Chocolate Cheesecake by Colleen

I think this appeared in the rub a dub dub cookbook Christine made for the family years ago. It was adapted from a source I’ve long since lost track of. The original recipe had a graham cracker crust, and was more “Mexican” inspired in that it had cinnamon instead of vanilla and rum instead of coffee as the flavorings. It also had a layer of sour cream mixed with sugar on the top which just seemed completely excessive, although whipped cream with my version and some fresh raspberries works very well.

This is very dense and a little goes a long way. So you can serve quite a few folks with one cheesecake. Unless William is around. Then about 8 servings.
    ---Colleen

 

Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 package “Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies
1 stick butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar

Process cookies in food processor or blender (or crush in bag with rolling pin) until fine crumbs. Put in bowl and mix with sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-10 inch springform pan. Use a potato masher to flatten the crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Put springform on cookie sheet while baking so the butter doesn’t drip onto the oven floor.

Filling:
1 ½ pounds of soft cream cheese (3 packages)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ pound semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup strong coffee, cooled (decaf okay)

Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream in small saucepan or in the micro. Set aside to cool.

Process the cream cheese in a food processor until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs and sugar. Process until smooth. Add the sour cream and continue processing. Add the coffee and vanilla and process. Add the cooled chocolate/cream mixture slowly. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the filling is well mixed. Process again if necessary to get a smooth mixture.

Poor filling into cooled crust. Bake in 300 degree oven for 90 minutes. Insert a tester into the center of the cheesecake. If tester comes out clean, turn off the oven. I often put a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven while baking the cheesecake to help prevent cracking.

Once the filling is set, allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for about an hour. Prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Then finish cooling on a rack. You can remove the ring now or when you decide to serve it. Either way, the cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 ½ hours prior to serving. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides before removing the ring. To cut the cake, insert sharp knife into hot water before each slice. Garnish with whipped cream and fruit.

     ---Colleen