Oreo Cheesecake

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven.

2. Stage

Crush the Oreos for the crust: Pulse the Oreos for the crust in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until finely ground into crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times to distribute. If you don't have a food processor: You can place the Oreos in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine with a rubber spatula.

3. Stage

Press the Oreo crumbs in springform pan: Dump the crumbs into the bottom of an ungreased 9x2 3/4-inch round springform pan. Use your fingers or the bottom of a glass to press the Oreos crumbs into the pan and slightly up the sides to form an even, compact crust.

4. Stage

Bake the crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. The kitchen should smell chocolatey and buttery. Set it aside to cool while preparing the cheesecake filling.

5. Stage

Reduce the oven temp and boil water: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle or a large pot of water on the stove over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil while preparing the cheesecake filling. The boiling water will be used later for the water bath, where you’ll need enough water to fill a roasting pan halfway.

6. Stage

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beating at medium-low speed prevents too much air from being incorporated into the batter, which can cause cracks during baking.

7. Stage

Add the eggs: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well on medium-low speed after each addition. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.

8. Stage

Add the sour cream and vanilla: Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined. The batter should be creamy and smooth.

9. Stage

Crush the Oreos and stir into batter: Pulse the Oreos in the food processor or crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. There should be a mix of large Oreo pieces and small crumbs. Stir the crushed Oreos into the cheesecake batter with a rubber spatula.

10. Stage

Prepare the water bath and bake: Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, ensuring there are no holes or gaps where water could get through. Springform pans are not water-tight, and the foil prevents water from destroying the crust while baking in the water bath. Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust in the prepared springform pan and set the cheesecake in the middle of a large roasting pan. Place the nested pans in the oven. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until set and only slightly jiggly in the middle two inches of the cake, 60 to 75 minutes.

11. Stage

Cool the cheesecake: Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 1 hour. Take the cheesecake out of the water bath and remove the aluminum foil. Set it on a wire rack to cool an hour longer before placing it in the refrigerator uncovered. You should chill your cheesecake overnight, or at least for 4 hours.

12. Stage

Make the white chocolate ganache: You can make your ganache when your cheesecake is close to being fully chilled. Place the white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until it barely comes to a simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit without stirring for 2 minutes. Gently stir the chocolate and cream together with a whisk or heat-proof spatula until completely smooth. Set the ganache aside to cool slightly while making the whipped cream.

13. Stage

Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3 to 4 minutes. The cream should thicken and when you pull the whisk out of the bowl, the peak should stand up.

14. Stage

Add the ganache: Once the cheesecake has chilled you can begin decorating. The ganache should have cooled slightly but still be a pourable consistency. If the ganache has set too much, you can rewarm it in the microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth and spreadable. For clean sides, leave the cheesecake in the pan while decorating; for artistic drips down the sides, or to cover the sides completely, remove the cheesecake from the pan before decorating. Pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly using an offset spatula or butter knife.

15. Stage

Fill a piping bag with whipped cream and pipe onto cake: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with whipped cream. Pipe 12 rosettes of whipped cream along the edge of the cheesecake.

16. Stage

Decorate with Oreos: Slice 6 Oreos in half and place an Oreo half into each rosette of whipped cream. Chop or crush the remaining Oreo cookies and sprinkle them in the center of the cheesecake on top of the ganache.

17. Stage

Refrigerate and serve: Refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve.