My daughter and I both had a craving for something sweet this weekend, but couldn't agree what to make. I was in the mood for cheesecake. She doesn't like cheesecake. (Cough, cough, weirdo!) She wanted me to make a batch of cookie dough truffles. Now, in spite of the fact that it was Mother's Day, otherwise known as the one holiday where Moms everywhere are SUPPOSED to get their own way, I elected to be the grown-up and compromise. Therefore, I give you the Cookie Dough Cheesecake.

     I used to be totally intimidated by baking cheesecakes. So much can go wrong. Water can leak into the crust from the water bath, making it all soggy. Ugly cracks could appear in the top. It can be a dry, overcooked mess or a goopy undercooked catastrophe. But I've discovered a few tricks along the way that practically guarantee a beautiful and delicious cheesecake.
     This cheesecake is a New York-Style cheesecake, which just means that there is sour cream in the there to add to the rich, dense creaminess. I topped this beauty off with a simple chocolate ganache and a few balls of cookie dough to make it look fancy-schmancy, but it tastes just as delicious without. 

     Let's face it- no matter how much you love and adore your precious little angels, sometimes they manage to drive you bat$^*! insane. Whether it is the incessant whining, the refusal to eat a dinner that you've slaved over all afternoon, or a sudden inability to understand the concept of personal space, sometimes you just want to murder the little monsters. Or, at the very least, ship them off to Grandma and Grandpa for a few hours. Alas, we live several thousand miles away from our family and have been forced to employ more creative methods, i.e., the Mommy/ Daddy Time-out.
     In all honesty, sometimes my beloved daughter isn't really being naughty when I go to Time-Out; she's just being a kid.  But being an adult often means an improper balance of sleep and coffee, stress from work, money issues, family problems, health concerns, and, dare I say it, even a lack of sex. Any of these can throw a parent off their game and make one more susceptible to losing their $^*!.  So bring on the Time-Out.
     I have varying degrees of Time-Outs depending on my level of crankiness. Sometimes it just takes the pleasure of flipping off my kid behind her back to bring me back from the brink. Sometimes I just need five minutes to myself with a cup of coffee. Still other times it takes a full bottle of wine and a bubble bath.
     Today it was a two-hour nap and an oatmeal cookie. Because there's something comforting about an old fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and a glass of icy cold milk that reminds me that sometimes its okay to take care of yourself while your child is pitching a tantrum in the next room. (Please note- said tantrum of child was brought on by a combination of not enough sleep due to a sleepover the night before combined with Mom being 20 minutes late to pick child up from sleepover. Worst Mom ever, right?)

     Always start with all of your ingredients at room temperature. Also, a secret regarding the raisins: soak the raisins in warm water for about an hour before beginning to plump them up, the drain and set aside. I also reserve a few extra for pushing into the top of the dough balls just before I pop the cookies into the oven.