I think my boys are the biggest Oreo fans in the world. And, I think I just happen to be one of the biggest fans of cheesecake in the world. So when I came across these perfect little bites of deliciousness on Mel’s site, I knew they had to happen. Like, immediately. And happen they did.
A breeze to throw together – an Oreo crust, reserving a few cookies to chop up and add to the cheesecake mixture that I quickly whipped together while I toasted the crust for a few minutes in the oven. The hardest part is of course waiting for them to cool. Then they’re cut into squares and drizzled with dark and white chocolate. So not only are they easy, they’re impressive too. Perfect for the football get-togethers everyone is sure to start having!
The original recipe was for a 9X13, but I halved it to fit in an 8X8 – so you could certainly double this version. We all enjoyed a few last night, and I’m packing up the remainder to take to our late night rocket launch party tonight. Our relatively small NASA base here on the Eastern Shore is launching a rocket bound for the moon’s orbit this evening.
The payload it’s carrying is LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer), and it’s kind of a huge deal for us. If you’re in the area of the Eastern seaboard (north or south), go outside and look to the skies. Then come back here and tell me if you saw it! For those of you who aren’t in the viewing area, the launch will be broadcast live on NASA TV. I can’t wait to see Twitter light up with folks thinking it’s a UFO. We really are so excited, I couldn’t be prouder of all the folks at Wallops Flight Facility. Good luck lighting the candle on this bad boy, guys. Praying for fair skies, and no fishing boats in the hazard area!
Oreo Cheesecake Bites
20 Oreos, divided
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 lb (2 packages) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 oz semisweet chocolate
2 oz white chocolate
Preaheat oven to 325. Line an 8X8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Roughly chop remaining cookies. Set aside.
Finely crush 12 Oreo cookies and combine with melted butter. Press evenly into bottom of the prepared pan using a drinking glass. Place in oven for 5 minutes.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla, mix to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the chopped cookie pieces, and pour batter into the prepared crust.
Return pan to oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the center is almost completely set. Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 2 hours. When chilled, remove and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces on a wax or parchment lined baking sheet. Melt the chocolate in seperate bowls (using 1 tsp of vegetable shortening helps to get a drizzling consistency) and use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake bites.
Chill the bars until ready to serve.
Source: adapted from Kraft Recipes, via Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
