Cookies 'n' Cream Cheesecake a.k.a Oreo Cheesecake

I was craving for Oreo Cheesecake the other day.. So I decided to make one myself.. I found the recipe in a book that I borrowed..Cheesecake Seduction by Catherine Lau... The pictures in the book was so marvelous that it makes me crave for it..

I couldn't wait to eat it after it came out from the oven but I had to refrigerate it for a night.. The verdict? Well, it taste very normal though it looks tempting and really delicious.. Nothing special actually.. But I was happy with it.. :)

Oh yeah, after reading through all the recipes in the book, I wasn't sure whether whipping cream refers to single cream or heavy cream. Would using heavy cream affects anything? Hmm.. Does anybody know the and answers?

Cookies 'n' Cream Cheesecake (adapted from Cheesecake Seduction by Catherine Lau)
Makes one 23 cm cake (I halved the recipe though. Made a 6" tall cheesecake)

Base
120g butter, diced
200g digestive biscuit, finely crushed
3 tbsp brown sugar
50g cornflakes, crushed
30g cocoa powder, sifted
My version (6" base):
8 Oreos, crushed
2-3 tbsp butter, melted

Filling
750g cream cheese
140g castor sugar
2 tsp vanilla flavouring
20g cornflour, sifted
300 ml whipping cream (I used heavy cream cos that's what I have)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
300g Chocolate sandwich cookies (obviously I used Oreos, i used 14 Oreos for 1/2 batch)
250ml milk

Glaze
50g Apricot Glaze
50ml water

Method:

Base
1. Prepare biscuit base. The problem here is that the book had missing pages which consists of the method to prepare the base. I will assume that the method is to mix all the dry ingredients until evenly combine. Then mix in the butter till it becomes a lumpy enough to form a base. Hmm.. I'm just assuming and imagining how it would be done. :) But from my experience, this can be done. Preheat oven to 150 deg C.

My version:
1. Pour the melted butter on the crushed Oreos and mix well. Cover the base with the mixture and use a glass to press it down to the pan. Use your fingers to press down all the corners of the pan so that it will be level with the middle area.

Filling
1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla flavouring and cornflour, and beat until smooth. Add cream and blend until mixture thickens. Slowly pour in eggs and mix until just combined.

2. Pour half the filling on biscuit base. Dip half the cookies in milk then arrange on filling. Pour remaining filling on cookies. Dip remaining cookies in milk then press into filling.

3. Place pan in water bath. Bake for 1 hour or until filling is set but still soft in the centre. Turn oven off. Leave the cake in oven for 30 minutes with door closed. Remove water bath. Lave cake to cool completely in oven with door ajar.

4. Cover cake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before removing from pan.

Glaze
1. Stir in apricot glaze and water over low heat util glaze dissolves. Leave to cool slightly, then brush over top of cake.

~You're the one who set it up..
Now you're the one to make it stop
I'm the one who's feeling lost..right now~

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I decided to make this cupcakes cos it sounded so nice when I read it.. I knew I had to try it for myself.. It uses a cake pre-mix.. Just an advice from my experience is that I bought angel food cake mix at first.. It was on discount.. but it had almond after taste.. And I don't like almond.. Hmm. So I did it the 2nd time cos my sis ordered this cupcakes from me.. I used the normal white cake mix and I thought it tasted much better and softer.. Hence, I deduced that Angel Food cake is somehow different from normal cake.. hehe.. Do i sound bimbotic? Hmm..

Cookies and Cream Cupcake (taken from http://howtoeatacupcake.net/)

30 oreos cookies

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 deg F (~175 deg cel). Line cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Count out 12 Oreos and separate the top and bottom wafers. Make sure each has some of the icing on it. Place one wafer, icing side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Set them aside. Place the remaining 18 Oreos between sheets of waxed paper or in a large, closed ziplock bag and crush them by rolling over them with a rolling pin. Set these crumbs aside. (Just keep more Oreos on hand cos the quantity varies depends on the size of your cups. My aluminium cupcake tin was able to produce around 35-40 cupcakes. And if course if you prefer more Oreos in your cupcake or frosting, you can always crush more)(Oh yeah, I prefer the cupcakes without the cookie base though. So it's all your preference)

3. Place the cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 1 1/2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the crushed Oreos and fold these into the batter until well incorporated. Set aside the remaining crushed Oreos for the frosting. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lines cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full. You will get between 22 and 2 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any. Place the pans in the oven. (I fill till quite full cos this cupcake recipe doesn't rise that much)

4. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Store these cupcakes in a saver or under glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in a refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you plan to freeze them, don't add the cookie-crumb topping. Wrap them in a aluminium foil or in a cake saver and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator and top with cookie crumbs before serving.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

(I halved the recipe of the frosting for the recipe above cos I didn't want too much frosting. I think it was just nice cos my 'customer' don't like too much sweet stuff)

1/2 cup (1 stick)(~110g) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

a pinch of salt

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

remaining crushed oreos

Mix together butter, confectioner's sugar, and a pinch of salt until it's creamy. Increase you mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in crushed Oreos. Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes.

I think this cupake is good for those who doesn't like cupcakes that are too sweet.. It soft and interesting really.. A lot of people liked it.. Especially the cook's sister.. :) Im very happy as this was my 2nd paid order so far.. But I think for a simple recipe, it is one of the more expensive cupcakes that I made because the ingredients cost a bit higher than other cupcakes.. :)

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