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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
5 minutes
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Serves
12
Author Notes
In early 2023, Nabisco discontinued its Famous Chocolate Wafers, upsetting bakers everywhere. One such unhappy baker was my mom, Judy Hesser, who’s been using the chocolate wafers for decades to make her sour cream cheesecake.
After comparing the ingredient lists of the chocolate wafers to Nabisco Nilla Wafers, she realized they were very close in nature, so tried out the Nilla Wafers mixed with some cocoa and butter. The experiment paid off, and she created a chocolate crust worthy of the original. And, as Judy promised, she’s now sharing it with the community. —Amanda Hesser
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Ingredients
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40
Nabisco Nilla Wafers
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1/3 cup
salted butter
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1/3 cup
cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli 100% premium)
Directions
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Put the Nilla Wafers in a 1-gallon, zip-top bag, press out excess air and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the wafers to a very fine crumb. Make sure no wafer lumps remain or you’ll have a lumpy crust! You can also do this in a food processor if you prefer.
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In a small pan set over low heat, melt the butter. This can also be done in a bowl in the microwave. Cool slightly.
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Stir the cocoa powder into the melted butter to make a smooth sauce.
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Stir 1 1/4 cups of the fine wafer crumbs into the butter/cocoa sauce until all the crumbs are absorbed with the sauce and you have a sandy-textured mixture.
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Line the base of a 9” springform pan with parchment, then press the crust onto the bottom of the pan and up the sides about an inch.
Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.
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