Cookie Dough Cheesecake

by

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1 package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, divided

FOR THE CHEESECAKE

  • 4 8-oz. bars cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 c. sour cream
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream
  • 3/4 c. mini chocolate chips, divided

FOR THE FROSTING

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 c. butter, softened
  • 1/4 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

FOR DECORATING

  • 3 chocolate chip cookies, halved
  • 2 c. broken chocolate chip cookies

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and wrap a 9″ springform pan in foil.
  2. Make the crust: Pat 3/4 of the cookie dough log into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. Make the cheesecake: Bring a medium saucepan or teakettle full of water to a boil.
  4. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese on medium, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until completely smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat, scraping down bowl as necessary, until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, then add vanilla and beat 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add sour cream and heavy cream and beat on low until fully incorporated and completely smooth, about 1 minute.
  5. Pour about a third of the cheesecake batter into the cookie dough crust then sprinkle with about a third of the chocolate chips. Add another third of the batter, followed by another third of the chocolate chips. Add the rest of the batter, smooth the top of the cheesecake, and sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate chips. Roll remaining 1/4 of the cookie dough into tiny balls and drop on top of cheesecake.
  6. Place the cheesecake in a deep roasting pan and set on the middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
  7. Bake until the top is just starting to brown and only the center is slightly jiggly, 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off oven, prop open door with a wooden spoon, and let cheesecake slowly cool in its water bath for 1 hour.
  8. Remove roasting pan from oven, then carefully lift the springform pan out of the water and remove the foil. Set cheesecake on a rack and let come to room temperature. Once completely cool, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 4 hours, or up to overnight. When ready to serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.
  9. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Season with salt and fold in mini chocolate chips.
  10. Dollop frosting on top of cheesecake. Top each frosting circle with half a cookie, then cover cheesecake sides with crushed cookies.