Mouthwatering Monday

Chocolate Grand Marnier Cheesecake

Creamy Baked Cheesecake

1 1/4 c crushed Oreo cookies

1/4 c sugar

1/3 c butter melted

2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese softened

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

1/4 c lemon juice

1 (8 oz) sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 egrees. Combine Oreo cookie crumbs, sugar and butter and press into bottom of springform pan

In mixer combine cheese and beat until fluffy. Add in sweetened condensed milk, eggs and lemon juice. Pour into pan and bake for 55 minutes or until set. Cool and chill before pouring ganache over the top then decorate with raspberries and left over cookies :D

I wanted to make a chocolate cheesecake and didn't want the crust to distract from the look so I used Oreo cookies for the crust. I wrapped the pan in foil so I could bake it in a water bath. The foil was to keep the water from seeping into the pan. And the water bath was to help the cheesecake release easily from the spring form pan.  It worked too. The cake popped out perfectly.

It all started Friday when I was talking with a gfriend about cheesecake. She used to bake for Moonstruck Chocolates and came up with a few winning recipes on her own. So that got us talking about recipes and what we like in cakes and cookies.

I thought "everything's better with chocolate" so . . . that got me thinking about chocolate ganache and I added a little Grand Marnier to the frosting. To top it off, I added a few red raspberries.

But then I got carried away and added more raspberries and a few cookies. I thought I might as well make it more fun with a smiley face using the cookies for hair :D My husband said next time I should use a little Rum...hum...that sounds good too.

The Chocolate Grand Marnier Cheesecake was super yummy but super rich too. So, now I'd better go for a run :D