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Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes |
Ready In: 80 Minutes Servings: 14 |
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This is a wonderfully sinful chocolate cheesecake, but since you only live once, why not? Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs |
1/2 cup softened butter |
2 cups sugar, plus |
3 tablespoons sugar |
1 1/2 lbs softened cream cheese |
3 eggs |
1/2 lb semisweet chocolate |
3 tablespoons heavy cream |
2 cups sour cream |
1/4 cup dark rum |
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon |
1/4 teaspoon almond extract |
1 cup confectioners' sugar |
1 cup fresh strawberries, about |
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. With your fingers, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, the softened butter and 3 T of the sugar, until it is very well blended.
3. Press this mixture evenly over the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.
4. You can use a potato masher to make the crust flat.
5. With an electric mixer or food processor, beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy, then gradually add in the rest of the sugar (2 cups), as well as the eggs.
6. Keep beating or processing this mixture until it is totally smooth.
7. In a small saucepan, melt the heavy cream and the chocolate together over low heat, then process this mixture into the cream cheese with 1 cup of the sour cream.
8. Add in the cinnamon, almond extract and rum, and process for another few minutes.
9. Pour the cheese mixture over your prepared crust and bake it for 55 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Don't worry if the sides puff up higher than the middle.
11. This can be easily fixed.
12. Let the cake cool and take away the sides of the pan carefully.
13. Use a sharp, long knife to slice any uneven edges from the top.
14. This cheesecake has a very moist and creamy consistency, so much so that you can smooth out the sides and top of the cake with a butterknife until the shape is even.
15. Beat the remainder of the sour cream (1 cup) and the confectioners' sugar together and spread it only on the top of the cake, but not the sides.
16. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them in half lengthwise.
17. Arrange them with their cut sides down and their tips pointing in to the middle, in a ring around the edge of the cake.
18. Chill the cake at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.
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