Cookie Monster Cheesecake – Secret Layer Cakes Cookbook!

A fudgy, chewy chocolate chip cookie blondie base, and a creamy cookies and cream cheesecake loaded with crushed Oreos, coated with a thin layer of chocolate ganache, and topped with more mini chocolate chip cookies – this Cookie Monster Cheesecake (from my new cookbook – Secret Layer Cakes) will have little cookie monsters jumping for joy everywhere! 

When I was little, Cookie Monster was one of my favorite Sesame Street characters. Probably because I could relate to him in the way that he devoured his cookies with gusto, and the way he talked. And I still love cookies and still sound like him, when I’m tipsy at least, so I guess I could still relate to him. Although I always found it weird why he couldn’t just eat the damn cookies and not spill crumbs everywhere… Little me was appalled at that wastage.

This Cookie Monster Cheesecake, featured in my recently released cookbook Secret Layer Cakes is an ode to that lovable muppet. It’s got a fudgy and chewy chocolate chip cookie base, and a delightfully creamy cookies and cream cheesecake loaded with crushed Oreo cookies, and then coated with a thin layer of chocolate ganache, and topped with more mini chocolate chip cookies! Om nom nom nom!

I’m totally not biased when I say this, but if you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy of Secret Layer Cakes, then you really really should! 🙂 That is, if you like combining a fantastic array of delicious flavors and textures and different types of dessert into outrageously inventive (if I say so myself, heehee) cakes (that’s where the idea of secret layers comes from!), that are also surprisingly easy. I have tried to give as clear and detailed instructions as possible, and there are 60 recipes in the book for cheesecakes, no bake cakes, ice cream cakes and all types of dessert mash ups, like this Fudgy S’mores Brownie Pie here.

My goal was to depart from boring, everyday cake flavors and textures, and present something that was truly exciting and worthy of a celebration. Baking a cake isn’t just a routine thing for most of us like pouring yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, so I wanted to make these recipes as inspiring, creative and exciting as I could, so that you too would really, truly, madly, deeply want to make these cakes to celebrate those special moments in yours and your loved ones’ lives!

Every cake recipe in this book is a marriage of different flavors and textures with a surprise element embedded in the cake that you couldn’t see from the outside. This Cookie Monster Cheesecake features a deliciously fudgy, chewy chocolate chip cookie blondie base, instead of the standard cookie crust in cheesecakes. Plus, the creamy, bright blue cheesecake layer is studded with an abundance of Oreo cookies! And as I mentioned, these cakes really are deceptively simple to make.

I’m pretty sure Cookie Monster would approve.

The chocolate chip cookie blondie is par baked before the cream cheese layer is added. The cookie layer needs to be fudgy, so make sure not to over bake it.

Here are some tips on how to plan and make this Secret Layer Cake – Cookie Monster Cheesecake

• Start making the cookie monster cheesecake a day ahead. This cheesecake is a two day process that involves more chilling time than work. Once the cake has been ganached, it can be eaten immediately (or stored for another day).
  • First day – make the cookie blondie base, and the cookies and cream cheesecake. Once baked, loosen the cooled down cheesecake and chill it overnight.
  • Second day – make the chocolate ganache and spread it over the cheesecake. Decorate the surface with store-bought mini chocolate chip cookies.
• Adjust the cooking time for this cookie monster cheesecake according to your pan size. This recipe is made at a standard 8 inch size. However, if you only have a 9 inch pan, you can still use it. This way you will get a cheesecake that is not as tall as this one, and it will also cook faster. This is especially important with the cookie layer. The cookie layer will become crumbly if over-baked. You want to end up with an almost fudgy and chewy cookie layer.
• It’s better to under-bake the cookie layer! The goal is to have a fudgy/chewy layer. Since the cookie layer is going to be baked first (without the cheesecake), make sure it’s not over-baked during that first baking period.
• Prepare the cake pan properly. Wrap the bottom of the cake pan with foil to avoid any water getting into the cake! This is really IMPORTANT! Even if you use a push pan or a springform pan or a water-proof springform pan, it’s important to wrap the bottom and the sides with foil. I double wrap it with two pieces of foil that cover the bottom as well as the sides of the cake pan. This way, water from the water bath won’t seep into the cake and create a soggy mess.

Learn how to get PERFECT cheesecakes every time by following these tips.

• Follow these tips to make sure you get the perfect cheesecake and to avoid those dreaded cheesecake cracks!

