chocolate swirl cheesecake

charlie, this one's for you!

crust:
2 cups of crushed oreo cookies (i found this to be almost two rows out of a package!)
3 T sugar
1 t salt
6 T butter, melted

combine all ingredients until cookies are evenly moist. press into bottom of 9" springform pan, and up the sides, if desired. bake for 10 minutes.

cheesecake:

2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 c sugar
1 t salt
2 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/3 c sour cream, or heavy cream, or a combination of the two

beat cream cheese until lif\ght- about four minutes in a stand mixer. gradually add sugar, and continue to mix until light and fluffy. add vanilla. add eggs one at a time, beating a full minute after each addition.

wrap bottom of pan in two layers of foil. place in a roasting pan. pour batter into springform pan until it just reaches the top. fill roasting pan with boiling water, about halfway up the sides of the springform. here's something i learned when making huge batches of frittatas in sheet pans at vella: put the roaster/cheesecake in the oven, and pull out the rack, then pour in the boiling water. much easier than carrying it TO the oven, when it is already full of the hot water. bake for an hour and a half at 325. turn the oven off, prop open, and let sit for another hour.

this is actually where i am right now-- still cooling in the oven... we shall see how it goes!

p.s. i forgot the chocolate swirl part. melt 4 oz dark chocolate and let cool. spoon tablespoons of chocolate into cheesecake batter (once in pan). use the tip of a knife to swirl it through.