocolate Animal crackers.

 So I used those to make the crust, along with 1/4 c sugar and 1 stick of butter. I used about 2 cups (AFTER CRUSHED) animal crackers.

 Mixed them together (after melting the butter of course) and the results:

 Press that into the glass pan and Bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins or 300 degrees for 20 mins.

 OOPS, forgot to mention the chocolate chips! Throw 1 cup of choc chips on top!

  3/4 c sugar and 3 pkgs of lower fat cream cheese (AS IF that helps!~ lol) and 3 eggs

 1 cup of sour cream

 A beer for mommy....

 Mix with the mixer and spread on top of the crust.

Bake at 300 degrees for 50 mins.
I topped with melted caramel and melted chocolate chips as well as some non melted choc chips. :) no nuts as my sister is allergic!

 So from the beginning:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Take a sip of beer or wine. Whatever your preference is. 
While doing that....
CRUST:
2 cups crushed chocolate animal crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick melted butter
Mix and press into the pan/glass dish. Bake for 10 mins.
Take a sip of beer.

FILLING:
3 8oz pkgs of SOFTENED Cream Cheese (low fat, high fat, doesn't matter :)
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
Mix with your mixer until smooth. Take a sip of beer. Your crust should be done and let it sit and cool. (about 20 mins) Turn your oven down to 300 degrees. Take a sip or 3 of your beer.
Sprinkle a cup of chocolate chips on the top and then pour the filling over.

Bake for 50 mins at 300 degrees. Make sure the cheesecake does not wiggle or jiggle in the middle. It is done if it is wiggle free!

Let it cool in the fridge for at least 4 hrs. In the meantime, finish your beer!

TOPPING:
I took 1 cup or so of chocolate chips (or you could use Hot Fudge Ice Cream topping) and melted it with 1 TBL of butter in a pan. I also used about 20 Caramels and melted those with about 2 TBL of milk in a pot.Heat the caramel up enough but not until it is boiling. Stir and drizzle over the top of the cheesecake. I did the same with the chocolate chips, but I also added a tiny amount of  Gulf Wax into the chocolate chips to give it a more smooth look (Did you know that trick???). I then drizzled over the top of the caramel.

It would have been easier to use the jars of stuff, but when have I ever taken the easy route??? lol. I then refrigerated it for another 2 hrs.