Today is Ash Wednesday. In our house, it is a day of fasting and abstinence. Not a whole lot I can share recipe-wise for Ash Wednesday. So I turned to the National Day calendar for a little inspiration. Oh yeah, good stuff. Today is National Oreo Cookie Day. The easiest way to celebrate National Oreo Cookie Day would be with a package of Oreos and a big, cold glass of milk. The National Biscuit Company (today known as Nabisco) first developed and produced the “Oreo Biscuit” in 1912 at its Chelsea factory in New York City. Today, the block on which the factory was located is known as “Oreo Way”. If you live in New York City, today might be a great day to eat your Oreos while strolling down Oreo Way.
We all know that ground Oreo cookies are an awesome start to melt-in-your-mouth truffles and delicious chocolate pie crusts. Today, as luck would have it, is also National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day. Cheesecake is so awesome, that there are actually more National Days revolving around Cheesecake. This recipe will tackle two National Days on one delicious dessert plate. Oreo crust and White Chocolate Cheesecake.
The first time I read through this recipe, I felt overwhelmed. Step after step. It freaked me out just a little. That is until I took a step back and read the instructions slowly, step by step. Wow, suddenly complicated seemed so easy.
One last thing before we get to baking. The original recipe called for chocolate cookies, as in any cream-filled chocolate cookies. The first change I made was to go for the Oreos. The second change was to go for the Thin Oreos. Two reasons. First off, if we are going to scrape the filling from the cookie and toss it, let’s use a thin filled cookie, so there is less cream filling to deal with. Secondly, what else could Thin Oreos be use for except pie crust? I mean, even when we buy the regular filled, how often do we twist them open and put two fillings together to create one double filled Oreo? It’s so common, Nabisco went ahead and did it for us with their Double Stuffed Oreo cookies.
White Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
Oreo Cookie Crust
1 1/2 cups Thin Oreo Cookies, crumbled
1/3 cup butter, melted
White Chocolate Raspberry Filling
1/2 cup Raspberry Preserves
1/4 cup water
4 (8 oz ) packages Cream Cheese, very soft
1 1/4 cups granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
4 Eggs
4 oz White Chocolate Chips
Optional Garnish
2 ounces shaved white chocolate (optional)
Whipping Cream
Heat oven to 475 degrees.
Create a water bath by placing a large pan filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it heats. The pan must be large enough to hold a 9-inch spring form pan.
Combine the raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds, then let the strained preserves sit to cool.
Twist open and remove filling from Oreo Cookies. Place cookies into a food processor fitted with a blade and mix until finely ground. Slowly add melted butter until the mixture becomes moist and binds together without being too oily. Line a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Empty cookies into the prepared pan.Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side.
Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan and place the crust in the freezer until ready to use. The foil will keep any water from seeping into the cheesecake from the bath as it bakes.
Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to incorporate the eggs.
Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle the white chocolate chips onto the bottom of the crust.
Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust.
Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, use the foil from the bottom to cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with shavings of white chocolate and dollop with whipped cream if desired.
Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate. Top with whipped cream, sit back and savor the rich goodness you have made.
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