Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

I don't eat cheesecake - it's one dessert I've never liked no matter how many times I try it.  Not sure what it is about it that I don't like, but I've been wanting to make these since I bought Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Cookbook when it came out.  So I finally decided that I would make them.  I knew that my sisters would eat them and I could always pass them out to my taste testers, so getting people to eat them wasn't a problem. 

I hit the grocery store after my morning appointment at OT to get a few ingredients - like the 2 pounds of cream cheese that it calls for.  That's right - 2 pounds.  I'm standing there in front of the cream cheese section double checking my math and making sure that I buy the right amount of cream cheese (its 4 8 oz boxes) - math and me don't get along.  Whenever math comes into my baking world, I always double and triple check it before I start.  And I needed some Oreo's  - trust me when I say buy 2 bags of Oreo's because you will need both bags.  I got one bag of Double Stuffed and one of the new Fudge Covered Oreo's because I thought I would make the Oreo's that get crushed inside the cupcake better - who doesn't like a fudge covered Oreo?! 

I get home and let things come to room temperature and then get going on putting an Oreo in each cupcake tin using my other fun new cupcake liners (this time they were polka dots in spring colors). 

Oreos as the crust
genius

The batter is super easy - and I'm jamming away listening to music having fun.  Once it's all together, time to scoop it out.  Fill those bad boys to the top - there is a ton of batter.  I went back after my initial scooping out to fill them up some more.  They don't overflow while baking - they just puff up.  So don't worry about spillage while baking. 

filled to the brim

Once filled - time to bake away!  I've never made a cheesecake before and was a little nervous about how to tell when they were "set" or not.  So I'm standing there in front of my oven having a little conversation with myself about if I think they are set or not.  They seemed firm and "set" so I took them out and let them cool.  Once cooled I stuck them in the fridge.  Now I had to wait for one of my sisters to come home and try one since I don't eat cheesecake. 

Finally they came home and Heay's said she would try one. 

oh yeah

She said they were AMAZING!  I was happy I didn't make something bad.  So off I sent her to the boys with treats.  They were very happy.  I am the treat fairy.  

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

makes 30

42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds cream cheese, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Place 1 whole Oreo in the bottom of each lined cup. 
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined.  Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in sour cream and salt.  Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.  Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or up to overnight).  Remove from tins just before serving.