Ingredients
- 10 oz. (by weight) Pamela's Products Simplebites Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies* (one 7 oz. package, plus 12 additional cookies)
- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or Earth Balance buttery spread for dairy-free)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 8 oz. packages gluten free cream cheese (Philadelphia brand), at room temperature (See tips for dairy-free substitutes)
- 1 14-ounce can (1 1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand) (See tips for dairy-free substitute recipe**)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions:
To Make the Crust:
Place the cookies in your food processor and pulsate until they reach fine crumbs.
Transfer the crumbs to a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar and whisk to combine them. Add the melted butter, and with your fingers mix to combine the well.
Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9 - 10-inch springform pan, and distribute them by firmly pressing them into the pan. You can bring them up the sides a bit, if desired. Refrigerate the crust until it is firm, about 15 minutes.
To Make the Filling:
Place the cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer, and beat it on high speed until creamy. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, slowly pour in the condensed milk. Add the lemon juice and vanilla, and beat again until well incorporated.
Pour the filling on top of the chilled crust and using a rubber spatula, smooth out the top . Cover it and refrigerate until it firms, approximately 3 hours. If desired, set a small amount of the filling aside and refrigerate to use as garnish.
Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the bottom to a serving plate. If you have set aside some filling, using a pastry bag or cake decorating device fitted with a star tip, garnish the top of the cake. Add berries and small mint leaves, if desired.