Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake

I don't like cheesecake.

I know what you're thinking: Blasphemy! But let me explain.

Maybe saying I don't like cheesecake is a little too strong. I should say I am one of those people who can have one bite of cheesecake and not devourer the entire decadent piece. I could take it or leave it in all honesty, and I'm not sure why I have that reaction. I love everything that goes in a standard cheesecake. So it can't be the ingredients. I like rich-tasting desserts, (drop a cannoli in front of me and see what happens) so it can't be that. I guess my aversion to cheesecake will have to remain a mystery.

So now that you've recovered from the shock of me not liking cheesecake, you're probably thinking: Why'd she make the darn thing? And my answer is simple - Hershey's cinnamon chips.

I love them and keep trying to find ways to use the little morsels, and yesterday instead of googling recipes I decided to just try the recipe on the bag for Creamy Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake.

Making this cheesecake was really easy, and I was pretty shocked by that fact. I always figured that something so opulent and flavorful would be time consuming. In about 20 minutes time, the cake is in the oven because you just whip all the ingredients together and pour it into your pre-baked crust. That being said, I still learned a couple of things making this elementary recipe:

1. Use a spring form pan. I couldn't find mine until the cheesecake was already in a large tart pan and in the oven. I should have been more patient and looked before I compromised because I couldn't fit all of the delightful filling into my substitute pan. If you don't have a spring form pan, "spring" for it. I found one for under $10 at TJMaxx/Homegoods.

2. Watch the cheesecake closely for the last 15 minutes of baking. The first time I made this recipe I cracked it because I baked it a little too long. I had checked on it 15 minutes early and it appears to still have a very liquid center. A lot happens in the last minutes of baking. Keep an eye on the prize.

3. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before removing the spring form. See a trend with this fifteen minutes deal... Before you remove the spring form and let the cake cool on a wire rack, let the cake rest in the pan on top of the oven. As the cake immediately cools it starts to settle

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Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake Ingredients:

Two, 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

Three, 8 oz containers sour cream

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1, 10 oz bag Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

1 teaspoon shortening

Yields: 12-14 Services

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and about 1 to 1.5 inches up the side of a 9-inch spring form pan.

3. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

5. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; beat on low speed until blended. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Do not over beat.

6. Pour half of filling into prepared crust. Reserve 1/3 cup cinnamon chips for drizzle. Sprinkle remaining chips evenly over filling in pan. Carefully spoon remaining filling over chips. Place on shallow baking pan.

7. Bake about 1 hour or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes on wire rack. Using knife or narrow metal spatula, loosen cheesecake from pan. Cool on rack for another 30 minutes. Remove spring form; cool 1 hour.

8. Combine shortening and reserved chips in small bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM for 30 seconds; stir until chips are melted.

9. Drizzle over cheesecake; cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

10. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. Enjoy!

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