Cheesecake is such a delicious treat. One thing that is so great about it is that it can be mixed with so many other ingredients. When thinking of all the delicious things we can add to a cheesecake, chocolate chips definitely top the list. They are like rich little bites of heaven taking the entire dessert experience to the next level. Plus, there are many different types of chocolate chips that will please every palate. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's go back in time a bit.
History and Origins of Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips were created with the invention of the chocolate chip cookie back in 1937. The happy accident occurred when Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts added cut-up chunks of a Nestle chocolate bar to her cookie recipe. She meant for the cookies to come out as chocolate cookies, but instead, she got delicious chocolate chip cookies.
For those familiar with Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (and who isn’t?) the rest is history. But this paved the way for many other desserts that would include chocolate chips with the chocolate chip cheesecake being one of the most delicious.
Chocolate chips were first made of semi-sweet chocolate but today they can be found in a variety of flavors like butterscotch, peanut butter, mint, dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and a combination of one or more of these flavors. Of course, when making your chocolate chip cheesecake, you can use any type of chip you’d like to produce your own unique take on the recipe.
You can also use different garnishes or add a chocolate crust or a chocolate topping to bring the flavor of the chips through.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust Bottom:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
Filling:
- 2 1/4 lb. cream cheese
- 5 eggs
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Bailey's Irish cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Topping:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Garnish:
- chocolate curls
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick vegetable spray.
2. Combine crumbs and 1/4 cup of sugar in the pan, and stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 7 minutes.
3. In a food processor, beat cream cheese, add 1 2/3 cup sugar and eggs, and mix. Blend in the vanilla and Bailey's Irish cream.
4. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over the crust and spoon in the cheese mixture filling. Then, sprinkle in the remaining chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool cake completely.
6. While the cheesecake is baking, beat whipping cream, coffee powder, and 2 tablespoons of sugar until peaks form. Spread mixture over cooled cake and garnish with chocolate curls.
While this chocolate chip cheesecake recipe is basically traditional, it makes one of the richest, most luxurious cheesecake recipes known around. And trust us, this is an indulgence worth every calorie! Add some whipped cream, serve, and watch the smiles come to the faces of your loved ones!