Samoa Cheesecake
Ingredients:
- Oreo cookies, crushed - 24
- butter, melted - 4 T
- salt - pinch
- sugar - 1 cup
- cream cheese, softened - 3 - 8 ounce packages
- Greek yogurt plain - 1 cup
- vanilla - 2 t
- eggs - 3
- sweetened coconut - 2 cups
- caramel dip OR sauce - 1 3/4 cups
- dark chocolate, melted - 4 ounces
Instructions:
Grease a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure there are NO gaps where water could seep through; set aside.
Mix together Oreo's and butter, press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Place the pan in a large pan/roaster larger than the springform. In a saucepan boil water in preparation for the water bath; set aside.
Beat cream cheese on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Add sugar, beat for another minute until well blended. Add yogurt and vanilla, beat for 1 minute, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beat on low speed after each addition just until blended. DO NOT overbeat. Spread evenly over crust.
Place springform pan in roasting pan, set on oven rack on the bottom third of the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the larger pan to form a water bath around the springform pan, so that it comes up 1 inch around the springform.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven about 1 hour 30 min, or until center is almost set. (The cake should slightly jiggle.) Turn oven off, open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake set in oven for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven, carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake, let cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Remove springform rim, top cheesecake with Samoa topping.
Samoa topping -- spread coconut in an even layer on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 6 minutes or until top layer of coconut is toasted and lightly golden, stir the coconut, bake for 3 - 4 minutes or until coconut is lightly golden. (Watch close so the coconut does not burn.) In a bowl combine coconut and 1 c caramel. Spread 1/2 c caramel over chilled cheesecake. Spread caramel coconut mixture over top, and press it down until the top of the cheesecake is covered. Drizzle chocolate over coconut caramel mixture in even lines. Drizzle 1/4 c caramel over top. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes for topping to set. Store cover in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
