Chocolate Cheesecake

For my sister's birthday dessert, she chose chocolate cheesecake. My mom and I made her cheesecake using this recipe from The New James Beard.

It was really delicious and is a perfect dessert for a special occasion. A note about the cream cheese - it is really worth it find a natural cream cheese to use as opposed to the kinds that contain bean gum. The recipe recommends it, and it makes the cheesecake lighter and taste better.

Ingredients:

• Crust
• 2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• Filling
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 pound cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup hot strong coffee
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Whipped Cream
• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Yield: 1 cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter for the crust.

Blend the crust ingredients in a bowl.

Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan.

Set aside while preparing the filling.

Beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in an electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored.

Beat in the cream cheese and continue beating until smooth.

Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water.

Blend in the hot coffee, rum, vanilla, and salt.

Beat this mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

 In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.

Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar until you have a stiff meringue mixture with glossy, upright peaks.

Fold this gently into the chocolate mixture.

Pour into the prepared crumb crust.

Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour.

Turn the oven off, but leave the cake inside until it is completely cooled (we left it in overnight).

When ready to serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.

Make the whipped cream by beating the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (about 1 minute).

Spread the whipped cream on the cheesecake. And enjoy!