Cherry Garcia Cheescake Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Oreo Crust:

For the Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake:

For the Ganache:

Instructions

Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Add Oreos to a food processor and chop or crush into fine crumbs by hand. Pour in melted butter and mix using the food processor. Press the crumbs along the bottom and extend up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, compacting the crumbs as much as possible. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 °F.

Make the cheesecake. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring until well combined. Crack the four eggs into a small bowl and mix with a fork to break up the yolks. Slowly pour roughly a quarter of the eggs into the cream cheese mixture, mix to combine, and repeat until all egg has been added. Do not over-mix the cheesecake - this makes it more likely to crack. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped cherries and miniature chocolate chips, scraping down the sides and along the bottom of the bowl.

Prepare the springform pan. Wrap the springform pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil, or create a pan-in-pan water bath by placing the 9-inch springform pan inside a 10-inch cake pan (both pans together will be placed inside the water bath). Pour the cheesecake batter into the oreo cookie crust.

Bake the cheesecake. Place the springform pan inside a larger pan and add hot water until the water level comes approximately halfway up the sides of the springform pan (or the outer cake pan). Bake at 325 °F for 75 minutes, or until the edges have set but a 3 to 4-inch diameter circle in the center of the cheesecake still jiggles. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; cool in the warm oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before placing it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Make the ganache. Once the cheesecake has cooled for at least 4 hours, top with the ganache. Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute on 50% power and stir well; repeat this process until the mixture is smooth and no lumps of chocolate remain. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then pour onto the unmolded cheesecake and spread to the sides using an offset spatula. Decorate with additional fresh cherries and miniature chocolate chips. Chill for 30 minutes to set the ganache.