Name: Brownie Batter Cheesecake
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H40M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT9H40M0.000S
Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients: One 20-ounce box dark chocolate brownie mix, preferably Ghirardelli; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature; 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon salt; 5 eggs, at room temperature; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter; 30 chocolate sandwich cookies; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Special equipment:

ten to eleven 8-ounce mason jars

For the brownie batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the brownie mix, oil and 1/2 cup water until combined.
For the chocolate cheesecake batter: In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese with a hand mixer on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt, then blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and blend again until smooth. In a separate bowl, blend the eggs together with a hand mixer on the lowest speed until thoroughly combined. While mixing the batter on the lowest speed, slowly add the eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.
For the chocolate sandwich cookie crust: In a small pot, melt the stick of butter over low heat until completely melted. Put the chocolate sandwich cookies into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the butter, sugar and salt, then pulse until just combined.
Heat a pot of 6 to 8 inches of water to 160 to 180 degrees F.
In 8-ounce mason jars, layer the ingredients in the following order: 1 ounce crust, 2 ounces cheesecake batter, 2 ounces brownie batter, 1 ounce crust, 2 ounces cheesecake batter, 2 ounces brownie batter. Top off with a little extra crust and seal the jars. Submerge in the hot water bath for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake jars from the water bath and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the lids and serve!

Cook’s Note

Do not process the cookie crust too much after adding the butter to the food processor or it will become a paste. It is important to have all the chocolate cheesecake batter ingredients at room temperature before mixing to prevent clumping. You cannot have a smooth cheesecake if any of your ingredients are cold. Scrape the sides of your bowl between every step to ensure that everything is fully incorporated. For the brownie batter, use a little more water than prescribed by the box. We leave the eggs out of the recipe, so a little extra water is needed for the proper consistency.