Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

(I've posted this before, but not with all of the steps all together.)

Cookie Crust:
2 cups chocolate chip cookie crumbs (use homemade, store-bought, or refrigerated cookie dough made into cookies).
 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
(Instead of this crust, you can also use the brownie crust on my blog (www.3cherrycokes.blospot.com) OR you can use cookie dough and just spread in the buttered springform pan and go up the sides a bit. Bake it for 10 min. if you go that route. All three ways are delicious! It's cheesecake, so it has to be!!) 

Directions for crust: Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking. Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Crush the cookie crumbs in a food processor or blender until finely ground. In small bowl, mix together cookie crumbs and melted butter. With clean hands, pat into buttered springform pan and up the sides a little. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. 

For Cheesecake:
Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese (not low or reduced fat), at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar (can used part brown sugar for a richer, cookie-like taste)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs (if you only have large, just use part of one more egg)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of one 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Place one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy for several minues, scraping down the bowl a couple of times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Beat in the cream just until blended. Be careful not to overmix. Spread half the cheesecake batter on top of the cookie crust. Using HALF of the 1 cup cookie dough, drop 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top of the filling. Cover with the rest of the batter and drop the REMAINING 1/2 cup cookie dough on top, again in 1/2 teaspoonfuls. Using a small spoon, gently push down the bits of dough, letting them peek through the batter a little. Place the pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. (I recommend using an old or disposable pan because the wet aluminum foil will discolor your pan.) Bake the cake at 350 degrees until the edges are light golden brown and the top of the cake is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours (don't worry if it seems a little too browned. Mine is sometimes and it's still fine.. The top will soften up with the added toppings.) Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and cool in the pan for 2 hours. (Just walk away. Don't move it.) Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours. Transfer to freezer for 1 hour.

To remove cheesecake from bottom of spring form pan, set on stove burner and turn it on - just barely enough to melt the butter on the bottom. Use a large flat icing spatula or knife and turn around to loose from bottom. Slide it onto serving platter.

 Decorate with Whipped Cream Frosting
(or I have a Chocolate Ganache Frosting on my blog: www.3cherrycokes.blogspot.com)
This recipe makes 5 cups of whipped cream frosting. (You won't need it all.)

1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat (I used regular fat) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (Since I was using it on this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake, I didn't use the almond extract, only vanilla)
2 cups of heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer. Once all in the bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak. Pipe as desired onto dessert. Refrigerate leftovers for another use.

Decorate with tiny chocolate chip cookies, cook crumbs, chopped cookies, and chocolate syrup. Pin It Now!