Originally published on December 20, 2014
Amid all the crazy Christmas stuff this week, we also had a very special occasion to celebrate in our house this week – it was Brent’s birthday! Oreo cheesecake has become kind of a tradition in our house for his birthday. This year, it was too little too late when I remembered – the day before his birthday and just as I was about to run out to work – that I no longer had a springform pan. It had gotten all bent out of shape during our last move and would have been useless to me even if I had kept it. But what was I going to do now? All the ingredients were spread out on my counter, they had all come to room temperature (a must when making cheesecake,) and there was no time (and no accessible car) to run out and buy another pan.
But guess what? You don’t need a springform pan to enjoy cheesecake! All you need is a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and some parchment paper to help you lift it out when it’s finished baking. After enjoying this delicious cheesecake, which had turned into cheesecake bites, Brent told me that he actually enjoyed these better because he didn’t “get sick of eating it halfway through.” I don’t know what that means for the other cakes that I made him – that were actually cakes – but I know that it turned out well this year; and that I might be making him bites next year, too.
(If you want to make these bites as an actual cheesecake, springform pan and all, follow the instructions as they are but leave it in the oven to bake for about 10 – 15 minutes longer, until the centre is almost set and has just a bit of jiggle left to it.)
Ingredients:
40 Oreo cookies, divided (1 package was more than enough)
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup chocolate (milk or dark, whatever you prefer), melted
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with parchment paper, making sure that it sticks out the ends some to give you handles to take it out with once it’s done baking.
2.) Place 26 cookies, cream and all, in a food processor and pulse until they turn into fine crumbs. Coarsely chop about 10 cookies, and set aside in a bowl. Cut remaining cookies in half and place these in a separate bowl.
3.) Mix the cookies you’ve turned into crumbs with the melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish and up the sides a little bit, about half an inch or so.
4.) Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the sugar and beat until everything is well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat the mixture thoroughly after each addition, making sure the egg is totally incorporated before you add another.
5.) Fold in the cookies that have been coarsely chopped (not chopped in half,) until they are also well blended with the rest of the mixture. Pour the entire thing over top of the crust in the casserole dish.
6.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, until the centre is almost set and jiggles just a little bit. The rest of the cake should be entirely set.
7.) When the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges to loosen it a bit. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before placing it in the oven for 4 hours to let it cool and set completely.
8.) Remove the cake from the fridge and gently lift it out of the pan, using the parchment paper. Cut into small squares and using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over top. Place half an Oreo cookie into the centre of each square.
9.) Serve and enjoy!