Sunday, May 22, 2011

Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Bites

One of Corey's favorite flavors for ice cream, etc. is cookies & cream.  He loves it!  So as soon as I saw these and showed him the pictures he wanted me to make them right away.  No problem with me!  These things were fabulous!  So creamy and delicious!  This is another one of those recipes that requires cooling for at least 3 hours or overnight, so keep that in mind when you make them!  I first saw this recipe on How Sweet, but the original recipe comes from Recipe Girl...looks like I found a new blog to peruse!  I halved this recipe and it turned out great.  Lets be honest, I don't think Corey & me need a whole 9x13 pan of these things sitting around for just the two of us!  In fact I'm taking these things to bible study tomorrow because I don't think we can handle them being in our house any longer....TOO irresistible.  In a good way.  I decided to make them into bites rather than bars because not everyone wants a large serving of something rich.  An 8x8 pan gave me 30 "bites".


Ingredients:

Crust:
1 (1 pound) package Oreo cookies
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat)
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).
2. Make the crust: Place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.
3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight)
5. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.


p.s. we have a fox in our neighborhood running loose!

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