Chocolate Cheesecake

Directions

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor, process the sandwich cookies until powedered.
3. Drizzle melted butter over cookie powder and pulse a few times in the food processor.
4. Finish mixing in butter by hand until homogenous.
5. Line spring-form pan with parchemnt paper on the bottom and press cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.
7. Remove crust and set aside.

Cheesecake

1. Lower oven temperature to 325F
2. Pour the hot coffee substitue over the chocolate chips and mix vigourously.
3. If the chocolate does not melt completely, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir again.
4. Repeat the microwave/stirring until the chocolate is just about fully melted, but not quite (the residual heat will continue melting it.)
5. Set the melted chocolate aside.
6. Using the paddle attachment in your mixer, whip the room temperature (if it’s not room temperature, you’ll get lumps that will show up white in your chocloate cake) cream cheese.
7. Once the cream cheese is well whipped, add the salt and sugar and mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides at least once.
8. Add the eggs one at a time until just incorporated.
9. Add the vanilla extract and cream and mix in slowly.
10. Mix in the melted chocolate until everything achieves a uniform color. You will have to scrape down the sides (make sure to get the bottom) multiple times.
11. Line the sides of your springform pan with parchment paper.
12. Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust.
13. Bake the cheesecake (without a water bath) for 25 minutes at 325F.
14. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes.
15. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest for an hour in the oven.
16. Remove the cheesecake and allow to cool to room temperature.
17. Chill the cheesecake in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Ganache

1. Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe container and microwave for 45 seconds
2. Mix the chocolate and cream and microwave again at 20 second intervals followed by vigorous mixing until the chocloate is melted. (focus more on the mixing, it’s best not to overheat the chocolate.)
3. Spread the ganache over the chilled cheesecake.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1. Whip all the ingredients at high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Decorate the cheesecake however you’d like.