Creamy No-bake Cheesecake Dessert With Chocolate Crust

Total Time: 8 hrs Preparation Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 lb chocolate sandwich style cookies (oreo cookies work the best)
• 1/2 cup melted butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla (can use 1-1/2 tablespoon)
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, unwhipped
• 2/3 cup sugar (or use 2/3 cup confectioners sugar)
• 2 (21 ounce) cans cherry pie filling (or use blueberry pie filling)

Recipe

• 1 prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a 8 or 10-inch springform pan.
• 2 in a processor process the cookies until finely crushed, then place in a bowl.
• 3 add in melted butter then mix until combined.
• 4 press into the bottom of the pan; chill or freeze while making the rest of the dessert.
• 5 in a very chilled bowl using an electric mixer with chilled beaters beat the whipping cream until very thick.
• 6 place the whipped cream in the coldest part of the fridge and chill for 45 minutes.
• 7 in a medium bowl beat cream cheese with sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth and no sugar granules remain.
• 8 using a spatula fold in the chilled whipped cream until well combined.
• 9 spread the mixture on top of the crust.
• 10 top with the cherry topping then refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• 11 if using a springform pan remove the sides of the springform pan just before serving.
• 12 *note* for a graham crust; in a bowl mix together 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until combined; add in 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine.
• 13 press into the bottom of prepared pan.
• 14 chill or freeze until firm.