IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL INGREDIENTS MUST BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE STARTING
- 23 oreo cookies, witch cream
- 45g (3 1/4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 680g (3 cups) American block style Cream Cheese (do not replace with whipped, or low-fat cream cheese)
- 150g (3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 20g (2 tablespoons) plain flour
- 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 whole eggs
- 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
- 10 oreo cookies crushed
Whip cream for decoration:
- 240ml (1cup) double/whipping/heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon gelatine
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Oreo cookies for decorating
Prepare your pans; line the outside of a 20cm (8-inch) springform tin with aluminum foil all the way up the sides of the pan, to ensure that no water seeps into the tin. Have a larger tin with high sides that springform can sit in to create a water bath ready.
Crush the biscuits in a food processor until they reach a fine-crumb consistency, add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and combine. Press the crumb/butter mixture into a 20cm (8-inch) springform pan that has been well greased or lined with baking paper. Place crumb-filled pan into the fridge to “firm up”.
Heat oven to 160℃ (320℉).
Boil a kettle full of water.
Meanwhile, while the crumb base is firming up, make the filling. In the large processor mixing bowl, or using a stand mixer or a handheld whisk, combine the cream cheese, caster sugar, plain flour, and vanilla extract, process or beat mixture until very smooth.
Once smooth, stop the machine and add all at once eggs, and the milk. Process until just combined. Using a spatula, mix all the ingredients together, scraping down the sides of the bowl, add the 10 crushed Oreos and pulse the machine for one or two seconds just until the cookies are mixed in, and set aside for one minute.
Retrieve the crumb base from the fridge and use some of the melted butter, leftover from the butter you used to bind the crumb base, to brush the inside rim of the pan from just above the crust until the top.
Pour cheesecake filling onto the cookie crumb layer. Place the cheesecake inside the larger tin, fill the tin with just-boiled water from the kettle, the water should reach halfway up the aluminum foil-lined tin.
Bake at 160˚C for about an hour, until the center of the cake still jiggles, but the sides are set.
Turn off the oven, allow the cake to cool in the oven, with the door ajar for at least an hour, cool completely before putting it into the fridge.
Let the cake set in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
Fresh cooled cheese can easily be frozen for up to one month.
If serving from frozen, let the cake thaw for at least three hours before serving.
Before serving prepare whipped cream topping:
In a small bowl combine the gelatine and water, wait 30 seconds while the gelatin softens, microwave the mixture for 10 seconds until melted. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or in a bowl with a handheld electric whisk, whisk the cream with sugar just until it starts to hold its shape, no further, add the vanilla and melted gelatin and whisk in just a bit.
Place the whipped cream in the fridge for 30 minutes but no longer than an hour.
Use the whipped cream to decorate the top of the cheesecake along with extra Oreos.
