Rich and creamy vanilla cheesecake with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough mixed throughout is covered with a layer of ganache and topped with pecans. Decadent? Rich? Amazing? Of course.
Crust
2 Mix the cookie crumbs and butter and then press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
3 Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes.
4 Set aside.
5 When cool cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure it is at least 3/4 of the way up the pan
Cookie Dough
8 Mix all ingredients in a mixer until well blended.
9 Refrigerate.
10 Make small balls of cookie dough with a cookie scoop or by hand and place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
11 Freeze and keep frozen unil ready to use.
Cheesecake
14 Beat cream cheese and sugar at slowest speed until it is mixed well. Do not whip it - air will get in the batter and it will lose its dense texture.
15 Add eggs one at a time, slowly mixing in for about 2 minutes after each addition.
16 Fold in vanilla and sour cream by hand.
17 Pour a layer of the batter into a prepared crumb crust in the springform pan.
18 Randomly add balls of cookie dough and cover with some more cheesecake batter.
19 Repeat until all the batter is used up.
20 Make sure the foil is still securely around the pan.
21 Put the cheesecake pan in a 12" cake pan with high sides and put into a 375F oven.
22 Pour hot water into the 12" pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan - don't let it go over the top of the aluminum foil!
23 Bake for 45 minutes.
24 Turn off oven and let set for one hour. Do not open the door!
25 Remove cake from oven, take off foil, and let come to room temperature.
26 Refrigerate covered. Placing paper towel on top of cake will soak up any condensation
27 Refrigerate overnight.
Ganache
30 Heat the cream until bubbles form around the edge.
31 Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.
32 Just before serving run a knife around cake and remove from pan.
33 Pour the ganache over the top, smoothing and letting it drip down the sides as you go.
34 Sprinkle with the chopped, toasted pecans.
