Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ok, so this isn't exactly an orthodox dinner menu, per say, but it is pretty much two of my (Kayti) favorite things...ever... in one divine dessert.  

Let's begin with the crust.  Now, I completely understand not making a pastry crust from scratch but I have absolutely no idea why people don't make crumb crusts at home. They are so simple.  For this cheesecake, we used Oreos.  

Crust:

1 1/2 cups of crushed cookies

1/4 cup of melted butter (half a stick or 56 grams)

2 tbsp of white sugar

Mix them together and press it all in the bottom of a lightly buttered spring form pan (the 9 or 10 inch variety is fine). Your crust should cover the bottom and go up about a half inch on the sides. Bake the crust alone for about 6-8 minutes in a 350 F oven.

While that's baking, get started on the cookie dough...

Cookie Dough:

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of white sugar

1/4 cup of butter

2 tbsp of water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of flour

1 cup of chocolate chips

1.  Cream the sugars and butter together in an electric mixer.  [Side note: If you have a hardcore mixer (e.g. the KitchenAid stand mixer) you can start by whipping your butter straight from the fridge.  Whipping it a few minutes will get your cold butter to the consistency of "room temperature" butter which is what it should be when you cream it with sugar.] 

2.  Add the water and vanilla and beat well.  

3. Mix in the flour and chocolate chips.

4. Eat a spoonful.  (No, this is not optional.)

Now for the cheesecake...

Cheesecake

1 cup of white sugar

16 oz. of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup of sour cream

3 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

1.  Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. (Again, if you have a hardcore mixer, you can start by whipping the cream cheese a little by itself until it's soft instead of waiting for it to arrive at "room temperature.")

2.  Add sour cream and then the eggs (one at a time).

2.  Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.

Now for the combination!

1.  Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked (and cooled) crust.  

2.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough all over the cake batter, submerging them beneath the surface.  

3.  Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes.

Whilst it is baking...

Topping

1 cup of sour cream

1 tsp of vanilla

2 tsp of sugar

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

And for the finale...

1.  Remove the delicious cheesecake from the oven.

2.  Pour topping over hot cake.

3. Let cake cool.

4.  Refrigerate the cake for at least 3-4 hours (overnight is best). We tasted this cake after two and a half hours and then again in the morning.  It was so. much. better in the morning.  Seriously.

5.  Unhook the side of your spring form pan and release your creation. (You may need a knife to separate your cake from the edges a bit.)

6.  Drift away into bliss.