Chocolate Legend Cheesecake

It was either that or "triple chocolate" and that's been done enough, don't you think?  Besides, my husband voted for "Chocolate Legend" and that's two votes right there.  He gets two because he loves me and because I liked his vote.  (If I didn't like his vote then he would have gotten 1/2 a vote.  That's the way it always works.  Doesn't it work like that in your house?)

This was a lot of fun to make.  Lots of extra stuff you don't find in a basic New York cheesecake.  To make this you need your favorite cheesecake recipe and some extra chocolate.  I used the New York cheesecake recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.


Chocolate Legend Cheesecake

16 Oreos
3T melted butter
1 recipe for New York Cheesecake
1 Giant sized bar of Hershey's Special Dark (or simmilar dark chocolate), roughly chopped
1  4.4 oz bar of good quality white chocolate (I used Lindt), roughly chopped
1/4 c heavy cream
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 c cocoa powder

Grind the oreos in a food processor until crumbs.  Add the butter and pulse for a second until blended.  Pour out into a spring form pan and press flat.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.   Set aside to cool.

Make the cheesecake as the recipe directs.  Be sure not to over beat.   Carefully fold in the cocoa powder and melted unsweetened chocolate.   Fold in the chopped semi-sweet chocolate.   Pour out into the spring form pan.

Heat the heavy cream but do not boil.   Pour over chopped white chocolate.  Stir until chocolate melts.  Drop by tablespoons onto the cheesecake batter.   Swirl with a table knife.

Bake and cool your cheesecake according to your recipe directions.   Just before serving you can decorate with white chocolate and milk chocolate curls.   Or not. 

The white chocolate ganache stays soft, a lovely contrast with the chocolate chunks and the smooth cheesecake.   It's perfect for Valentine's Day.  My whole family is looking forward to it.  Good thing for my waistline I have lots of people who have been begging for a piece all weekend.  Chocolate cheesecake makes a good just because present, right?