Oreo Cheesecake

SPRING IS HERE!!! WOOOOHOOOO. 

Now that I got that out of the way, hello friends! Happy March - almost April - to you! It's so exciting to know that things will warm up very soon. So in honor of the warmth, what better to make than...Cheesecake?! Yea. Why not 

Ingredients:

24 oreo cookies, split into two piles

2 tblsp butter

2 packages Cream Cheese 

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/4 cup Irish Cream (optional)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment paper and line bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. 

Step 2: Grease paper inside pan.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan. Reserve 2 tblsp of the ground cookies for the optional icing. 

Step 4: Place pan into oven and pre-bake crust for 5 minutes

Step 5: In the meantime, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. 

Step 6: Add eggs and blend well.

Step 7: Add 1/4 cup Irish Cream

This is optional. But I wouldn't skip it if I were you 

By now the crust should be done. Remove from oven and set aside.

Step 8: Chop the remainder of the cookies into quarter pieces

Step 9: Mix cookies into cheesecake batter

Step 10: Pour batter on top of crust in pan

Step 11: Put pan in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.

I start peeking at this through my oven door with the light on (not opened) at around 35 minutes. It typically has always taken about 45 minutes. But it may require up to 50 or a bit more. 

Step 12: Remove from oven. Let cool slightly.

Everyone says they have a foolproof method to stop cheesecake from "cracking". I've tried a few, and they sometimes work and sometimes don't. Some options are to cook to the cheesecake in a water bath; leave the cheesecake in the oven after cooking with oven turned off for hours to cool. So you're welcome to try, but I've decided I'm ok with a couple cracks if they should happen 

Step 13: Run a knife on the outside of the cake to release it from the pan

This prevents the cake from ripping when you release the spring

Springform pans are the easiest for cheesecakes, they release the cakes the best

Voila

OPTIONAL:
To be completely and unnecessarily decadent. Combine a tub of whipped topping - I used cool whip and the reserved ground oreos. Let me tell you, this was a fantastic decision.

ENJOY!