Carrot Patch Cheesecake
An Oreo-crust cheesecake topped with chocolate ganache, Oreo-crumb "soil", chocolate-dipped strawberry "carrots" and Robin's Eggs.
Ingredients
| — | Nonstick cooking spray | |
| 26 | Oreos | |
| 4 tbsp | 60 ml | butter, melted, plus more for pan |
| 1 pinch | kosher salt | |
| 4 | blocks of cream cheese (8 oz each), softened to room temperature | |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | granulated sugar |
| 3 | large eggs | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | pure vanilla extract |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | sour cream |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | kosher salt |
| 1 1/2 cup | 360 ml | white chocolate chips |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | coconut oil |
| — | Orange food coloring (or red + yellow food coloring) | |
| 10 | medium strawberries | |
| 1/3 cup | 80 ml | heavy cream |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | semisweet chocolate chips |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | crushed Oreos |
| 1/2 | package Robin's Eggs candy |
Instructions
- Make crust: Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease an 8" springform pan with cooking spray.
- In a food processor, blend Oreos with melted butter and salt. Pat into a springform pan and set aside while you make the filling.
- Make cheesecake: In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat cream cheese and sugar until no lumps remain. Add eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla and sour cream. Add flour and salt and beat until just combined. Pour mixture over crust.
- Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil and place in a large roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come up halfway in the baking pan.
- Bake until center of cheesecake only slightly jiggles, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn off heat, prop open oven door, and let cheesecake cool in oven, 1 hour.
- Remove foil and refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled, at least 5 hours and up to overnight.
- In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Add orange food coloring until desired color is reached.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Hold strawberries gently by their leaves and dip in orange chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make ganache topping: In a small saucepan over low heat, heat heavy cream until small bubbles appear around the edges. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour hot cream on top. Let sit 3 minutes, then stir until creamy and no lumps remain.
- Pour ganache over top of cheesecake and smooth into an even layer. Top with an even layer of Oreo crumbs, then add your strawberry "carrots" and Robin's Eggs. Refrigerate until ganache is set, 10 minutes more.