Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon egg white
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 tablespoons dark rum
3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
Chocolate curls for garnish, (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
- Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended.
- Add crumbs; stir well.
- Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 10 minutes; let cool on a wire rack.
- Combine rum and chocolate squares in the top of a double boiler.
- Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add chocolate syrup, stirring until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 C).
- Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth.
- Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth.
- Add rum mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 300 degrees F (150 C) for 40 minutes or until almost set.
- Combine sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons cocoa; stir well.
- Turn oven off, and spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake.
- Let cheesecake stand for 45 minutes in oven with door closed.
- Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool to room temperature.
- Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
- Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Makes 12 servings.