My First Cheesecake!

Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake:

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have picked such a complicated recipe for my first cheesecake. I also probably shouldn't have volunteered to bring it as dessert to Christmas dinner since I had never made it before. But, despite my intense fear and nerves while making it, it turned out great!

Ta-da!

Mmmm!

This is kind of a complicated recipe. The cheesecake has lots of layers. It goes like this...

Chocolate layer (on top)
Sour cream layer
Cheesecake layer #2
Cookie layer
Cheesecake layer #1
Crust (on bottom)

Here's the recipe (adapted from here):

Ingredients:
CRUST:
2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (I just used the store brand, but use Oreos if you're feeling fancy!)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

CHEESECAKE LAYER(S):
2 lbs cream cheese, softened (4 8oz packages)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

COOKIE LAYER:
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

SOUR CREAM LAYER:
16 oz sour cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

CHOCOLATE LAYER:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. CRUST - combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Firmly press the mixture onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-in springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
2. CHEESECAKE LAYER - Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup whipping cream, flour, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour half the batter on top of the crust in the springform pan.
3. COOKIE LAYER - Top the first cheesecake layer with the 1 1/2 cups of cookie pieces.
4. CHEESECAKE LAYER - Pour the rest of the cheesecake mixture on top of the cookie pieces.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven.
6. SOUR CREAM LAYER - Combine sour cream layer ingredients (sour cream, sugar, vanilla). Spread evenly on the cheesecake (when you pour it in, pour more on the edges than the middle so the middle doesn't sink!). Bake at 350 degrees for 7 more minutes. Turn the oven off, and leave the cake in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
8. CHOCOLATE LAYER - Combine the chocolate chips and 1 cup whipping cream over low heat in a sauce pan. Stir until chocolate melts, then add in the 1 tsp vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cooled cheesecake.
9. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, remove the springform ring, and decorate!

I started with a fudge icing border around the edge, piped on with a star tip. The I went with fudge icing in little clumps around the perimeter and in the center. Then I put chocolate sprinkles on the clumps, and stuck half a cookie on each perimeter clump. All done!

Here's what it looks like on the inside! Yummm!