Chocolate Cheesecake

This Chocolate Cheesecake is packed full of rich chocolate flavor, accompanied with a homemade Oreo cookie crust, and topped with dark chocolate ganache.

I made this for an Easter 2017 party, but it is really good for any gathering on any occasion.

Also, I will soon be posting this recipe on my food blog: Michael's Test Kitchen

Crust:

16-18 oreo cookies, crushed

3 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs + 1 egg yolk

⅓ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons flour

10 oz semisweet chocolate, melted (8 oz = 1 cup)

⅔ cup sour cream

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache:

1 ⅓ cup chocolate chips (a bit more than 8 oz of baking chocolate)

⅔ cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place Oreo's in a plastic bag or two, and proceed to crush them consistently with a blunt object, until they are in small crumbs. Place crumbs in a medium bowl, add melted butter, and mix until the mixture holds together slightly with pressure.

You may need to add in more melted butter. Pour crumbs into a spring-from 9-inch pan and press onto the bottom of the pan, and up the sides slightly, if desired.

In a heat-proof bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese with the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, heavy cream, and sour cream until combined, in a large bowl. Add eggs and egg yolk, and stir until just combined. Add vanilla and melted chocolate last. Stir until completely combined. Make sure not to overmix or whip.

Pour cream cheese mixture over the crust in the spring-form pan. Carefully place in the oven and bake for around 55 minutes, until center is set. Once out of the oven, and cooled, place in the fridge and chill overnight before serving.

Once mostly chilled, make ganache. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan with the sugar and butter. Remove from heat, add in chocolate chips, and stir until completely melted and creamy.

Immediately pour the mixture over the cheesecake (still in the springform pan) and let the ganache spread completely and evenly over the surface. Continue chilling. Serve cold.

Enjoy.