A Late Post: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (A Birthday Treat)

This post is coming far later than it should, and I’m afraid I’m a terrible food blogger because of it. Life and family and plenty of other things kept getting in my way, but I’m back now; I’m posting this entry and one on another dish tonight. Hopefully, with fall well underway, this blog will have more delicious entries.

Every year for my kid brother’s birthday in July I make a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake; it’s sort of a tradition in our family. I make it using a recipe I got from Eagle Brand cook book my Nanny gave me. The recipe is ridiculously easy, and after realizing that it tastes better with vanilla cookies for the crust, it was simple to master.

To make the crust you simply melt three tablespoons of butter, scrap the icing from the insides of your sandwich cookies, and finely crush them; I was in a bit of a rush, so I used the food processor to crush my cookies, but you can put them in a baggie and use a rolling pin to do the job. Once that is done, you simply mix the cookies and butter until the cookies are moistened and press them in the bottom of your springform pan. You do not need to grease the pan at all.

      

Next, you should toss your mini chocolate chips in flour so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter; it’s important that you make sure they are completely coated.

 

The next step is to beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy, but do not oversoften or overbeat it.

  

Gradually add the condensed milk, beating it until smooth; then add the eggs and vanilla mix well. Again, don’t overbeat or overmix your batter or the chips will not distribute well throughout the cake.

 

  

Gently stir the flour coated chocolate chips into the batter and pour over the prepared crust; sprinkle the remaining uncoated chips over the top of the cake as evenly as possible. Try not to touch the sides of the pan because then the clean up is a pain.

  

Bake at 300 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until set; usually it takes the full 60 for me. Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan, and then chill it. If you do not let it chill, it will tear when you try to remove it from the pan.

 

Eagle Brand Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

1/2 cups finely crushed crème filled chocolate or vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs
2-3 tablespoons melted butter
3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 teaspoon all purpose flour

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl, press firmly into the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch springform pan
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy (do not overbeat). Gradually add condensed milk until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well
• In a small bowl, toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips with flour to coat; stir into cream cheese mixtures, pour over crust. Sprinkle remaining chips evenly over the top.
• Bake 55-60 minutes, or until set; allow to cool and chill.