(Makes 9 squares)
For the crust:
2 cups Grey Ghost Bakery Molasses Spice cookie crumbs
1/8 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the filling:
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Caramel sauce, any store-bought kind will do
Heavy cream
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray bottom and sides of an eight-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Stir cookie crumbs and butter together in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until crust is starting to brown and is firm to the touch, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Leave oven on.
For the filling:
Place cream cheese and brown sugar in a large bowl, and beat until smooth. Add in butter and beat until combined. One at a time, beat in eggs until combined. Beat in vanilla.
Pour filling over crust. If the caramel sauce is thick, thin with a little heavy cream until it is the same consistency as the batter. Drizzle caramel sauce over top of filling, and swirl caramel through filling with a knife or toothpick.
Carefully place pan in a larger roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come up halfway up sides of baking pan. Place pan in the oven, and bake until filling is set but still jiggly in center, about one hour.
Remove pan from the water bath, and let cool slightly on counter. Place in refrigerator overnight to chill uncovered.
Cut into bars or squares to serve.
