Mindy Young
English 101-02
21 September 2013
Piece of Cake One of the most delicious desserts, any time of the year, is a cheesecake. The smoothest of cream cheese body, chocolate chips scattered throughout, rich Oreo cookie crust, every inch of it dripping with mouthwatering satisfaction. This decadent confection may sound like a daunting culinary feat, but a beautiful cheesecake made from scratch is more easily attainable than one might think. A spring-form pan is the only specialized equipment the chef will need. This is a circular pan with a detachable rim that locks into place around the base of the pan. This pan can be purchased on the baking aisle of most grocery stores. A rolling pin is the only other tool one will need. Begin by preheating the oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, and move then to making the crust. Take twenty Oreo cookies and, after removing the cremes, insert them into a plastic resealable bag. Seal the bag, push out the excess air, then take a rolling pin and carefully crush the cookies into crumbs and pour the crumbs into a bowl. Melt one third of a cup of butter and drizzle it evenly over the crumbs; then, mix the butter and crumbs with a large spoon until the crumbs are equally coated by the butter. Next, grease the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan generously with shortening. This will keep the sides of the cheesecake from sticking while cooking and cooling, therefore helping to prevent cracks on its surface. With the pan’s rim locked shut around the base, dump the Oreo crumbs into the pan and use a spoon to smooth the crust down and partially up the sides of the rim. Once the oven is preheated, put the pan with the crust in it on the top rack and allow to bake for five minutes. While the crust is cooking, it is a good time to begin mixing the rest of the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, beat three eight ounce packages of cream cheese, one third of a cup of white granulated sugar, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract until it is completely smooth. Add one cup of semisweet miniature chocolate chips to the mixture and mix them until spread evenly throughout the batter. Lastly add the eggs. Do not beat the eggs in the same fashion as the other ingredients. It is important to carefully fold the eggs into the batter, just until they are blended well. This level of care in the mixing of the ingredients will help to prevent the surface from cracking. Slowly pour the batter into the spring-form pan, and use a rubber spatula to smooth the top. An optional step here is to sprinkle a few extra mini chocolate chips on top of the batter. The cake is almost ready to bake, but now take the time to raise one last defense against surface cracks. Prepare a water bath by taking a pan large enough for the spring-form pan to rest inside of, filling it with water to an