Cookie Monster Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Blondie

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) wide, 3-inch (8-cm) tall springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and dust the sides with flour.
2. Melt the butter, salt and brown sugar in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Mix to form a smooth butter-sugar mix. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. When the sugar mix has cooled, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until fully mixed. Add half of the flour and fold it into the blondie batter. Add the other half along with the chocolate chips and fold to combine (the blondie batter will be quite thick).
4. Place the batter in the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) to bake the cheesecake.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

1. While the blondie layer is baking, get the cheesecake layer ready. In a bowl using a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, cornflour and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the salt, cream, a few drops of blue coloring and vanilla and mix on medium speed until the ingredients have combined well and the mix is smooth. Add more blue coloring as needed to get that deep blue Cookie Monster color.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed or manually with a balloon whisk until fully incorporated. Add the crushed Oreos and fold to combine (take care not to overbeat).
4. Pour the cheesecake batter over the slightly cooled blondie layer. Tightly double wrap the bottom of your springform pan with two pieces of foil. Then place the springform pan in a larger baking tray (that can easily fit the 8-inch [20-cm] pan), and fill the baking tray with hot water (really hot tap water will do). The water level should be about halfway up the sides of the springform pan, and make sure that the water doesn’t seep through the foil.
5. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the cheesecake is set but slightly jiggly in the middle when you shake it gently.
6. Turn off the oven, and let the cheesecake cool for 15 to 30 minutes while still inside the oven with the oven door left ajar (this way the residual heat helps cook the cheesecake a tad further, plus you don’t have to handle the cake while it’s too hot).
7. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and the water bath, and let cool to room temperature completely; this can take up to 4 hours, depending on the ambient room temperature.
8. Gently loosen the cheesecake from the pan. If the cheesecake is sticking slightly to the pan, you can run a thin butter knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the cream and salt and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted. Mix to make sure the ganache is smooth and then let cool to a thick but spreadable consistency. You can keep the chocolate ganache in the fridge to speed the cooling process.

Decorate

1. Once the cheesecake is chilled, spread the chocolate ganache on the sides of the cheesecake, and then cover the surface on top as well. It’s OK if it’s not completely smooth on top because it’ll be covered with chocolate chip cookies anyway. 
2. When the ganache has set, decorate with chocolate chip cookie pieces on top, and serve.