Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

While I enjoy an occasional piece of cheesecake it isn't a favorite.  A brownie or chocolate chip cookie would be the top of my dessert list.   This is Austin's birthday so I did something he would like, Mexican meal and a chocolate cheesecake for dessert.  I haven't made a chocolate cheesecake in about 30 years but this came out amazing.  The recipe comes from Bon Appetit  2006 from Jeanne Kelley.  I adapted it a bit, this is a cheese cake to feed a large crowd.  It is so rich and dense you'll want to serve very small pieces.



Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
      (my adapted version)

Ingredients:

Crust:  24 chocolate wafers (I substituted Oreos--good choice)
           1 T sugar  (I omitted this)
           1/4 c butter, melted

Filling:

1-- 9 oz bar of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate
4 -- 8oz pkgs cream cheese @ room temperature
1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs

Topping:

3/4 c whipping cream
6 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 T sugar


For crust:
   preheat oven to 350°.  Butter 9" spring form pan or 13 x 9 pan.

Place all cookies and sugar in food processor until finely ground, then add melted butter and pulse till blended.  Press into pan and bake 5 minutes, let cool while making filling.

Filling:

In double boiler melt chocolate till smooth, let cool till room temp.
Wipe out processor blend cream cheese, sugar and cocoa till well blended, then add eggs one at a time blending between each.  Mix in chocolate.  Pour mixture over crust and smooth out top.  Bake for about 1 hour or till just set, top will look dry.  Cool 5 min, run wet knife around edge to loosen from pan.  Refrigerate overnight ( I made it in the morning and refrigerated it about 6 hours)

Topping:

In top of double boiler again melt chocolate with cream and sugar stirring well.  When melted, blended and smooth spread over top of cake to within 1/2 inch of cake edge.  Chill about 1 hour.  If using spring form you can now release sides and remove cake.  Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

crumbs baked 5 min @ 350°

spread cream cheese layer over crumbs

bake about 1 hour @ 350°

let cool, run knife around edge (mainly to remove if
using springform pan), refrigerate overnight

spread topping to just short of edge, refrigerate 1 hour

top with some grated chocolate

Enjoy!

a few of the crew stopped by

By the way,
it is a messy clean up!