1 1/4 cup of fine graham cracker crumbs (or Oreo crumbs)
2 tablespoons of white sugar
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee (can use espresso)
1 1/2 cups of softened cream cheese
3/4 cup of white sugar (additional)
1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup of cherry pie filling
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
First, we will want to assemble the cheesecake crust. To do this, blend
together the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar in a mid-sized mixing
bowl. Be sure to blend them until they are combined well.
At this point, add the butter (melted) and the water and blend them into
the mixture very well. Get out a springform pan (20 centimeters, 8
inches) and lubricate it with oil, butter or cooking spray. Pour the
mixture of crumbs and sugar into the pan and pat it down into the bottom
of the pan with a rubber spatula or even your fingers. The mix should
come up the sides of the pan by a little over a centimeter (one half
inch).
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or
less. Start checking it after 10 or 12 minutes. When the crust for the
cheesecake starts to harden a little, it is time to pull it from the
oven and place it to the side to cool, preferably on some kind of wire
rack. At this point, you need to reduce the temperature in the oven to
150 degrees C (300 degrees F).
For the next step you will need a an oven safe pan or bowl, about 22
centimeters (9 inches) that will fit in the oven on the bottom rack. The
purpose of this is to keep the oven from being too dry and that helps to
keep the cheesecake creamy and maintain its density.
While you are waiting for the oven to cool, you can start putting the
filling for the chocolate cheesecake together.
Over very low heat, add the coffee and chocolate chips to a heavy pan
and blend the ingredients together until the chocolate chips have
melted. This will probably take less than 10 minutes. Set the mixture
aside and allow it to cool.
Use and electric mixer and a mixing bowl to blend together the softened
cream cheese until it is very creamy and smooth.
Add in the white sugar and the salt and continue to mix on the medium
setting for about a minute or two. Scrape the mixture down from the
sides and add one of the eggs. Beat on the same speed for a half a
minute, scrape down the sides again, and then add the other egg and beat
for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl again
and add in the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate chip mixture
from above and continue to mix for another minute.
Here's where the rubber meets the road, or better put, the batter meets
the crust. Pour the batter you just made into the graham cracker crust
that you set aside for cooling. Place the cake pan on the middle rack of
the oven for one hour. Check the temperature of the cheesecake with an
oven thermometer. If it shows 76 degrees C (170 degrees F), turn off the
oven and leave the cake in there to sit for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove it to cool on a rack for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Place
the chocolate cheese cake into the refrigerator for about an hour.
After one hour, pour the cherry pie filling over the cheesecake and
spread evenly. Refrigerate for an additional 2 hours and your dark
chocolate cheese with cherry pie filling is ready to serve.
