DIY Desserts: Oreo Cheesecake

Hi guys. Today I am posting my second ever food-related blog post! Seeing as my 'DIY December: Chocolate Orange Cookies' post was really well received, I thought it was only right to start introducing some more baking posts into my blog from time to time. As I have quite a sweet tooth, I have decided to focus on making desserts and so from now on, this mini series of posts will be appropriately called 'DIY Desserts.' Yesterday, I decided to make an Oreo Cheesecake which I have to admit was pretty daunting as I have never made any kind of cheesecake. However, it was easier than expected and so I wanted to share this yummy recipe with you. Let's get started!

To make this tasty cheesecake, you will need:

3 x 154g packets of Oreos
Mini Oreos for decorating
300g cream cheese
300ml double cream (or whipping cream)
75g unsalted butter (melted)
150g white chocolate
1 teaspoon of powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon of water

At this point, ensure that you have all of your ingredients and equipment (mixing bowls, spoons, scales, whisk etc) out ready to use. Lightly grease your tin (preferably one with a pop-out base) with butter. 

Step 1

Separate and remove as much of the filling of some Oreos as you can until you get 200g of just the biscuits to use for the base of the cheesecake and discard of the separated filling. Place the Oreos in a re-sealable bag to prevent making a mess and use a rolling pin to finely crush the biscuits. 

Step 2

Add the crushed Oreos into a bowl along with the 75g of melted butter and mix together. Press the mixture down compact into the base of your greased tin evenly and put the tin in the fridge whilst you carry on with the rest of the recipe.

Step 3
Put a tablespoon of cold water into a small bowl along with a teaspoon of powdered gelatine. Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water until the gelatine fully dissolves into the water and set the mixture aside.

Step 4
Using the same technique, measure out and melt 150g of white chocolate in a bowl and heat over a saucepan of simmering water. Alternatively you could melt your chocolate in a microwave in small intervals, (checking it and stirring it as you go,) until the chocolate is smooth.

Step 5
In a bowl, whisk the 300g of cream cheese until smooth. Add in the gelatine and melted chocolate that you prepared earlier and mix it until fully combined.

Step 6
In a separate bowl, whip the 300ml of double cream until it thickens and forms soft peaks on the whisks (see photo.) Afterwards, gently fold into the cream cheese mixture until everything is combined. Chop up the remaining portion of the Oreos into small chunks and stir them into the mixture.

Step 7
Remove your tin from the fridge and poor the mixture over the biscuit base. Spread the mixture evenly using a spatula or palette knife so that the top of the cheesecake is even. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least another four hours or overnight if possible.

Step 8
Remove the tin after refrigeration by running a palette knife around the edge or by popping up the base of your tin. Decorate your cheesecake in whichever way you like using some mini Oreos. For best results, leave your cheesecake out for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Viola, that is how you make this delectable Oreo cheesecake! I hope that you all enjoyed my second ever baking post, as there will be plenty more to come in the future. With Valentines Day only a week away, this would be a great dessert to make if you are cooking for a loved one or even if you are single and feel like treating yourself! Please let me know if you do try this recipe yourself and what you think of it. I absolutely loved it! Thank you :)

DIY December: Chocolate Orange Cookies

Hi guys. Today I thought I would do something that I have never done before...a food-related blog post! Over the past few weeks, I have been heavily influenced by Miss Glamorazzi's (Ingrid Nilson's) DIY December videos on YouTube. She has been making lots of yummy Christmas themed treats, as well as cute homemade presents and decorations, so I thought it would give it a whirl myself. I have been meaning to do something like this on my blog for some time now and I've finally gotten around to it. Normally, I tend to stick to baking cakes or cupcakes but sometimes is nice to branch out and try something new. With that in mind, I decided to bake some Chocolate Orange Cookies. 

Although these cookies are not technically Christmas themed, I think they are a lovely little treat for this time of year and would be great accompanied with a cup of tea or coffee whilst sheltering from the cold, winter weather too. I originally got this recipe off of the BBC Good Food website which you can view here, however, I altered the recipe slightly as I did not have any white chocolate at hand. 

To make 15-18 small cookies or 10 larger cookies, you will need:

125g dark chocolate

150g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp salt
75g light brown sugar
125g softened butter
Zest of one large orange
200g milk chocolate chips
1 egg

At this stage, you will need to pre-heat your oven to 170°C (Gas Mark 6) and line a baking tray so that your cookies do not stick.

Step 1
Break up the 125g of dark chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl and melt it in the microwave in 30 second intervals, checking and stirring it as you go, until it is completely smooth. Alternatively, you could do the same over a pan of simmering water until fully molten. Then, leave the chocolate on the side to cool.

Step 2
Measure out the plain flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside for later. Cream the 125g of butter and 75g of light brown sugar and beat it in a bowl until it's light and fluffy (using an electric whisk for this step makes it a lot easier!) Then, add the melted dark chocolate into the mixture and whisk once again.

Step 3
Add in the orange zest and egg and whisk until the mixture is combined. Then, fold in your flour mixture which will eventually create a sticky dough. Throw in the chocolate chips and give the mixture a final stir to ensure that the chips are evenly distributed. 

Step 4
Now for the messy bit! Roll the dough into small or large balls (depending on your preference) and place them onto the lined baking tray. Bake for roughly 15-18 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted into the middle of a cookies comes out clean with no mixture on it. 

Step 5
Once the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for up to 10 minutes. Then, you can transfer them to a cooling rack or a plate. At this stage, the cookies may seem quite soft and may appear un-cooked but I can assure that they are. As they cool, the cookies will harden. Do not try and cook them for any longer otherwise they will either burn or become dry.

And viola, that is how you make delicious chocolate orange cookies! I hope that you enjoyed this post and please let me know if you give this recipe a go yourself, I would love to see the outcomes! Hopefully I will be able to start incorporating some more food-related posts into my blog on a more regular basis as and when I can :)