It’s finally starting to look like spring outside, so my housemates and I are throwing a BBQ tonight. And of course, any get-together is the perfect reason to bust out a kick-ass dessert.
I turned to my trusty Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook for this recipe for Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes.
I like this recipe for a few reasons: 1) You don’t need a water bath, like some cheesecake recipes call for; water baths just get annoying, and I’ve ruined my fair share of cakes by spilling the water from the bath onto them. 2) The crust is made from a whole Oreo! Can’t get much easier than that. Plus, it looks pretty damn cool. And 3) they taste amazing. What better reason do you need?
Ingredients:
42 Oreo cookies (30 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped)*
2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 c. sour cream
Pinch of salt
*The recipe says it yields 30 cheesecakes, but I found that, even by filling the tins to the top, it made 35. (Luckily, I had some extra Oreos on hand.) They sunk a bit as they cooled, but I don’t think I could’ve fit much more batter into each cup. So, use your best judgment when filling!
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
Beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Gradually add sugar; beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs slowly. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22-25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.
