Cheesecake

Photography by Sina Mizrahi

It’s a staple on Shavuos, sure. But how do you know if the cheesecake you make is the best one? Well, we take the very difficult job of cheesecake tasting seriously around here, and boy have we found a winner!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Submitted by Ariella Cohen, Bala Cynwyd, PA

Every year I enjoy experimenting with a new cheesecake recipe, and this one was a unanimous favorite. It’s a bit of a patchkeh, but is worth the time and effort! Recipe from Melskitchencafe.com.

Cookie Dough

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp water or milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Base

• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs

Filling

• 4 8-oz (225-g) pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Garnish

• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
• mini chocolate chips, for sprinkling

For the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Add the water or milk and vanilla. Mix in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. The dough will be fairly soft. Gently roll the dough into small balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Place them in the freezer to harden.

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

For the base: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch (26-cm) springform pan. In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate cookie crumbs. Press onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.