Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

Cheesecake Cupcakes.  I was intrigued.  The biggest draw for me was the easy crust - just drop a cookie in a cupcake liner and there you go!  The cheesecake part is delicious; you just can't go wrong with oreos and cream cheese together.  However, the original recipe didn't have the topping and after our first sample, both Grant and I decided they needed a bit more ooomph, which in this case translates... more chocolate.  The addition made a significant improvement in our minds....but feel free to leave it off if you so desire.  (but why would you?)

Grant also commented that it felt weird eating cheesecake like a cupcake..... he preferred eating it with a fork.   Me...I'm not so prim and proper.  Didn't bother me eating it straight from the liner one bit! 

I thought it was a fun and portable way to eat cheesecake, not to mention helps you limit portion size (assuming you only eat one).   

Recipe: (adapted from Handle the Heat) Yields 30-31 cupcakes

42 cream-filled cookies (such as Oreos), 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

4 eggs (room temperature), lightly beaten

1 c. sour cream

pinch of salt

Topping:

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 T. butter

1 T. milk

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight).

5. In a microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and milk.  Spread about a teaspoon on top of each cheesecake cupcake and chill until set.