No Bake Oreo Cookies and Cream dessert

As some of you may have read in my last post, I'm in the beginning stages of planning my niece's Baptism, which will be on April 17th.  The Baptism will be at a church with a luncheon/reception following at my sister and brother-in-law's house.  I will be her GODMOTHER {such a huge honor} and since I'm the one in the family who LOVES planning parties, I volunteered to plan the luncheon.

While I'm thinking the color scheme is going to be different shades of purple with white and silver mixed in {since it's a week before Easter, finding items in purple shouldn't be too hard - at least I hope}. I'm also thinking a dessert table would be a great spruce up to the party.  In my research for easy and quick desserts, I came across these delicious looking no bake Oreo cookies and cream cheesecakes on Bakers Royale.  Read on below for the directions on how to make these yummy treats!

*This recipe makes 16 mini 2-inch cheesecakes or one 8-inch cheesecake*


What you will need:

Crust
- 1  1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter {melted}

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar.
2. Add melted butter and blend until combined.
3. Press into pan and set aside.

Cheesecake
- 2  1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla powder
- 3/4 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

1. Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form.  Set aside.
2. Add cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla powder and lemon juice to a bowl and beat with a paddle attachment until smooth (about 3-5 minutes).  If you do not have a stand mixer or a paddle attachment, a hand beater will work as well, but will take longer to achieve a smooth consistency.
3. Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and be until incorporated.
4. Gently fold in Oreo cookies.
5. Fill chosen pan with a slight mound at the center as the cheesecake will be slightly sunken at the center.
6. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set, or overnight for best results.
7. Remove from refrigerator and smooth top to level with edges.  Serve with whipping cream and garnish with a mini Oreo.


Additional notes:
- Although these were made as mini cheesecakes, you can also make one large cheesecake in a 9-inch baking cheesecake pan or springform.
- If you don't have vanilla powder, you can omit it.  Vanilla extract can tint your cheesecake with a brownish color, so it's not recommended.  If you choose to use it - about 1  1/2 teaspoons is recommended.
- Keep refrigerated until 20 minutes before serving.
- Chilling overnight will yield the best results.


To get a printer-friendly version of this recipe, and the check out many more delicious dessert recipes, head over to the Bakers Royale site.