Cookie Dough Cheesecake

I can't take credit for this creation...its a recipe a friend of my daughter came up with that she shared with me.  It wasn't so much a recipe as a list of ingredients that Kari had to talk me through the procedure so I could get it right.  Pretty easy actually as one cheats and uses pre-made cookie dough to speed up the process.

The only real trick to this cake is to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. That takes more than just a couple of hours, but actually I leave it on the counter over night to ensure its warm enough. The reason this is so key is that unless the cream cheese is really warmed up it won't beat well and absorb the eggs and sugar.  What you get if you don't follow this step is a curdled mess.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

• 1 pkg graham crackers
• 1 T sugar
• 6 T butter - melted
• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese - room temperature
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 16 oz pkg prepared chocolate chip cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350F

Take the package of graham crackers and whiz in food processor until it is in fine crumbs.  Add sugar and whirl until blended into crumbs.  Add melted butter and process until it resembles wet sand.  Press into bottom and sides of an 8 " spring form pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool while making the batter.

Add sugar to cream cheese and beat well until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and beat in well.  Take 4 oz cookie dough and break up into chunks about 1-2 teaspons each.  Fold the cookie dough into the cream cheese batter.  Pour into the spring form pan.

With remaining cookie dough form into balls and place on top of the cheese cake batter.  Don't press in just let them set on top arranging in a circle around the edges with one in the middle.

Bake in 350F oven for 40-45 minutes until the cheese cake is set and just lightly browned on the edges.  Cool then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.