Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

We're really coming to the end of the line. Tomorrow's the last day. And tomorrow will also probably be the last time I bake on the west coast. (Yes, I am one of those people that thinks about every little thing being the "last" time. It's the same way before every birthday.) This one has some backstory, though.

I first met Mo probably about five years ago. We got along great almost instantly, and yeah, I had a crush on him for a while, which 90% of the time he says he had no clue of. LOL I soon discovered that he harbored a huge love of cheesecake. In fact, he even proposed to me one day over a chocolate cheesecake. Anyways, he went into the management program and we kinda lost touch. There was a fall-out, what with him lying and I held that grudge for a while. But we discussed it about a year ago, and we're back to normal. So I sent him an email saying that Dave and I were leaving and that he better get his butt into my store to see me before I leave. And I hinted that maybe there'd be cheesecake involved, just as an added bonus. In his excitement, he came in last Thursday as well, in hopes of an early piece. LOL

So these are for tomorrow, and if Mo doesn't come in, I'm so kicking his butt. And I'll make sure that he knows how much everyone enjoyed these. ;)



Ingredients:
1 cup crushed chocolate cookies
¼ cup butter, melted
2 pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
1½ Tbsp. flour
½ Tbsp. peppermint extract
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8-inch baking dish.

Mix together cookie crumbs and butter until well combined and press onto the bottom of prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, flour, and peppermint extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Pour over crust.

Bake at 325F for 40-45 minutes, or until center is nearly set. Refrigerate for at least four hours before cutting into bars. Makes about 16 bars.