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After seeing the cover of Taste of Home Cooking School, I have been thinking about making a candy covered cheesecake every night while I should be sleeping. I used the original Junior's Cheesecake recipe, execpt with a chocolate spongecake and then I mixed bits of candycane, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, peppermint chips, and peppermint bark.
Next time I will make the cheesecake a white chocolate cheesecake, make the chocolate sponge cake a little more chocolatey, and I will add much more bits of candy and chocolates. It was a good first attempt though.
JUNIOR'S FAMOUS CHEESECAKE - TURNED PEPPERMINT
Adapted from food.com
Chocolate Sponge Cake
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 large eggs separated
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz melted bittersweet chocolate
3 tbs unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Cream Cheese Filling
4 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 oz Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark, broken into pieces (Double it next time?)
2 oz white chocolate chips (Skip this and make cheesecake white chocolate instead)
2 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces (Double it next time?)
1 oz candy canes crushed (Double it next time?)
Oreo Crumbs
8 Oreo cookies, crushed
2 Tbs butter, melted
Sponge Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a 9in spring form pan.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with and electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until thick light yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Sift the mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Blend in the butter.
In a clean bowl, using clean dry beater, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in 1/3 cup of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg white. (don't worry if a few white specks remain.)
Spoon the batter into the spring form pan.
Bake the cake just until the center springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling. DO NOT REMOVE FROM THE PAN.
Cream Cheese Filling:
Place one 8oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese. Increase the mixer speed to high and add the remaining 1 1/3 cups of sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Blend in heavy cream. Mix the filling only until blended. Be careful not to over mix. Add the candy pieces and just swirl into the batter.
Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with two layers of tin foil.(This is to protect it from the water bath, while it's cooking.)
Spoon the filling on top of the baked sponge cake.
Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large shallow pan (disposable roasting pan). Place the spring form pan in the towel lined pan. Pour water into the large baking pan about 1 inch up the side of the spring form pan.
Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
Turn oven off and open the oven door for 1 minute. Close the door and let set inside oven 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven and place in refrigerator at least 6 hours.
Run a knife around the side of the spring form pan and remove the cheesecake.
Oreo Crumbs:
In a small bowl mix Oreo crumbs, and melted butter. Pour into a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Pat the sides of the cheesecake with the Oreo crumbs, and serve.
