JR's birthday was this week and I had a lot of making up to do. Last year I spoiled his birthday weekend, big time. Yep, I graced his birthday with an unplanned 2-night hospital stay (no worries, I'm fine!) which resulted in him backing out of his guy's racing trip. Fortunately, my family is awesome and brought dinner, including a few slices of cheesecake, over for him to enjoy on his birthday, the day I came home.

This cheesecake was a year late, but JR said it was worth it! The combination of creamy filling, a slightly crunchy crust and the unique cinnamon layer in between makes for one unexpectedly light and unique dessert.

In terms of cheesecake, this was fairly easy to make. Although, it did end up with a huge crack in it after cooling, but after drizzling it I didn't think it looked too bad. I bumped up the ingredients for the crust since I have a 10 inch cheesecake pan. If your pan is smaller, check the original recipe.

Here is what you'll need:

For the Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 6 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients until combined. Pour into cheesecake pan and press into bottom and up sides of pan.


Place pan in oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

For the Filling:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 oz sour cream
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 2/3 cup (10 oz) HERSHEY'S Cinnamon Chips, divided
• 1 tsp shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Increase oven temperature to 350F degrees.

Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until well combined.

Add sour cream and beat on low until combined. Add eggs and beat on low until combined.

Pour 1/2 of filling mixture over baked crust and spread with a rubber spatula to level. Sprinkle 1 1/3 of cinnamon chips over filling. Pour remaining filling over cinnamon chips and spread with a rubber spatula to level.

Place cheesecake on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour until center is set, it jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the inner edge of the pan to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Cool for another 30 minutes on a wire rack. Remove side of cheesecake pan and cool for another 1 hour on wire rack. (At this point, I covered the cheesecake and refrigerated it overnight.)

Combine cinnamon chips and shortening in a small bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave for 30 seconds and stir until chips are melted. Drizzle melted chips over the cheesecake, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. (I did this step in the morning and served it the same evening). Serves 12 to 14.

Source: Hershey's