Thin Mint Chocolate Cheesecake - decadence defined

There are a few different versions of this cheesecake floating around.  This one is decadence defined.  Super rich and chocolaty, its not for the feint of heart and will power.

A couple of things I've learned over the years...addition of a starch, even a couple of tablespoons of corn starch will stabilize the egg cheese mixture so it won't crack on baking.  In this case the starch comes from the cocoa powder.  It works, don't knock success.

On the topic cocoa powder, I've talked about it before here, but the Black Onyx cocoa powder is my favorite...its a much more intense chocolate flavor.  Sorta the difference between milk chocolate and bittersweet.  It is a dryer product and this recipe takes that into consideration.  Really, either get this cocoa powder online or run to Surfas in Culver City.  It makes all the difference in the intensity of the chocolate flavor.  And quite frankly subbing out regular cocoa powder you are doing yourself a disservice.

I set my cream cheese out overnight to soften to room temperature.  You have to do this as you'll never cream the cheese and sugar to the right consistency if you don't and you pretty much guarantee a flop in the kitchen.

Thin Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

• 1 box Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies
• 7 T butter, melted
• 12 ounces bittersweet (60%+) chocolate
• 3 boxes cream cheese
• 1 C Sour cream (full fat, not light)
• 1 3/4 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 C heavy cream
• 1/2 C Black Onyx cocoa powder
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 t peppermint extract
• 1 t coffee extract ( I use Kona from Surfas)
• 1/4 t sea salt

Preheat oven to 325F

Hand crush thin mint cookies into a food processor.  Pulse until crumbly.  Add butter and pulse until wet and it looks like coarse sand.  Press into 10" cheesecake pan bottom and about 1" up the sides.  Set aside.

Melt chocolate over double boiler, stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a stand mixer cream together cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, sea salt and extracts.  Beat until creamy and fluffy.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated.  
Reduce speed and stir in cocoa powder and heavy cream until uniform in color.  Slowly pour in melted chocolate and stir until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Place pan on a baking sheet.  Bake in center of oven for about 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes.  Remove side of pan and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight.

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.

Mocha Cheesecake - or mini cheesecakes of you like

Cheesecake is really not that hard to make, this version falls into the stupid easy category. Why? I use eagle brand sweetened condensed milk rather than sugar as it yields a creamier texture without as much work trying to cream it all. All the sweetness without the risk of a grainy cheesecake.

A secret to keep the large cakes from cracking too much is to add 1 tablespoon of corn starch to the batter. The starch blends nicely with the fats in the cream cheese and creates just enough stabilization to keep the cake from cracking too badly in the center.

Melting the chocolate can be as easy as using a double boiler or if in a hurry a microwave. If using microwave heat on high for only 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each micro-blast. This will keep the chocolate for scorching. Total microwave time in a 1200 watt unit worked out to be about 30 seconds.

Mocha Cheesecake

• 1 pkg graham crackers (8 crackers)
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/3 c melted butter
• 
  
• Filling
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
• 2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
• 4 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 T instant coffee
• 1 T corn starch
• 
  
• Ganache
• 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 C heavy whipping cream

Combine crackers and sugar in food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. Pulse in melted butter until evenly blended. Press into 9 inch spring form pan.

Combine cream cheese, coffee, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Let sit about an hour until it comes to room temperature. In mixer beat until creamy and fluffy. Beat in corn starch. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended.

Add the filling to the spring form pan. Put in preheated 300F oven and bake for about 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and then chill in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Make ganache by mixing chocolate chips and whipping cream. In microwave heat 1 minute on high then stir. Give it 1 more minute on high then stir until chocolate is completely melted and incorporated into the cream. Cool to room temp then drizzle over the chilled cheesecake. (There will be leftover ganache that you can save to make truffles or even use as a frosting for cupcakes).

Mini Cheesecake variation. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners. Divide the graham cracker crumb mixture between all of the tins. Press lightly to compact. Divide the filling between the paper liners filling just until the top of the liner. Bake in 300F oven 25-30 minutes until the centers test clean with a toothpick. Chill and garnish with the ganache.