  • All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
  • Mix the cream cheese with other ingredients, EXCEPT for the eggs, until it’s creamy and has no lumps. Cornstarch (or cornflour) is added to help make the batter more cohesive as well. The starch in the cornstarch makes the cheesecake batter more stable.
  • Once the eggs are added, whisk the mixture on low speed or with a hand mix until it’s well mixed. This is the stage where you could potentially over-mix the batter and introduce too much air. The more air that’s introduced, the cheesecake will rise too much in the oven and fall, causing cracks in the cheesecake.
  • Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. The water bath will regulate the heat, making sure the cheesecake bakes slowly and evenly, further preventing cheesecake cracks.

These tips on how to make perfect cheesecakes should come in handy for any cheesecake, not only this cookie monster cheesecake. So make sure you save these tips for other cheesecake recipes as well.

It goes without saying that this Cookie Monster cheesecake is one of my favorites, and it’s so so good! Not only does it look striking with that bright blue color, it’s also a decadent, addictive treat that would be PERFECT for birthdays and kids’ parties. You can get your own copy of Secret Layer Cakes on Amazon or Book Depository.

RECIPE VIDEO FOR THIS COOKIE MONSTER CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Cookie Monster Cheesecake

Servings: 12 people

Author: Dini

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Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Blondie

• 4 oz unsalted butter 1/2 cup butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 2.6 oz brown sugar tightly packed 1/3 cup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4.4 oz all-purpose flour 125 g 1 cup (spoon and level)
• 4 oz semisweet mini chocolate chips 2/3 cup (I used ghirardelli)

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

• 16 oz cream cheese 2 packets
• 2 tsp cornflour cornstarch
• 3.5 oz granulated sugar 1/2 cup
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup whipping cream 118 ml
• Blue gel food coloring
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 15 regular Oreo cookies crushed into small pieces

Chocolate Ganache

• 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup
• ½ cup whipping cream 118 ml
• Pinch of salt

To Decorate

• Mini chocolate chip cookies whole and crushed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chocolate Chip Cookie Blondie

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) wide, 3-inch (8-cm) tall springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and dust the sides with flour.

2. Melt the butter, salt and brown sugar in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Mix to form a smooth butter-sugar mix. Set aside to cool slightly.
   

3. When the sugar mix has cooled, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until fully mixed. Add half of the flour and fold it into the blondie batter. Add the other half along with the chocolate chips and fold to combine (the blondie batter will be quite thick).

4. Place the batter in the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) to bake the cheesecake.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

1. While the blondie layer is baking, get the cheesecake layer ready. In a bowl using a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, cornflour and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the salt, cream, a few drops of blue coloring and vanilla and mix on medium speed until the ingredients have combined well and the mix is smooth. Add more blue coloring as needed to get that deep blue Cookie Monster color.
   

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed or manually with a balloon whisk until fully incorporated. Add the crushed Oreos and fold to combine (take care not to overbeat).
   

4. Pour the cheesecake batter over the slightly cooled blondie layer. Tightly double wrap the bottom of your springform pan with two pieces of foil. Then place the springform pan in a larger baking tray (that can easily fit the 8-inch [20-cm] pan), and fill the baking tray with hot water (really hot tap water will do). The water level should be about halfway up the sides of the springform pan, and make sure that the water doesn’t seep through the foil.

5. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the cheesecake is set but slightly jiggly in the middle when you shake it gently.

6. Turn off the oven, and let the cheesecake cool for 15 to 30 minutes while still inside the oven with the oven door left ajar (this way the residual heat helps cook the cheesecake a tad further, plus you don’t have to handle the cake while it’s too hot).
   

7. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and the water bath, and let cool to room temperature completely; this can take up to 4 hours, depending on the ambient room temperature.

8. Gently loosen the cheesecake from the pan. If the cheesecake is sticking slightly to the pan, you can run a thin butter knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
   

Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the cream and salt and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted. Mix to make sure the ganache is smooth and then let cool to a thick but spreadable consistency. You can keep the chocolate ganache in the fridge to speed the cooling process.

Decorate

1. Once the cheesecake is chilled, spread the chocolate ganache on the sides of the cheesecake, and then cover the surface on top as well. It’s OK if it’s not completely smooth on top because it’ll be covered with chocolate chip cookies anyway. 

2. When the ganache has set, decorate with chocolate chip cookie pieces on top, and serve.
   

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