Jayme's HLNC Baking Debut!

No this is not a mistake, I really am posting a recipe!  Can you believe it?  I've left Mendi all alone on the cooking front, but she's been holding it down like a champ!

Today I'm sharing with you one of my favorite cheesecake recipes.  See my husband and I had cheesecake as our wedding cake.  I totally let him choose what kind of cake we were going to have and the boy loves him some cheesecake.  It was amazing!  Then on our first wedding anniversary Wes surpised me by having our good friend, Katherine (who can seriously bake her butt off), make us a cheesecake.  It was a great surpise and so yummy!  So this year I decided that I would make one of my faves in honor of our second anniversary, which is Monday, October 3rd.

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
(recipe from allrecipes.com.)

INGREDIENTS:
1 - 19oz. package Pillsbury Classic Traditional Fudge Brownies
3 - 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 - 14oz. can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
5 - Large Eggs (2 eggs go into the brownie mix)
Vegetable Oil (to go into the brownie mix - it tells you how much on the back of the box...I think it was 1/2 cup...sorry I forgot to write that down before I tossed the box)
2 - teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 - 8oz container of Cool Whip (not pictured)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease bottom only of 9-inch spring form pan.  Prepare brownie mix as package directs for chewy brownies.  Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes or until set.

2. In large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk.  Add 3 eggs and vanilla; mix well.  Slowly stir in chocolate chips (they will sink to the bottom, but don't worry).  Pour into prepared pan over top of the brownie bottom.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.  Bake for 50 minutes or until set.  Cool.  Chill thoroughly.  Remove side of spring form pan.  Garnish with cool whip and sprinkle on chocolate chips if desired.  Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.  (You will notice that I set the spring form pan on a cookie sheet.  I added a thin layer of water to the bottom of the cookie sheet and then set the spring form pan on top.  The water helps your cheesecake not crack on top.  There are no cracks in my cake in picture #2.  Word!)

4. Make your friends jealous of your fabulous cheesecake!

It was so good!  It almost made me want to slap my momma, but I held back.  :-)   It's so easy and tastes so rich!  My hubby was one happy man!  And I was so nice that I also shared with Mendi.  :-)

I think I want to start baking more so you might see more cooking from Mendi and more baking from me.  Although I'm sure we will mix that up from time to time.

So what you do think?  Will you try this?

Jayme