Sometimes, low-fat can taste just as good!

This was quite an experiment. I found the recipe for candy cane-topped chocolate cheesecake bars with chocolate glaze online, as usual (isn't that how we find everything these days?), and thought it looked and sounded like the yummiest holiday treat ever. However, I am a very busy girl, so I needed to make it while attempting to cross other tasks off my ever-growing to-do list. I thought this would work okay, mix some ingredients here, wrap a couple presents there, make some phone calls there, etc. Needless to say, these bars, though delicious, turned out a bit sloppy. However, what is it I am always saying? If it makes your tastebuds leap for joy, what do looks matter? I say they don't.

Your artieries will thank you:
-Substitute the cream cheese for low-fat cream cheese. I did and they were still amazing!
-Substitute the regular sour cream for fat-free. Once again, the taste was still stellar!
-Substitute the butter for a butter substitute

Tips and Tricks:
The egg and cream cheese being at room temperature is actually very important! I tend to overlook these things due to laziness and then it ends up making the texture of the final product off.

To crush the candy canes, place a few in a bag and roll over it with a rolling pin

What's inside:
Crust:

• 20 chocolate wafer cookies (I took apart Oreos and scraped off the frosting)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans (or, whole ones, since you are putting it in the food processor anyways)

Filling:

• 8 ounces semi-sweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate, broken up
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Directions:

Before you begin...1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil

For the crust:

1. Process the chocolate wafers, butter, sugar and coffee in a food processor until fine

2. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely

3. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking, make the filling:

1. Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Or, bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

2. Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

3. Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For the Glaze:

1. Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake (not when it immediately comes out of the oven- wait about 10-15 minutes) and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Original recipe can be seen at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-cheesecake-candy-cane-bars-recipe2/index.html