I was invited to a dear friend's birthday party and was asked to bring a cheesecake dessert and a side. No problem! As the weather was getting chilly that night, I thought the perfect dessert would be a Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and it was a hit!
The day before the party, I made the crust by finely chopping twelve graham crackers in a food processor and then I added five tablespoons of melted butter, one and a half cups of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Once combined, I pressed it into the bottom of my springform pan and baked it at 350 degrees for eight minutes.
Meanwhile, I made the cheesecake batter which consisted of sixteen ounces of room temperature cream cheese, eight ounces of room temperature mascarpone cheese, and one and a quarter cups of sugar which I combined in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Once combined, I added two thirds of a cup of room temperature sour cream, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and mixed again. I lastly added three large eggs at room temperature, one at a time until incorporated. By hand, I gently folded in one cup of chocolate chips.
I poured the batter over the crust, added another handful of chocolate chips over the top, and baked in a large roasting pan filled halfway with hot water (tightly wrapping the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil) for an hour at 325 degrees. After an hour, I turned off the oven and propped open the oven door to allow the cheesecake to cool for another hour. I then covered it and refrigerated it overnight.
Do not worry if the top cracks because it will be covered in chocolate ganache!
The day of the party, I made the chocolate ganache by pouring one half cup of hot heavy cream (microwaved for one minute) over one half cup of semisweet chocolate chips. I stirred until it was smooth and shiny and allowed it to cool for fifteen minutes. I then poured it over the top of the cheesecake in between a Hershey's Kiss border crown, and finally decorated with more crushed graham crackers.
Dessert done! Now, on to the side dish. I decided to make Cheesy Hash brown Casserole and knew from the moment I started making it that it would be a hit. Watch the video for yourself! (And enjoy some Kelly Clarkson cheer too!)
Been SUPER busy in the kitchen lately. Lots more holiday recipes to come! Stay tuned!
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