Robin Egg Cheesecake Cookie Bars -- The Cake We Shared on a Hard Afternoon

November 3 — thirteen years. Amber drove in from Kearney. Justin came. Gayle was too tired to make the trip this year. I drove Amber and Justin to Kearney. We stood at the stone. Amber spoke. Justin touched the stone. I said, "Darla, you are still in everything." We drove home. Cake in the afternoon. Gayle ate a piece in her chair.

Drove Tuesday.

Gayle stable but fragile. She said Sunday, "Brenda. I am starting to get tired of being sick." I said, "Ma, I know." She said, "I am not going anywhere yet." I said, "I know, Ma."

We always have cake on November 3 — it started the year after we lost Darla, just something small to mark the day, and it stuck. This year, with Gayle settled into her chair and the house quiet after Amber and Justin headed home, I wanted something that felt a little festive but not too much work. These Robin Egg Cheesecake Cookie Bars were exactly that: sweet and creamy and easy, the kind of thing you can slice without ceremony and hand to someone you love without saying a word. Gayle ate her piece slowly, and that was enough.

Robin Egg Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

• 1 pouch (17.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup robin egg candies (malted milk chocolate eggs), roughly chopped, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat — prep your pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the sides, and lightly grease the foil.
2. Make the cookie base. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar cookie mix, softened butter, and 1 egg until a soft dough forms. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust layer.
3. Make the cheesecake filling. In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs and the vanilla extract; beat until well combined and creamy.
4. Layer and add candy. Pour the cheesecake filling evenly over the cookie crust. Scatter half of the chopped robin egg candies over the top of the filling, pressing them in very gently.
5. Bake. Bake for 33–38 minutes, until the cheesecake center is just set and the edges are lightly golden. A slight jiggle in the very center is fine — it will firm as it cools.
6. Cool and chill. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully chilled and firm.
7. Finish and slice. Use the foil overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Scatter the remaining chopped robin egg candies over the top. Cut into 16 bars and serve cold.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 210mg