Cookies and Cream (Oreo) Cheesecake (with a mint twist)

First things first; have you tried mint Oreos?  Completely delicious.  I bought some to use for this cheesecake and ate far too many of them.  I just used them for the crust because I didn't want it to be a mint-Oreo cheesecake, I just thought it would add a little something extra.  You could use all mint Oreos though and I am sure it would be nothing short of spectacular.

Last year, Tyler requested an Oreo cheesecake for his birthday.  It was an epic fail.  Everyone ate it and they were all nice about it, but c'mon, I have taste buds people.  I knew it wasn't good.  I also knew what I had done wrong.  Tyler doesn't like chunks of things in his cheesecake so I had pulverized, and I mean pulverized the Oreos and then added them to the cheesecake base.  They acted like flour because they were more of a flour consistency.  This year, I couldn't get him to tell me anything he wanted for his birthday, including what kind of cake he wanted so I decided to try and make up for last year.  I cut the Oreos into fourths for the cheesecake and it was a MUCH better result (like knock-your-socks-off-better).  And once they are in the cheesecake, they don't seem like chunks because they soften up quite a bit.  

I thought it would be fun to have a kind of crust on top of the cheesecake as well so the cheesecake itself would be like an Oreo with chocolate on the top and bottom and and the filling in the middle.  I used Oreo crumbs and white chocolate and white chocolate frosting to garnish.  While all those things made the cheesecake delicious, I think they are optional if you wanted to just have the cheesecake and not worry about all the extras.

Cookies and Cream (Oreo) Cheesecake 

17 mint Oreos

15 regular Oreos (for filling), cut into fourths

3 eggs, separated

18 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

optional for topping

18 regular Oreos 

bag of white chocolate chips 

1/4 cup milk 

2 T butter, melted

1-2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325.  Process (17) mint (or regular) Oreos in food processor until fine.  Press into the bottom and sides of a greased 8 inch spring form pan.  

For the cheesecake, beat the egg whites with a mixer until frothy, add 1/4 cup of sugar a little at time until all added.  Continue to beat until soft peaks are formed. Transfer to another bowl and add egg yolks to the mixing bowl.  Beat until light in color (2-3 minutes), add 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (2-3 more minutes).  Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until smooth and no lumps remain (about 2 minutes).  Fold in egg whites 

and Oreos.  

Spread into the crust.  

Place a pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven and cheesecake on the rack above it.   Bake for about 1 hour or until the middle is almost set.  Remove from oven and cool until room temperature and then refrigerate for about 4 hours.  

For the topping (optional).  Cut 4 of the Oreos into pieces to top the cheesecake.  Add remaining to the food processor and process until fine.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave white chocolate chips, milk and butter on 50% for 1 minute and stir.  Repeat until chocolate is melted and mixture can be whisked smooth.  Spread Oreo crumbs over the top of the cheesecake 

and drizzle with 1/2 cup of the white chocolate mixture.  Add powdered sugar to the remaining mixture until decorating consistency.  Pipe onto the top of the cheesecake in desired shape and garnish with Oreo pieces.  Serves 8.

A shot of the inside.

 And another.

 When we went to have lunch with Tyler, we surprised him by all wearing birthday shirts for his big day.  He was more excited about it than he looks in this picture. :)

All of us with our shirts.

He said the cheesecake was the best ever and he had a great birthday.  Which is a big deal because it can't be easy to turn THIRTY FIVE! (ouch)  Let's hope the end of the world shows up before I get to be that old (C'mon Myans!).

Source:  An Amanda Original

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