Chocolate Cheesecake

If you're a fan of chocolate and cheesecake, you will not get enough of this. It's rich, creamy, and chocolatey with an Oreo cookie crust. To make it even more delicious, I like to serve it with chocolate sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Go ahead and indulge with this irresistable desert...

Ingredients:
Crust-

• 30 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

Filling-

• 3 packages (8 oz each) of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8 oz of bittersweet (baking) chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil. To make the crust, place 30 cookies in a food processor and process for 30-45 seconds or until finely ground. Add butter; mix well. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Set crust aside.

2. Put the springform pan with the crust in the freezer while the oven is preheating. After preheating, place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool while making the filling.

3. To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes.

4. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat for another 4 minutes or so, until the mixture is light. Beat in the vanilla.

5. Add the egg one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the sour cream and melted chocolate.

7. Put the foil-wrapped springform pan in a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the springform pan with some space around it.

8. Give the batter a few stirs with a rubber spatula, just to make sure there is nothing left unmixed at the bottom of the bowl, and scrape the batter into the springform pan.

9. Put the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into it so the water comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

10. Bake the cheesecake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, at which point the center should be set and the bottom wobbly. Turn off the oven and prop the door open. Allow the cheesecake to luxuriate in its water bath for another 45 minutes.

11. After 1 hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before serving.

Recipe for Chocolate Sauce (Makes 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tbsp sugar

1. Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan, and put the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring ocassionally to blend.

2. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until it is thick enough to coat a metal spoon: if you run your finger down the back of the spoon, the sauce should not run into the track you've created.

3. If you want to use the sauce in its pourable state, let it cool for about 10 minutes and then use immediately.

4. If you want to save it for later, pack it into an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

5. The sauce can be stored by being kept in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. If you want to use the sauce warm, heat it gently in a microwave oven or in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.