Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

A holiday or special occasion is just not complete in my family without a cheesecake. A delish cheesecake will always make an appearance at least a couple times a year either on our Thanksgiving or Christmas table or for birthdays. Sometimes all of the above!

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake is a family favorite and is always our first choice. We got the recipe from a Christmas edition of Taste of Home magazine years ago and have been making it ever since. This year, like many previous, it was my birthday cake. Yes, I made my own birthday cake… cause that’s just how I roll (it’s more fun that way… & that’s the crazy obsessed baker in me talking).

I think I’ve mentioned before about my insane love affair with cookie dough. I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I could eat it by the spoonful. Luckily, this cookie dough is eggless… that way you don’t have to deal with that pesky salmonella in case you want to take a bite or two.

Since the holiday season is now upon us it’s the perfect time for this lovely cheesecake to grace your table. If you or your guests love cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser! :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake -
(Recipe adapted from www.tasteofhome.com)

An Oreo cookie crust, creamy cheesecake filled with pockets (yes, pockets) of chocolate chip cookie dough. This recipe says to garnish with mini chocolate chips and whipped cream, which I’ve done before, but now I prefer to go a little crazy and drizzle it with chocolate and finish it off with crushed cookie crumbs (Chips A’Hoy). I just like the way it looks and it tastes amazing!

The rich cookie dough (my favorite part) pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the cheesecake, the Oreo crust lending a crispy texture.

It’s a rich and decedent dessert that no one with a sweet tooth will be able to resist!

Ingredients:
Crust:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I always use Oreos)

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Cookie Dough:
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoon water or milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
An additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips to fold into the batter with the cookie dough balls

Garnish:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks (add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar while whipping if you like a bit of extra sweetness)
Mini chocolate chips, for sprinkling

Directions:
For the cookie dough:
In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugars for the cookie dough. Add the water (or milk), vanilla and blend. Mix in the flour, salt and the chocolate chips. The dough will be fairly soft. Gently roll the dough into small balls (about a teaspoon size, maybe a bit larger) and place them on a wax paper lined plate or baking sheet. Place them in the freezer to harden while making the rest of the cheesecake.

For the crust:
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate cookie crumbs (you could easily use a food processor to crush the cookies and incorporate the butter). Press onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.

For the cheesecake:
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Be careful not to over mix – incorporating too much air into the batter can contribute to a cheesecake cracking on top during baking.

Pour half the batter into the prepared crust. Gently stir in the cookie dough balls and the additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter. Pour into the pan, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan and evening it out across the top (it is ok to see bumps of cookie dough here and there, smooth it the best you can). Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees for one hour. Turn off the oven and prop the door open several inches. Let the cake sit in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Refrigerate until chilled (ideally, overnight). To serve, cut into slices and top with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.