Week 11: Frango Chocolate Cheesecake

While this was easy to make, it took most of a day to do. That's because of the time you need to let the layers cool before moving on to the next layer. But when all is said and done, this one is really good. The recipe says it serves 8. This is really rich, so I ended up with 12 servings that were just right. This is a long one, so I'll do the layers at a time.

Crust
1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about 20 cookies)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a food processor and process until well blended. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch-round, 2-inch-deep springform pan and press evenly and firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Pretty easy, except I couldn't find just the chocolate cookies anywhere. So I ended up buying Oreos and scraping the middle stuff off the cookie. The girls loved helping with that! It was a little scary how easily that 'stuff' came apart from the cookie! And, as noted before, I don't own a food processor, so I used the blender. Same results...all's well.

Filling
15 Frango mint chocolates (about 5.5 ounces), coarsely chopped
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a pot of water until it is steaming but not simmering. Place the chocolates in a stainless steel bowl and place over, but not touching, the hot water. Heat, dtirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until melted and smooth. Remove the chocolate from the heat and allow to cool until tepid.

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and blend well. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides fo the bowl and the beaters. Add the chocolate, cream, and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Pour into the crust.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until the sides of the cake rise and the top jiggles slightly when shaken. (The cake will appear underbaked, but will firm upon chilling.) Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to release the cake from the sides. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool completely in the pan.
Did it again...reading the recipe now, found a spot where I goofed. I did not chop the chocolate mints. I used a double boiler and simply melted them in that. No big deal there. I did this part, then mixed the cream cheese, and the chocolate was cooled to just the right temperature by the time I was ready for it.

Topping
1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
3 Frango mint chocolates, finely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
Heat a pot of water until it is steaming but not simmering. Combine the gelatin and water in a stanless steel bowl until the gelatin is softened. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the hot water and stir for about 2 to 3 minutes, until melted. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and allow to cool until tepid. Whisk the sour cream into the chocolate mixture until blended. Evenly spread the topping on top of the cheesecake and refrigerat for 4 hours, until completely chilled.
No changes or errors that I know of to this layer!

Glaze
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
whipped cream, for garnish
Frango Mint Little O's candies, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, until set. The cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

To serve, slice the cake and garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, a few Little O's candies, and a mint sprig.
For the semisweet chocolate, I just used chocolate chips and didn't bother chopping. I also didn't have everything for the garnish..whipped cream, yes, but not the other items. I made this as our dessert for Easter dinner. I said no chocolate bunny this year, chocolate cheesecake instead. Best choice I've made in awhile!