Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

            This cheesecake is sooo rich & delicious it’ll knock you off your feet with flavor. When you make this cheesecake make sure your cream cheese is room temp. or a little warmer because it’ll be harder to mix cold cream cheese. Your family & you will be sure to love this dessert. If you don’t like cheesecake you’ll like this one because it’s sooo chocolaty that you can’t taste the cream cheese. I’m not a huge cheesecake fan but I love this cheesecake.   

Crust

24 chocolate wafer cookies (from a 9-ounce package)

1 Tblsp. sugar

¼  cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 9.7-ounce bar Sharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)

4 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temp.

1 ¼ cups plus 2 Tblsp. sugar

¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Scharffen Berger)

4 large eggs

Topping

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

6 ounces Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped

1 Tblsp. sugar

Bittersweet curls

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 ¾ -inch high sides. Blend cookies & sugar in processor until cookies are finely ground. Add melted butter & processes until well blended. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake just until crust is set, about 8 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temp.

Filling: Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over sauce pan of simmering water until melted & smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, & cocoa powder in processor until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top.

Bake cheesecake until center is just set & top looks dry, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place warm cake in pan in refrigerator & chill uncovered overnight.

Topping: Stir cream, chopped chocolate, & sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts & topping is smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake & spread to within ½ inch of edge, cover any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour.

Do Ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil & keep chilled.

Cut around pan sides again; remove pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Top with chocolate curls. Let stand 2 hours at room temp. before serving.