I have never been a fan of chocolate cheesecake; however, when I was in France one summer, I found the best cheesecake there. The traditional version is the famous fromage fort de Bourgogne (fromage fort = strong cheese) cheesecake. I tried a piece and immediately loved it! I even have a picture to prove it! I was hooked!
This is where it gets confusing: I once tried another recipe and loved it. Since this is my blog, I will tell you the truth about the comparison. Both recipes have the same flavor, but one was obviously far superior than the other. I would give the nod to my French friend's original cheesecake. However, I am going to share the Chocolate Cheesecake tips with you so you can make your own.
No! Even if your cheesecake pan is water-proof it will still crack. If your cheesecake pan is water-proof (like my Brookstone) you can always just dunk the pan in the water first for about 10 seconds to dry out the bottom and sides. Make sure you cut your oven rack low to hold the cheesecake pan in place. I'm not sure if I ever got mine to crack in the oven, but I didn't have to do it for very long either! If you ever run across an oven model that is water-proof and cracks, check with the manufacturer!
This recipe made 8 small (14-15 inch) cheesecakes that took about 4 hours to bake. You can decrease the cooking time slightly, but you will not notice a difference. If you are baking a larger cheesecake, increase the cooking time to around 4.5 hours for a 35–40-pound cheesecake.
To make chocolate cheesecake filling, you must have your crust inside a springform pan. Once the cookie crust are coated, it's time to set aside chocolate chips and heavy cream for the filing. For this recipe, we're going to make the cheesecake filing simple, just combine chocolate chips and a 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a bowl. Heat this microwave-safe bowl with the chocolate and cream for 25 seconds at a time.
After 25 seconds, let the mixture rest for 10-15 seconds, then repeat. Do this until the chocolate chips and cream become melted and creamy. Set aside.
In a bowl, add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then pour the rest of the heavy cream into the mixture. Combine while adding in the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir until combined.
Absolutely! You can freeze cheesecake overnight. I like to use the freezer solid portion of the refrigerated crust because it’s firm and can take quite a beating. Use it as a crust when you make these cheesecake bites or make a homemade crust for the top. To do this, roll it out and place it on a floured surface and press it into a well-greased 9” springform pan. Place in the refrigerator to firm up until ready to use.
Just because I'm doing a Valentine's Day theme doesn't mean you have to do V-Day. You can use these cheesecake bites on their own. They're fun for parties or with breakfast for Valentine's Day. As I mentioned earlier, you can also use the frozen crust for the top, just bake it a little longer. Or you can skip the crust and just do the cheesecake.
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