Giant Oreo cookie (aka No-bake Oreo cheesecake)

I read a lost-in-translation-question raised in the BBC Food Blog Message Board through David Lebovitz' FB page about how much detail should recipes come in these days.  Whether ingredient names from where the recipe is written should include, whatever else they are called elsewhere, e.g. cornstarch in the US are known as cornflour somewhere else and maize starch in some other places.  Because of the accessibility of recipes these days from the net, everyone can jump on a recipe and try it at home.  But it shouldn’t stop there.  I think the benefit and beauty of technology is that the answer to whatever recipe question, (I know, such a cliché!) is at our fingertips!  Literally!  How much is a pound of ribs?  How much is 300 degrees F in Centigrade?  How much is a stick of butter or a sachet of dry active yeast, or a bag of icing sugar?  Would one really post a question out there and wait for an answer?  Rather than searching for it themselves and getting the answer upfront – in a few searches, give or take a few minutes?  The exciting thing about cooking these days is the availability of recipes, ingredients (even hard to find ones can be sourced online), gadgets, utensils, equipments all at our fingertips!  There are even videos out there showing step-step procedures for just about anything.  So, if you have a question, search for it!  Seek and you shall find!  Unless you don’t have access to Google, then maybe you can phone a friend?

This cheesecake, has got to be, the easiest sweet thing that ever came out of our kitchen!   Thank God for food processors!  And also for dishwashers, of course!

This no-bake Oreo cheesecake is adapted from the Kraft Recipes page, but was changed a bit to include gelatin in the mixture.  I was inspired to make it after seeing it from Cook My Way but found another version from Baking Mum where the recipe for gelatin was more precise (i.e. first one says 2 envelopes gelatin - exactly my point above!) I've revised the recipe a bit to include quantities and ingredients that works for us. 

50g butter, melted

1 - 150g pack Oreo classic cookies

1 - 250g pack Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar (less than what both recipes called for)

1 - 10g sachet unflavoured gelatine (dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup thickened cream, lightly whisked
100g (approximately 9 pieces Oreo cookies), crumbled for filling
50g Oreo cookies, crushed, extra for topping (optional, but you can't call it a giant cookie without this topping)

Crust - looks like wet dirt :)

Crush a whole 150g packet of Oreo cookies using a food processor (or if you don't have one, there are other ingenious ways to crush cookies)

Mix the butter and crushed cookies together to form the crust.  Using the back of spoon, press onto a lightly oiled 8inch spring-form cake pan.  Chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, while you're preparing the cheesecake filling.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together using a stand-mixer or hand-held beater, until smooth. Add the gelatine mixture, lemon juice and cream. Using a spatula or metal spoon, mix until all combined.

Add the crumbled Oreo cookies and stir until evenly combined.

Pour the cream cheese filling into the prepared tin, smooth the top.  Return to chill for 20 minutes in the fridge to settle the cake.  

Top with the extra crushed Oreo cookies and return to chill for a few hours before serving, or overnight.

The cheesecake batter - looks yummy already!  Looks like cookies and cream ice cream.

I've made this twice over 2 days.  One was brought to the office morning tea.  The first attempt was too sweet using the 3/4 cup sugar.  The second attempt we had for our Sunday lunch dessert, was a better version.  Not too sweet, and the cheesecake just right.  Even our neighbour agrees. I brought them a few slices as treats.

The crumbled Oreo cookies in the filling adds that beauty to the cake!

This is best taken out of the refrigerator a few minutes before serving to soften the crust a bit.  The crust does tend to toughen with that butter in there.