Snickers Cheesecake-Independent Learning Project

Before I really started my baking journey, my husband always loved boxed items. When I asked him what he wanted for dessert, he would always respond to me cheesecake from the box with can cherries. I know some of you might be cringing by the thought of having boxed cheesecake. I never really actually baked a cheesecake from scratch until the one I did last week. After baking that one I was hooked. I wanted to bake one all the time, but it might become an expense habit and a house full of fat people. My husband may also resent me if that happens, no not really but I could see him blaming my baking habit.

This week I tried to make another cheesecake. This time it was something that look so yummy in a picture I just could not resist it. Yep, you got it, snickers cheesecake. The process of making a cheesecake it not simple. It really is like a whole day process. First you have to let the cream cheese get to room temperature. You also have to let the butter get to room temperature so you can make the crust of the cheesecake. Once everything is finally at room temperature, you crust the graham crackers down to crumbs and put butter in. Once that is done you dump it into a spring form pan and form the crust on the bottom and half way up the sides. That then has to cook for fifteen minutes and you cannot use in until it is completely cooled down. While it is cooling down I usually make the base for my cheesecake. I need to cut up miniature snickers bars into little pieces to incorporate to cheesecake batter. After the cheesecake batter is made and the crust is cool you can then pour the batter into the spring form pan on top of the crust. It will need to cook for an hour or until it jiggles and it is not runny anymore.

At this point I am always exhausted and ready to give up, no I am not kidding either. But once that cheesecake comes out of the oven and smells and looks so yummy you forget the long process it took to make it. After the cheesecake is done it needs to set on a cooling rack for four hours or until it is completely cooled down, and yes it really takes four hours. Right before the four hours is up I chop up some more snickers miniatures, chocolate sauce ready and get the caramel ready. When the four hours is up, I pop off the sides of the spring form pan and put on the my serving plate. I then take the chocolate sauce and pour it all over as well as the caramel. I take the miniature snickers bars and sprinkle them all over the top, and six hours later or from what it seems you have a cheesecake that is ready to eat.

Doing this project has really made me learn about my own patience I have with things. It takes lots of patience when baking because it takes a long process to make perfection or even something so yummy. Seeing my family bite into the cheesecake and tell me it is the best they have had makes all the pain and suffering so worth it. Cannot wait till next weeks adventures.

Recipe:

Snickers Cheesecake

YIELD: 16 to 20 servings

PREP TIME: 25 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 5 hours 35 minutes

ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

30 (1-15.35 ounce package) graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
18 fun-size Snickers bars (1-11.8 ounce package), coarsely chopped

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
9 fun-size Snickers bars, coarsely chopped

directions:

FOR THE CRUST:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a food processor, process the cookies until they are finely ground crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

FOR THE FILLING:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Add in the sugar, cream, and vanilla and beat until combined. Be careful not to overbeat. Stir in the Snickers bars.

Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Bake for about 1 hour, or until set and the top looks slightly dry. If the middle is slightly wobbly, that’s fine. Err on the side of underbaking rather than overbaking. Cool the cheesecake completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Release the cheesecake from the pan onto a cake stand or serving plate.

FOR THE TOPPING:

Place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan heat the cream just until simmering. Pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes before stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour over the cheesecake, allowing to drip down the sides. Sprinkle the Snickers over the cheesecake. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.