Chocolate Cheesecake (Recipe)

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)

1 cup dairy sour cream

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Steps

1. To make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the 5 tablespoons melted butter or margarine  and the 2 tablespoons sugar.

2. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill.

3. Preheat the oven to 325°.

4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the 1 cup sugar.  Beat in the cream cheese until the mixture is smooth.

5. Mel the chocolate pieces in the top of a double boiler over warm water.  Stir in the sour cream, the 3/4 cup melted butter or margarine and the vanilla.  Beat the chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture.  Stir in the pecans.

6. Carefully pour the filling into the crust-lined pan.  Then spread the filling with a rubber spatula to distribute the mixture evenly.  Place the springform pan in a shallow baking pan to protect your oven in case any butter leaks out of the springform pan during baking.  Place both pans in the oven.

7. Bake the cheesecake in the 325° oven about 1 hour or until the center is nearly set (a 1-inch area in the center will jiggle slightly when the cheesecake is done).

8. Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Then use a thin metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan as shown; this helps to keep the cheesecake edges from cracking.  Cool the cheesecake on the rack for 3 hours before removing the sides of the pan.  The cheesecake may fall in the center or the top may crack; this is normal.  Remove the sides of the pan and chill the cheesecake thoroughly.

Tips:

For perfect slices every time, we suggest using a very thin, sharp knife.  Dip the knife into glass of warm water before you make each cut and wipe the knife clean between cuts.