Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cheesecake

I'm not too good at posting about foods I make very often. I guess I feel like it's nothing new here so nobody else needs the recipe. For this recipe, I know that's very wrong. I've been making cheesecake and chocolate cheesecake for years and years. I've used the same recipe without fail and everyone loves it. I've even been asked to make them for special parties and functions and each time it's nothing but rave reviews.

I've had a lot of cheesecake in my life -- it's one of my favorites. There are different textures and flavors and I'm a big fan of dense cheesecake that doesn't have too much lemon added. My own recipe is still the one I'd rather eat more than any other.

Last week I went to Carnegie Deli at Sands Bethlehem and had their cheesecake. It's so similar to my own that I just fell in love. It's dense and rich and the topping (which I don't do here at home) was to-die-for. Once the kids saw the photos of the cheesecake I started getting requests for it and was told that I haven't made it for a while ... I'm guilty of that.

I dutifully obliged and made up a cheesecake last night. It's just as good as I remember and it was gone in no time.

Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves: 12
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 5 hours and 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:
20 chocolate cream cookies (like Oreos) processed into fine crumbs
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter - melted

Filling:
4 blocks cream cheese (2 pounds)  (I use Neufchâtel or 1/3 lower fat)
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate -4 ounces - melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Process cookies until well crumbed. Add melted butter and stir well. Press into 9" springform pan and set aside.
3. Mix together cream cheese and sugar with a hand blender or in a stand blender until smooth. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix until well combined.
4. Add eggs and blend until combined completely.
5. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for at least 4 hours until well chilled. Run a thin knife around edge of cake before removing ring.