Samoa Cheesecake

Samoa Cheesecake

Take the beloved Girl Scouts cookie to the next level with this chocolate and shortbread crust cheesecake, topped with toasted coconut and caramel.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 1 cheesecake

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 15 Oreo cookies
  • 15 shortbread cookies
  • 6 tbs melted butter, divided

Cheesecake filling

  • 3 bricks of cream cheese, room temperature (8 oz each)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp coconut extract (Optional but tasty)
  • 3 eggs

Topping

  • 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup caramel dipping sauce, divided
  • 2 oz dark chocolate, shaved

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and place the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. To ensure there aren't any leaks, line the bottom with parchment paper or wrap the outside with foil.
  • In a food processor, process the cookies in batches until they form crumbs. Alternatively, you could use a mallet and a sealable plastic bag for this step if you've got some anger you want to work out.
  • Combine the Oreo crumbs with 3 tbs melted butter, then press into the bottom of the pan. Repeat with the shortbread cookies. Set aside.
  • Beat cream cheese, sugars, and extracts until smooth and combined. Add eggs one at at time, then mix until just blended. Pour onto crust.
  • Bake until center is almost set, about an hour. Remove from oven, then use a butter knife to loosen the cake from the pan, but let cool completely before removing rim.
  • Once the cheesecake is cooling, prepare the topping.
  • Heat the oven to 350 F then spread the coconut out on a baking sheet with parchment paper in a single layer, then bake to lightly toast, about 6 minutes. Stir then bake another 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Transfer the coconut to a mixing bowl, then add 3/4 cup caramel. Stir to evenly combine, then scoop onto the chilled cheesecake. It'll be thick, but do your best to spread it over the top.
  • Sprinkle on the dark chocolate shavings, then drizzle on the remaining caramel sauce. Enjoy right away, but leftovers can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes

An optional but very tasty variation could be to add some chopped nuts like pecans or almonds to the top.