Recipe: Oreo cheesecake pie

So we managed to celebrate Pi day (3.14 - March 14, Albert Einstein's birthday) a bit by accident, but the result was perfect - light and delicious.  We happened to have an unexpected extra package of cream cheese with no place to go, so Carla told me to make a cheesecake.  Most cheesecake recipes use about three times the cream cheese, but I figured the two of us don't need to eat that much cheese, so I figured no problem if it's a bit of a low rider and adjusted my cheesecake recipe accordingly.  Also, the only spring form pans we have are small, so I went with a 9 1/2 inch cake ring and wrapped the parchment paper around the bottom to seal it. Happily, we keep Oreo crumbs around, which makes my favorite base, but you could use the same proportions of graham crumbs if you prefer.  Of course, with a lowrider cheesecake, you need to think a bit like a flan and plan a bit more for some nice decoration - we had strawberries and blueberries around - the result, more like a pie than a cheesecake, but all delicious and much lighter than a full size one.  Yes, for a full cheesecake recipe, simply multiply the batter proportions by three (the crust is fine) and extend your baking time.  Remember to scrape your bowl a lot when mixing the batter for a good mix.

For the base you will need:

1 1/4 C        Oreo crumbs 
1/4C            melted butter

Method:

 - preheat the oven to 325 F
 - mix the crumbs and butter together well in a bowl
 - press firmly into your pan (or cake ring sealed with paper)
 - bake at 325 F for 8 minutes, then let cool



For the batter you will need:

250 g           cream cheese

55g              sugar
1                  vanilla bean - scraped
80 g             sour cream
2                  eggs
fruit and berries for decorating the top

Method:

 - preheat the oven to 200 F
 - beat the cheese until soft
 - add in the sugar and vanilla - scrape the bowl
 - add in the sour cream - scrape the bowl
 - lightly beat the eggs and add in - scrape the bowl
 - pour the batter on top of the crust evenly
 - bake at 200 F for two hours - rotate periodically if your oven is not even
 - cool completely, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the outer ring
 - transfer to your serving dish and decorate with fruit
 - happy birthday Albert!