Girl Scout Cookie Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate and Hint of Mint

For years I have been ordering Thin Mints because, as I have said so domesticatedly to other mothers, "What a fabulous cheesecake crust they would make!".

However, the Thin Mints made it into our bellies before they made it into the Cuisinart to be reduced to crumb-like consistency.

This year will be different!  I, Samantha Gianulis, will not hide Girl Scout cookies from myself, thereby driving me further into desiring them. Nor will I allow my children to eat all of said cookies in one I-just-got-home-from-school-feed-me session.

Girl Scout cookies have a higher prupose this year.  Here is where the Thin Mints are destined today, starting with Cuiniart, into a springform pan, then a Bain Marie, and finally, gracing the kitchen counter...for probably as long as a box of cookies would typically last.

Here is my recipe as I plan to make it, drawn from cookbooks, websites, imagination and some experience. Or, what I call, mommy ingenuity. Log back on tomorrow, and I will let you know the results of this cheesecake fantasy.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIE CHEESECAKE, DARK CHOCOLATE AND HINT OF MINT

For the crust:
2 cups Thin Mint cookie crumbs
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate ganache:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, or 4 oz. of a dark chocolate bar broken into pieces
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Handful of organic mint leaves
3/4 cup heavy cream

For the cheesecake:
(4) 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Night before: Pour heavy cream into a bowl and add cleaned, washed and dried mint leaves.
Refrigerate.
Strain cream next morning.
Set cream aside until ready to use in ganache.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse Thin Mints until you get a yield of 2 cups worth of cookie crumbs.
(I plan on crumbing an entire box, I can always buy more boxes outside the grocery store or from one of the many Girl Scouts I know. Any remaining crumbs go straight into the freezer, you know, waste not...)
Mix together brown sugar and melted butter with cookie crumbs.
Press into the bottom of springform pan for the crust, put into the fridge.

Make the ganache: In a pan, heat strained/minted heavy cream over medium heat.
Add butter, when butter is melted, add chocolate chips or chocolate bar pieces.
When chocolate is melted, set ganache aside.

Next, beat the softened cream cheese with a mixer or in a standing mixer until smooth, low or medium-low speed.
Add granulated sugar.
When sugar is incorporated into cream cheese, add eggs, one at a time, make sure each egg is well mixed in before adding the next!
Add vanilla.
Finally, add chocolate ganache and when chocolate is all mixed in, pour into springform pan.
Wrap bottom of springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, so no water seeps in from the Bain Marie (hot water bath).

Boil about four cups of water in teapot. While water is coming to boil, place cheesecake in fridge.

When you have boiling water, remove cheesecake from fridge and place into a large, empty roasting pan.
Pour enough boiling water around the springform pan so that it comes just about two inches up the side of the springfrom pan.
Place in pre-heated oven and bake for approximately one hour, or until center of cheesecake is firm.
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

With some willpower and a little luck, this will be everything I've been imagining it to be for years. Don't forget to come back tomorrow and see how it turned out....

~ Samantha Gianulis, chief optimist of her own test kitchen

Comments

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[Veronica]

Sam:

Having two girl scouts in the house we get overloaded with girl scout cookies of all kinds this time of year. AND I LOVE cheesecake.

[Kris]

Sounds delicious. Had me at thin Mint and Chocolate.

[Sue Donckels]

Sam, I think I gained 5 pounds just reading the recipe! Next time I'm in California, I'll stop in...please put a piece aside for me, too.

YUM!

[Paula Schmitt]

OMG...this is incredible Sam. I wouldn't have the patience to wait either Kathy. Sam, save me a piece (or two) ;)

pj

[Kathy Schlaeger]

The recipe sounds amazing. I am not sure that I would have the patience for the 2 days of waiting. Can't wait to hear how it turns out.

Kathy