Chocolate Cheesecake

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

Cheesecakes are not difficult to make and are uniformly popular. The simpler the meal, the better a cheesecake fits into the menu, we think. This one has a chocolate shortbread crust and is topped with sweetened sour cream and pecan halves for a handsome presentation. Plan to make it a day before serving, so that it is thoroughly cooled and set when you serve it.

Ingredients

Crust

Filling

Topping

Steps

To Make the Crust

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cornmeal, salt, and nutmeg together. Mix into the butter mixture until blended. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Set the pan on a square of aluminum foil and pull it up snugly around the pan’s sides to prevent butter from leaking out of the pan. Set in a baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave the foil-wrapped pan in the baking pan, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

To Make the Filling

1. While the crust is baking, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and beat until the mixture is light and thoroughly blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until incorporated. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine the cream and chocolate and cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the bourbon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt to the chocolate mixture. Pour into the cream cheese mixture, add the cornstarch, and beat until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the pre-baked crust.
2. Bake at 350°F until the top center of the cheesecake just barely appears liquid when the pan is gently jiggled, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes; leave the oven on.

To Make the Topping

1. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes; remove from the oven. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together. When the cheesecake has cooled for 20 minutes, gently spread the sour cream mixture over the top, smoothing with a spatula. Return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes, then remove. Gently press the pecans around the top of cake about 1 inch inside the edge, positioned like numbers on a clock to mark the 12 slices. Let cool for 2 hours. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cheesecake and gently cover it with plastic wrap—the toothpick will hold the plastic wrap off the top of the cheesecake to preserve its beauty. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Before serving, put the cocoa in a small fine-meshed sieve and gently tap it while holding it over the cheesecake to dust the top attractively. To serve, run a knife around the inside of the rim to loosen the cheesecake, then unlatch the rim and carefully remove. Cut slices with a warm, wet cake or carving knife, wiping the knife clean between slices.

Notes

• A springform pan has an expandable latched rim that can be easily removed. Look for one at a kitchenware shop.

This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.