Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake!

I LOVE cheesecake and I beleive this is my first real cheesecake recipe (I only count baked cheesecakes as real...althought the others are really good as well, there's nothing like a really good baked cheesecake!).

This recipe won me 2nd place in a Holiday cooking contest a few years ago and I've made it quite a few times since then. But not as often as I would have liked...when I make a cheesecake I tend to eat the whole thing within a few days and so I just try to not even tempt myself!! Anyway, it was Father's Day on Sunday and Tony requested a cheesecake (they are one of his favorties also) and so here it is!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Recipe from Taste of Home

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1 3/4 cups crushed choclate chip cookies or chocolate wafer crumbs (I cannot find chocolate wafer crumbs anymore...the only thing I saw was the chocolate teddy grahams but they were a little expensive so I just used regular graham crackers, but I have used chocolate chip cookies before and that is yummy as well)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

FILLING:

3 packages (8oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

COOKIE DOUGH:

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the botoom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat just until blende3d. Pour over crust; set aside. In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls over filling, gently pushing dough below surface (dough should be completely covered by filling). Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight; remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips.

One thing I have learned over the years with cheese cake is that it is best a couple of days after you make it. It gets creamier and yummier the longer it sits...the hard thing is to wait to eat it...we usually don't so the first pieces we have are really good, but by the third day they are so heavenly!!

Don't let this recipe scare you, it really isn't hard and you will be so pleased with the results!!