Sugar, Sugar (Cookie Cheesecake).

In the last post, I told a bit of a half-truth. There won't exactly be cookies... but there will be sugar cookie cheesecake! I've probably mentioned before that I have a major sweet tooth. Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, so when I saw this recipe on Cookies and Cups for sugar cookie cheesecake, I knew I had to try it. For some reason, when I make cheesecake for blog purposes, I almost always end up under- or over-baking. Of course, things usually turn out just fine whenever I'm not documenting the process! So unfortunately I didn't get the right cheesecake texture this time to really properly analyze the end result; I can tell you that the flavor, overall, was good, and I will definitely be trying it again and suspect it will be delicious.

Also, and this will likely be one of the only times I will say this in reference to generic vs. brand name ingredients: the recipe calls for good cream cheese, and you should heed the recipe. I had previously purchased a big block of it and used that because I didn't want to make another grocery run, but its texture, in comparison to the brand name, turned out to be like the difference between under-whipped whipped cream and just-right whipped cream.  I'm convinced that it contributed to the cheesecake cooking a lot longer than the stated cooking time and still being under-done.

With all of that in mind, here are three things I would do differently next time:
1) Use brand name cream cheese, because I do think a good starting texture makes a difference in final taste and cooking time.
2) Use less salt in the cookie crust. I think the purpose of a whole teaspoon of salt and a whole teaspoon of baking soda in what would be the equivalent of about 1/2 batch of cookie dough--I would normally use that much in a full batch of sugar cookies--was to offset the overall sweetness, but I found that I could really taste the salt in the end result and would probably use 1/2, maybe even a 1/4, teaspoon of salt next time.
3) Trust my instincts on when to take the cheesecake out of the oven instead of trying to fit it to the instructions. First, some ovens run hotter, other cooler. As soon as you have chilled a cheesecake, it becomes a lot harder to correct under-baking. You can use a warm water bath, but even that is a hit-or-miss fix. I checked the cheesecake a few times and ended up leaving it in the oven for a good twenty minutes longer than instructed. I finally decided to take it out even while it was still much more jiggly than other cheesecakes, because I thought perhaps that was how this particular cheesecake was meant to be served (I don't think it was...).


Now with the preliminaries out of the way, here is the cheesecake. First, the crust...

First, I beat the sugar and butter for about 2 minutes until fluffy.

Then I added the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.

I added the salt and baking soda and mixed, then added the flour--note: I  didn't get a picture of pouring the flour in--and mixed until the dough just came together. I would suggest adding the baking soda and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then tasting the dough after mixing; if it tastes like usual sugar cookie dough to you, then keep going without adding the rest of the salt. If you think it could use more, then add another 1/4 and continue adding to taste (always make sure to wash your hands/have clean utensils on hand!). Finally, I stirred in the sprinkles and pressed the finished dough into the bottom of a greased springform pan.

I set that aside, cleaned out the mixing bowl, and got to work on the cheesecake itself. 

First, I beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Then, I added the vanilla and added eggs one at a time, beating after each until just blended (no visible streaks of egg). With cheesecake, the goal is a pudding-like consistency. I only showed doing one egg in the pictures; I think you can imagine the process with the other three!

I poured the cheesecake into the springform pan, smoothed it over the crust, and baked. Normally, cheesecakes baked at 325°F will follow the recipe's guidelines: 55-60 minutes. However, mine took about 80 and even then wasn't done for reasons described above. The best way to tell if a cheesecake is done is that the edges should be raised and slightly browned, and the middle should be almost, but not quite set (a bit jiggly still). Definitely go by that more than by the timer on the oven. 

I got it out of the oven and let it cool. Always let your cheesecake cool completely before unmolding, or you run the risk of it falling apart. It will "fall" a bit during cooling (i.e. lose the puffiness and become flat on top) and will do so a bit more while chilling. You might be able to tell that although the edges were raised and a bit brown here, the cheesecake was still much more jiggly than it ought to have been when taken out of the oven.

I put it in the fridge to chill for about 6 hours, then took it out and topped it with whipped cream and sprinkles. It might not have been a 100% success, but it definitely looked pretty:

DEEMS THIS RECIPE:

... Easier than pie, if you keep an eye on the cheesecake throughout baking.