I don’t remember a time in my life when I did not know about cheesecake. For as long as I can remember, I have always known the dessert with the smooth, creamy filling. The dessert that is called a cake but isn’t like cake at all. My mom used to make cheesecake and pumpkin pie every single New Year’s Eve. Two of each, actually! It was just a thing she did. And my dad would go on business trips to New York and bring back croissants and a piece of cheesecake each for me and my sister. A charmed life, I have led.
Which is exactly the reason I wonder why I don’t make cheesecake more often. It must be the grandness of it. It’s big (as in the actual size), it’s heavy (it’s not a dieter’s dessert, people), and it’s a bit of a show-stopper. Cheesecake seems to be a dessert for special occasions. Like New Year’s Eve! And coming back from a trip to New York!
I had been eyeing this recipe for a while. But I just kept waiting until there was a good enough reason to make it. Finally, I made this for a special occasion, and it was gone in an hour. Flat. And then I was sad I had no more cheesecake. The irony is palpable.
What I’m saying is that you actually should not wait for a reason to make this cheesecake, people. Do it now. There should be more cheesecake in your life.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (slightly adapted from All Recipes)
For crust:
2 cups chocolate Teddy Grahams
scant 1/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp. salt
Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a food processor (or in a Ziplock bag), whiz together the Teddy Grahams, sugar, and salt until they are fine crumbs. Add butter and blend until it comes together. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Set aside.
For filling:
3 8 oz. blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 14oz. can condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until each one is well-incorporated. Add condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Toss 3/4 cups of chocolate chips with flour until the chips are well coated. Fold the chips into the batter until well distributed. Pour into prepared pan with crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
Bake for 1 hour, resisting temptations to open the oven. At the 1 hour mark, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an additional hour. Remove from oven and cool completely at room temperature. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
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