Prepare the pan – use a 9” springform pan. Lightly butter the sides and bottom. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment. Cut the excess parchment off (after closing the sides of the pan.) Line the exterior of the pan with tin foil to prevent leakage.
Chocolate Cookie Crust
11 Oreo cookies (finely ground in the cuisinart)
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
In a small bowl, stir together the ground Oreos with the butter. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan, best done using the back of a spoon. Make sure the entire bottom is evenly covered.
Place the prepared pan in the refrigerator to chill.
Banana Rum Filling
24 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup pureed banana (about 2)
¾ cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons crème de banana (Dekuyper brand)
3 tablespoons white crème de cacao
3 tablespoons light rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Make sure that the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature.
In a large bowl combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You must stop the mixer at least 3 times, scrape the bowl, scrape the beaters and re-mix. It is very important to have a smooth batter. Add cornstarch and banana puree and mix some more. Again, you must stop the mixer 2 times to insure a smooth batter with no lumps.
One at a time, add eggs and egg yolk, beating well after each addition. The trick here is to incorporate each egg, but not to overbeat. You don’t want to have an airy batter. After you have added 2 of the eggs, stop the mixer and scrape. Do the same thing (scraping) after the last egg and egg yolk.
Combine liquers and vanilla and beat into mixture. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 225 and bake for 1 hour or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny. The center will jiggle.
Remove the cake from the oven and run a small spatula around the inside edge of the pan. VERY IMPORTANT – this prevents cracks.
Turn the oven off; return the cake to the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Chill, UNCOVERED, overnight.
The next day, place in the freezer and freeze until solid. Then unmold the cheesecake, wrap in saran wrap and freeze until needed.
Can be served with caramelized bananas
Recipe Adapted – NO SCRAPING AT ALL!
I have recently acquired the gadget of a lifetime for those who bake. It is a blade called the SideSwipe. There is another blade on the market called BeaterBlade but it doesn’t work as well as the SideSwipe. You don’t have to scrape the bowl with the SideSwipe. Making a cheesecake is a snap and took seconds as I didn’t have to stop, scrape and start numerous times. It truly is a miracle blade.
I have no financial connection with this company, but it is one of the best “gadgets” I have ever bought.
http://www.sideswipeblade.com/
Refined Palate 