Samoas Cheesecake
Samoas cheesecake is a rich, creamy dessert inspired by the irresistible caramel, chocolate and toasted caramel flavors of the classic beloved Girl Scout cookie.
Equipment
- 1 Stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ sleeves graham crackers (approx. 13 ½ full sheets)
- 3 Samoas cookies
- 8 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Cheesecake filling
- 4 cream cheese clocks (8 ounces each) room temperature
- ⅓ cup store bought or homemade salted caramel sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 3 Samoas cookies chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake toppings
- ½ cup shredded coconut toasted
- ½ cup melting chocolate wafers melted
- Samoas cookies
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 325°. Spray 8 or 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Use a food processor to grind the graham crackers and Samoas cookies into small crumbs. It's ok to have some bigger pieces of cookie or crackers. We don't want the grind to be too fine.
- Mix the crumb mixture, melted butter and 2 tablespoons of white sugar together until well combined.
- Add the crumb mixture to the springform pan. Pat down flat with hands or a flat measuring cup with medium pressure. It should be packed firmly but not too hard.
- Bake for 6 minutes and set aside to cool.
Make the Filling
- Place the room temperature cream cheese and the salted caramel sauce into the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until creamy and all lumps are gone. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the white sugar, vanilla and salt to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Next, add the eggs one at a time. Mix on low speed just until each egg is combined before adding the next egg. Between eggs, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Gently stir in the chopped Samoas cookies until evenly distributed.
Bake and Cool the Cheesecake
- Add the filling to the springform pan. Place the springform pan in a larger cake pan (or cover sides of springform pan with aluminum foil). Fill the roasting pan with one inch of water. Carefully add the springform pan in a cake pan (moat method) or with an aluminum foil wrap into roasting pan filled with water. [See FAQ or post description on why the moat method is preferred.]
- Bake at 325° for about 60 minutes until the center is mostly set. Then, turn off the oven and open the oven door to start cooling. Leave alone for two hours. After two hours, remove the cake pan (or wrapped springform pan) from the oven and the water bath and let cool on cooling rack until room temperature.
- Before placing in the refrigerator, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cheesecake from the sides. Cover and refrigerate a minimum of 6 hours but preferably overnight.
- After 6 hours, or preferably the next day, remove the rim. Also, remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan (see FAQ if needed) if so desired and decorate the cheesecake.
Toast the coconut
- Use a non-stick pan and turn the heat to medium. DO NOT use any cooking spray, oil or butter. Add the shredded or flaked coconut in a single layer and STIR CONSTANTLY until over half of the coconut is light golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the coconut to a plate to cool and stop the cooking process.
Decorate the cheesecake
- Melt the melting chocolate wafers in the microwave according to the package instructions. Most melt in less than 60 seconds. Using a decorator squeeze bottle, a piping bag or a spoon, drizzle the chocolate onto the cheesecake.
- Finish with some Thin Mintscookies for decorations, if so desired. You can press them into the cheesecake directly or cut off a piece of the cookie on one side to make a flat side and then lightly press them into the melting chocolate.
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