Divine Chocolate Velvet Cheescake

Preparation time:
45 minutes
Cook time:
About 55 minutes
Recipe yield:
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
CRUST:
1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 cup pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

FILLING:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (3.5-ounce) bars Divine 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 (3.5-ounce) bar Divine Milk Chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

On heavy cardboard or large paper plate, trace around the bottom piece of two 7-inch diameter springform pans. Wrap each cardboard round in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap bottom piece of both pans in aluminum foil. Lay a foil wrapped cardboard round on each bottom and insert into springform pan. Then, tightly wrap the outside of each pan with heavy aluminum foil. This will protect the cheesecake as it bakes in a hot water bath.

Finely grind the chocolate wafer cookies, pecans, and sugar in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake the crust until it is set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

For the Filling:
1) Using a double boiler or a tempered glass bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate after breaking it into pieces. Take off heat and cool slightly. If you want to melt the chocolate in the microwave, put it into a large glass bowl. Heat on High Power, stirring after each minute, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes.

2) Beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3) Beat in the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla.

4) Add the eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

5) Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pans. Place the springform pans in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pans.

6) Bake until the center of the cheesecakes move slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 55 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold). To prevent cracking, leave in the oven with oven door ajar for 30 minutes.

7) Transfer the cakes to a rack; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

8) Run a sharp knife around the inside edge of cheesecakes. Loosen sides and remove. Lift cheesecakes with their aluminum-foil-lined cardboard bottoms off of the round bottoms of the pans. Slice each cake. Decorate with fresh fruit, if desired, and serve. Makes 12 servings.

 

Courtesy of Sue Doeden