Cookies and Cream Dark Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake with Ganache Top Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Set out the cream cheese, eggs and sour cream so they reach room temperature, which usually takes about an hour. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the center. Line the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil if you plan to use a water bath. Chop the dark chocolate into rough chunks and shards with a large knife, and set a portion aside for grating.

Crush about 20 Oreo cookies by hand or in a zip-top bag, and chop a few more cookies into pieces for the filling. Keep 6 to 8 whole cookies aside for the rim decoration. Measure the butter, sugar, vanilla, cream and sour cream so the filling comes together quickly once the mixer starts.

Instructions

Crust, filling and baking

1. 1Chop the chocolate and crush the cookies
   Chop the dark chocolate with a large knife into rough chunks and shards, and set aside a portion for grating. Crush about 20 Oreo cookies by hand or in a bag, and keep the rest whole for the filling and the decoration. Set the ingredients on the board in easy reach.
   Look for Chocolate pieces range from fine shards to chunks and the crumbs are sandy.
   Tip Chop the chocolate with a sharp knife and a steady rocking motion for even pieces.
2. 2Grate chocolate for shavings
   Set the box grater over the board and grate a portion of the dark chocolate to make fine curly shavings. Keep the shavings cool and set them aside for the finish. Refrigerate them until you are ready to decorate the cheesecake.
   Look for Shavings fall in fine, curly ribbons without melting.
   Tip Chill the chocolate for 10 minutes first so it grates cleanly.
3. 3Bake the Oreo crust
   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine the crushed cookies with the melted butter, press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool while you prepare the filling.
   Look for The crust smells toasted and the edges look dry and set.
   Tip Press the crumbs with the flat bottom of a glass for an even base.

The Oreo crust is pressed firm and lightly toasted, and the cream cheese filling is smooth, pale and thick with cookie pieces evenly distributed. The cheesecake should be baked until the edges are set and the center has only a slight wobble that settles as it cools.

Before moving to the ganache, check that the crust is cool to the touch and the filling has no streaks of unmixed cream cheese. Let the cheesecake rest in the turned-off oven with the door ajar so the texture firms gradually and the top stays free of cracks. The cheesecake should look even and calm before any chocolate is added to its surface.

Ganache and chilling

4. 4Beat the cream cheese filling
   Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar in a mixer until smooth and free of lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the chopped whole cookies to make the filling studded with pieces.
   Look for The filling is smooth, pale and thick, with cookie pieces evenly spread.
   Tip Scrape the bowl often so no lumps of cream cheese remain.
5. 5Bake the cheesecake
   Pour the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center barely moves. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes with the door ajar.
   Look for Edges are firm and the center has a slight wobble that settles.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip Set the springform pan on a foil-wrapped sheet to protect against leaks.
6. 6Make the dark chocolate ganache
   Heat the heavy cream until it simmers at the edges, then pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Keep the ganache warm and pourable.
   Look for The ganache is smooth, glossy and flows slowly from the spoon.
   Tip Stir from the center outward to avoid trapping air bubbles.
7. 7Pour ganache and chill until set
   Pour the warm ganache from a glass pitcher into the center of the cooled cheesecake, letting it spread toward the edges for a glossy, dark top. Refrigerate the cheesecake uncovered for 4 hours, or until the top and filling are fully firm.
   Look for The ganache top is firm and glossy and the slice holds its edge.
   Tip Tilt the pan gently to coax the ganache toward the edges.

The ganache should be smooth, glossy and pourable, flowing slowly from a spoon without looking grainy or separated. Pour it into the center of the cooled cheesecake and watch it spread gently toward the edges to form an even dark layer. Before refrigerating, make sure the ganache has no air bubbles on the surface and that the pan sits level in the refrigerator. After about four hours the top should feel firm to a light touch and the surface should keep a clean shine. If the chocolate still looks soft at the center, give it more time before unmolding, because a rushed release can smear the top.

Unmolding and decorating

8. 8Unmold and pipe the rim
   Run a thin knife around the edge, release the springform ring, and move the cheesecake to a serving plate. Whip the chilled cream to stiff peaks, fill a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe rosettes in a ring around the rim. Place whole Oreo cookies between the rosettes.
   Look for Rosettes hold their shape and stand up cleanly on the top edge.
   Tip Use chilled cream and a chilled bowl for the stiffest rosettes.
9. 9Finish with chocolate shavings
   Scatter the reserved chocolate shavings over the center of the cheesecake for a finished look. Keep the cheesecake chilled until you are ready to slice it. Cut with a hot, dry knife for clean slices.
   Look for Shavings sit neatly on the glossy top and the slices cut clean.
   Tip Wipe the knife between cuts to keep the layers crisp.

The cheesecake releases cleanly from the springform ring and holds its shape on the serving plate. The whipped cream should be stiff enough to pipe rosettes that stand up without slumping, and the whole cookies should sit firmly between them. Check that the chocolate top has no fingerprints and that the reserved shavings are cold and intact before scattering them over the center. The finished cheesecake should look polished, with an even rim of cream and a glossy dark center, ready to slice with a hot, dry knife.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is beating the cream cheese too fast or too long, which whips air into the filling and causes cracks and a puffy top. Use medium-low speed and stop once the batter is smooth. Cold cream cheese and eggs also cause lumps that do not disappear in the oven, so let them soften first.

Baking at too high a temperature sets the edges before the center and leads to cracks, so keep the oven at 325°F (163°C) and do not open the door during the first 40 minutes. Pouring the ganache while it is too hot can melt the surface of the filling, and pouring it too cold leaves it thick and streaky. Warm but still pourable is the target.

How to tell it’s done

The cheesecake is done when the outer edges look set and dry and the center moves only slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Filling baked with eggs should reach 160°F (71°C) at the center to be cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted at the edge of the center confirms this without piercing the top.

After the cheesecake has cooled and chilled for at least four hours, the ganache top should feel firm to a light touch and the slice should hold its edge. A knife run around the rim should come away clean. If the center still wobbles when the cheesecake is chilled, return it to the refrigerator for an extra hour before serving.

• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part