Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make shortbread cookie crust. Add shortbread cookies to a food processor. Process until they become crumbs. Then, measure out the 1 ¾ cups.

Add in melted butter to the food processor. Process until combined. If you press some of the crumbles between two fingers, it should lightly stick together.

Line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spread the shortbread crust crumbles down into pan. Use hands or the bottom of a cup to press into one even layer.

Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while preparing cheesecake filling.

Add 2 cups water to a pot. Bring to a boil.

While water boils, make cheesecake filling. Add room temperature cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for 2 minutes or until creamy.

Then, add in sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat until combined and until no clumps of cream cheese remain.

Add in eggs. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Take 3 or 4 large pieces of tin foil and wrap them around the bottom of the springform pan. This prevents any water from seeping into the pan while baking.

Pour cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Smooth out the top with a spatula.

Prepare water bath. Place springform in the middle of a large roasting pan with edges. Carefully and slowly pour the boiling water in the roasting pan so that it comes up along the edges of the springform pan. See photos above for reference.

Place pan in oven. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheesecake is done baking when it is slightly jiggly in the middle when shaken. If still raw, bake for another 5 minutes and check again. Cheesecake will firm up as it cools.

Once cheesecake is done, turn off oven heat. Crack the door of your oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.

Then, carefully remove cheesecake from oven. Remove from water bath. Allow cheesecake to cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Then, loosely top with tin foil and refrigerate 4 hours up to overnight.

Once completely chilled, use a large knife around the edges of the springform to loosen cheesecake. Then open up springform pan.

Use a sharp knife to slice and serve. Dip knife in warm water between each cut for easy slicing.