Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (approx. 10 crackers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) - (I used salted, it was fine)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling: (this is the way we did it)
1 3/4 pounds cream cheese (3 1/2 blocks), room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used imitation, just incase of allergies)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (sea salt is great too)
3 extra large eggs, room temp (I used eggs from my chickens)
1/2 cup sour cream (we left the sour cream out of the one we made)
5 ounces chocolate chips (we did 2.5 ounces semi-sweet, 2.5 ounces milk chocolate)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Crust: place the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until combined. I dumped all of it into a mixer and just mixed it together.
Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler (glass or ceramic bowl inside of a pan of simmering water), melt the chocolate. We used two separate bowls, since we had two types of chocolate. We also added 1 tablespoon Kahlúa to the milk chocolate. The alcohol will cook out, and the chocolate will become slightly grainy. The Kahlúa can be substituted with one teaspoon instant espresso powder. Set aside.
Filling:
Cream the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Cream on medium high speed until the mix is light and fluffy (~5-10 min.). Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater as necessary. With the beater on low, add the sour cream (if wanted). After thoroughly mixed, split the mix into two equal portions (if you want to have layers like we did, if you are only using one type of chocolate, leave all together). Add the chocolate to the mix. Add one type of chocolate per portion if using more than one type. Mix each portion well. Pour the dark (semi-sweet) chocolate mix into the crust, followed by the milk chocolate mix. This will give you the layers.
Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the cake sit in the oven with the door opened for 1 ½ hours. Then take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature until completely cooled.
*** TIP: When we baked our cheesecake, we had a pie pan of water on each side and one on a lower rack in the oven to raise the humidity in the oven. If you do not do this, the cheesecake will crack.
We put a layer of ganache over the cheesecake; I think it is better without the ganache personally. Scrape small pieces off of a white chocolate Hersheys bar (or other type of chocolate bar) to be sprinkled over the top as a garnish.
Feel free to ask any questions!
Emily
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (approx. 10 crackers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) - (I used salted, it was fine)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling: (this is the way we did it)
1 3/4 pounds cream cheese (3 1/2 blocks), room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used imitation, just incase of allergies)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (sea salt is great too)
3 extra large eggs, room temp (I used eggs from my chickens)
1/2 cup sour cream (we left the sour cream out of the one we made)
5 ounces chocolate chips (we did 2.5 ounces semi-sweet, 2.5 ounces milk chocolate)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Crust: place the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until combined. I dumped all of it into a mixer and just mixed it together.
Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler (glass or ceramic bowl inside of a pan of simmering water), melt the chocolate. We used two separate bowls, since we had two types of chocolate. We also added 1 tablespoon Kahlúa to the milk chocolate. The alcohol will cook out, and the chocolate will become slightly grainy. The Kahlúa can be substituted with one teaspoon instant espresso powder. Set aside.
Filling:
Cream the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Cream on medium high speed until the mix is light and fluffy (~5-10 min.). Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater as necessary. With the beater on low, add the sour cream (if wanted). After thoroughly mixed, split the mix into two equal portions (if you want to have layers like we did, if you are only using one type of chocolate, leave all together). Add the chocolate to the mix. Add one type of chocolate per portion if using more than one type. Mix each portion well. Pour the dark (semi-sweet) chocolate mix into the crust, followed by the milk chocolate mix. This will give you the layers.
Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the cake sit in the oven with the door opened for 1 ½ hours. Then take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature until completely cooled.
*** TIP: When we baked our cheesecake, we had a pie pan of water on each side and one on a lower rack in the oven to raise the humidity in the oven. If you do not do this, the cheesecake will crack.
We put a layer of ganache over the cheesecake; I think it is better without the ganache personally. Scrape small pieces off of a white chocolate Hersheys bar (or other type of chocolate bar) to be sprinkled over the top as a garnish.
Feel free to ask any questions!
Emily
