Oreo Cheesecake

Today I made Oreo Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts to play around with. It's such a versatile dessert you can add in pretty much anything you like from Lemon, Malteasers, Strawberries, or a personal favourite, Baileys. I probably have twelve or thirteen different favourite Cheesecake recipes. This is definitely up there in my top three. This cheesecake has a great aesthetic feature attached to it too. The stark contrast between the black and white really makes it a pleasure to look at as well as eat. The Oreo base is so intense in flavour that it is complemented perfectly by the sweet and creamy topping. I don't include gelatin in this recipe as the ingredients are so fresh and thick and creamy you don't need a setting agent. 

This recipe uses both regular sized and mini Oreos. The regular sized Oreos are blitzed into a fine crumb which will go into making the biscuit layer of the Cheesecake. The Mini Oreos are use for decorative purposes. They also acts as a way to divide up he Cheesecake when you are serving as one portion normally takes into account two mini Oreos. The topping of this Cheesecake is made up by mixing Cream Cheese - I like to use Philadelphia Light so save some ever important Calories. Mixed with Mascarpone Cheese and Cream. I like to sweeten my Cheesecakes with icing sugar. A lot of recipes say to use Caster Sugar or Granulated Sugar as a sweetener but I find that using regular sugar can leave your Cheesecake a little grainy and not being able to achieve that super smooth texture.

Ingredients: 

• 32 Oreos
• 85g Butter 
• 30 Mini Oreos
• 250mls Cream
• 500g Light Cream Cheese
• 250 Mascarpone Cheese
• 200g Icing Sugar

Instructions:

1. Blitz the Oreos using a food processor and pour into a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave and pour into the Oreo crumbs. Mix the butter in using a wooden spoon until the crumbs start to stick together.

2. Pour the crumb mixture into a 9 inch Springform Pan. Press the mixture down with a spatula making sure to get it as evenly spread out as possible. Place the pan into the fridge so the biscuit base can set. 

3 While the base is in the fridge you can get your creamy topping ready. Whisk the cream till it's forming soft peaks. In another bowl place all the Cream Cheese and Mascarpone Cheese and begin to beat with a wooden spoon to loosen up and mix the two Cheeses together.

4. Spoon in the Whipped Cream and sift in the Icing sugar and mix through. Taste the mixture and add more Icing Sugar if you wish. Cut ten of the mini Oreos into quarters and add into the mixture.

5. Using a spatula, spread the Cream Cheese mixture on top of the biscuit base. Pressing down constantly so you don't have any air pockets or gaps in your Cheesecake.

6. Arrange your remaining mini Oreos on top of your Cheesecake, in what ever design you like. I like to do a circular design around the outside of the Cake but feel free to get creative.

7. Allow to chill and set for an hour or two before serving as the mixture will have softened slightly after working it so much. 

8. To remove from pan, place on top of a small bowl and then unclasp the tin slowly. Move the outside of the pan down making sure not to disturb the sides of the Cheesecake. 

"If chocolate is the answer, the question is irrelevant"

Oreo Cupcakes with Cookie Frosting

Today I made Oreo Cupcakes with Cookie Frosting

Young or Old, everybody seems to have a weak spot for the Oreo. In the Cookie World they tend to come in at a League Of Their Own. Whether you're a "Twist, Lick and Dunk" kinda person or a "Eat as many as you can before people find out you have cookies" kinda person the obsession is equally as high. When I first decided to play around with adding them to my cupcake recipe I got excited but wasn't sure how they would turn out. At first I just made a regular chocolate cupcake and used crushed up Oreo Cookies in the frosting and that was all. Since then this recipe has developed and is now even more filled with the rich Oreo goodness.

In my new and improved recipe I add an extra Oreo Cookie on the bottom of each Cupcake for a crunchy surprise as well as a great visual. And another on top, well just for good measure. When I give these Cupcakes out to people they tend to use the top Oreo as some kind of cookie spoon to eat the frosting, which I think is brilliant. The cupcake itself is quite light and fluffy and almost melts in the mouth, with a creamy vanilla frosting with speckles of Oreo dust, glistening like some kind of Cookie gold. The Chocolate I use in this recipe is Wilkies Organic Batch Chocolate, An Irish company all made by hand from Bean to Bar. Newly being stocked at Ardkeen Quality Food Store. You can really taste the difference and I'd highly recommend.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

For the Cupcake:

115g Unsalted Butter

45g Cocoa Powder

50g Wilkie's Chocolate -Amazonas

95g All Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Large Eggs - Room Temperature

100g Caster Sugar

50g Light Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

100mls Milk

24 Oreo Cookies

For the Frosting:

250g Icing Sugar

150g Unsalted Butter - Room Temperature

6 Oreo Cookies

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line your cupcake tin with cases of your choice.

2. Melt the Butter and Chocolate together in the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each time. You can do this step over a bowl of boiling water on the cooker but It's easier and faster in the microwave. Stir in Vanilla Extract. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt until fully combined. In another bowl whisk the Eggs, Brown Sugar and Sugar until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Add half the flour mixture, then half the milk. Repeat and then mix everything one last time. Don't over mix the batter as it leads to tough cupcakes. It should be quite thick at this stage so try not give in to the desire to add more milk.

5. Place an Oreo Cookie into each Cupcake case. Divide the batter between the 12 cases over the cookies. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a tooth pick or cupcake tester comes out clean. 

6. Allow to cool completely before attempting to frost.

7. For the frosting; In a bowl beat the butter for a minute or two. I normally do this by hand but feel free to use a handheld or stand mixer. Slowly add in the Icing sugar a little at a time and working through completely. 

8. Blitz the Oreo Cookies in a handheld blender until they resemble crumbs. Add the Oreo Crumbs into the Frosting and mix through. I normally chill the icing a little before frosting as it makes it easier to work with.  

9. Frost the Cupcakes using a piping bag or use a Tablespoon to place a generous amount on each then flick upwards to create a design. When frosted you can place an Oreo Cookie on top of each.

 

"People Are Like Oreos, The Good Stuff Is On The Inside"