Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Have you noticed that there are certain cycles in the popularity of foods and flavors? Red Velvet, Cake Batter, Cookies and Cream – all of these flavors have had their day but my favorite with probably always be cookie dough. There’s just something comforting about that raw cookie dough flavor and texture that makes you think of licking the beaters when you were a kid, you know? 

A lot of people think that cheesecake is hard to make and I have never really understood why. It is very basic, has few ingredients, and pretty straightforward as far as techniques go. Maybe it is the intimidation factor – after all how could an average person make a cheesecake that a shop would sell for $50 or more? You can. You just need to remember one thing.

[pullquote]”Because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake”. Hedy Lamarr[/pullquote]

This cheesecake? A chocolate chip cookie crust is filled with deep vanilla cheesecake with just a touch of brown sugar. Small balls of chocolate chip cookie dough are interspersed throughout the filling – generously interspersed. Then it is baked to perfection, chilled overnight, and topped with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache sprinkled with chopped, toasted pecans.

In other words it is amazing.

Some of the cookie dough may melt into the filling but that’s o.k. Most of it will remain intact, surprising your taste-buds with random bursts of cookie dough flavor and texture with the creamy, rich cheesecake. Although I usually suggest that you take a cheesecake out of the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for thirty minutes to an hour before serving this cake is best left chilled to the last minute. It helps the cookie dough to stay a little more separate from the cheesecake.

I baked this in an 8″ springform and it was a little creamier than I wanted it to be. I ‘d suggest a slightly longer baking time or using a 9″ springform. I think it would work better.

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Cookie Dough Cheesecake Recipe

Rich and creamy vanilla cheesecake with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough mixed throughout is covered with a layer of ganache and topped with pecans. Decadent? Rich? Amazing? Of course.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 12 - 16 Servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups crushed store bought chocolate chip cookies, (about 3/4 of a package)
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter, (maybe a bit more)

Cheesecake

• 32 oz of cream cheese, , room temperature
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, , room temperature
• 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans, , toasted
• 16 oz Daisy sour cream, (see note below), room temperature

Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 cup flour

Ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz milk or semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup chopped, , toasted pecans

Instructions

Crust

• Mix the cookie crumbs and butter and then press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
• Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes.
• Set aside.
• When cool cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure it is at least 3/4 of the way up the pan

Cookie Dough

• Mix all ingredients in a mixer until well blended.
• Refrigerate.
• Make small balls of cookie dough with a cookie scoop or by hand and place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• Freeze and keep frozen unil ready to use.

Cheesecake

• Beat cream cheese and sugar at slowest speed until it is mixed well. Do not whip it - air will get in the batter and it will lose its dense texture.
• Add eggs one at a time, slowly mixing in for about 2 minutes after each addition.
• Fold in vanilla and sour cream by hand.
• Pour a layer of the batter into a prepared crumb crust in the springform pan.
• Randomly add balls of cookie dough and cover with some more cheesecake batter.
• Repeat until all the batter is used up.
• Make sure the foil is still securely around the pan.
• Put the cheesecake pan in a 12" cake pan with high sides and put into a 375F oven.
• Pour hot water into the 12" pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan - don't let it go over the top of the aluminum foil!
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Turn off oven and let set for one hour. Do not open the door!
• Remove cake from oven, take off foil, and let come to room temperature.
• Refrigerate covered. Placing paper towel on top of cake will soak up any condensation
• Refrigerate overnight.

Ganache

• Heat the cream until bubbles form around the edge.
• Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.
• Just before serving run a knife around cake and remove from pan.
• Pour the ganache over the top, smoothing and letting it drip down the sides as you go.
• Sprinkle with the chopped, toasted pecans.

Notes

Never use low fat anything in this cheesecake. Also, I use Daisy sour cream because it doesn't have any added ingredients - a lot of brands have thickeners and other unnecessary ingredients. The recipe is high calorie as are all good cheesecakes but it isn't something you are going to eat every day either.

You’ll need a springform pan and a bigger pan for the bain marie.