Daily Archives: January 29, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cheesecake.

Doesn’t that word just make you smile?

And chocolate chip cookie dough – who doesn’t love that!

Combine the two and you have an divinely delicious, delectable and delightful dessert! (Can we tell we’re studying alliteration!)

This recipe is my sister’s signature cheesecake. It originally came from a Taste of Home cookbook and has become a family favorite.

It’s a little more complicated to make – but we all know that cheesecake is worth it! :)   I’m just sorry you all don’t have a sister like mine who will make it for you. (And no – I’m not sharing her name or contact info!)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Crust:

1 – 3/4 cup crushed chocolate chip cookies or Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)

Filling:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookie Dough:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1 – 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (divided)

In a small bowl combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low speed until just combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until just blended.  Pour over crust  and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream butters and sugars on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Drop this dough by teaspoonful over filling, gently pushing dough below surface. (The dough should be completely covered by filling.)

Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the center is almost set.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour hour longer.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove the sides of the pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips before serving.

Makes 12-14 servings.

Ahh…like I said “divinely delicious, delectable and delightful”!

Enjoy!

PS: I’ve linked this post up with my friend Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates for her Chocolate Friday Fun!

The Smoothie Follies

Smoothie FailIt all started back in October when I was grocery shopping. There – sitting in the produce aisle – was an entire banana box full of bananas for $8.00.

An entire banana box!

Yes, they were getting ripe fast – but still it was a great  deal!

I bought them and we ate them – quickly.

The last few we peeled and threw in the freezer.

A few weeks later I saw the same deal. Only this time the kids weren’t so thrilled with eating that many bananas. More went in the freezer.

Then my husband brought one home. Even more went in the freezer.

This went on well into November before we realized that none of us even wanted to look at a banana again!

Last week I cleaned out the freezer and realized that we had many, many bags of frozen bananas – and there were starting to impart a banana flavor in the homemade rolls and even the frozen french fries they shared the freezer space with.

Major banana fail.

It was time to use them up. The problem was, we are banana’d out. We’ve had banana bread, banana muffins, banana cake…you name it, we ate it, until we can’t stand to look at it again!

Then I thought of smoothies.

I taught the kids the basics, gave them a few ideas ideas – and set them loose. The only rules were they had to use a frozen banana AND they had to eat what they created.

Boy – were they creative!

Some were actually good.

Dagmar’s peanut butter, yogurt, banana and chocolate syrup was yummy. As was the blueberry, raspberry, banana and yogurt combination.

Pedro did not do as well.  His banana, chocolate syrup, raspberry syrup, and a carrot stick combo was not very tasty. It was edible, however. But in his zeal to out-do his siblings he added barbecue sauce.

Words can not describe.

He sat and tried to drink it for over an hour (remember rule #2!) until I showed him mercy and grace, allowing him to feed it to the chickens. Such relief on his face! (I did hear him tell his brother at lunch that he could still taste it several hours later!)

The kids continue to enjoy smoothies for breakfast and snack – but are more cautious about their choice of ingredients!

Little by little the massive banana pile in the freezer is slowly dwindling – one smoothie at a time.

And when I go grocery shopping – I walk right by those cheap bananas!

PS: I’ve linked this post up with my friend Myra over at My Blessed Life for her Friday Fails fun!