That's a big call, I know and perhaps time has elevated this cheesecake into something grander than it ever was....but I don't think so. I haven't made it for a couple of years, but I swear I can still taste its rich, yet silky-light mousse on my tongue, along with the mediating crunch of biscuit.
This is my own original recipe (as far as recipes can ever really be original) and the fact that I wrote it down, something I rarely every do, is a testament to how shocked I was by good it was.
Do not, under any circumstances substitute the two 70% chocolate bars for milk chocolate or chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage. There is so much fat and sugar in this recipe, you need a little bit of relief with that tiny bit of bitterness. In fact, you could quite easily dial it up to an 85% cocoa chocolate. There will most likely be excess base - just put in a ziploc bag in the freezer to make a mini one at a future time when you may be able to face cheesecake again.
This is a big and extremely decadent cheesecake and so is best eaten in very slim slices, preferably with lots of friends.
As you'll put on weight just reading the recipe you may as well give it a go, right?
PS: Cheesecake pic by Juliana Kopaytisa at Upsplash is for illustrative purposes only. I don't advise adding raspberries or anything else.
INGREDIENTS
250g pkt plain chocolate biscuits (I use Arnott’s chocolate ripple)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
125g melted butter
2 x 150g 70% cocoa Lindt bar
1 x 150g chocolate & almond Lindt bar
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
750g cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
600g sour cream
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a 24cm springform pan with melted butter and line base with non-stick baking paper. Put biscuits, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and whizz until crumbs stick together when you push down. Put into the pan and press down well all over the bottom.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and melt.
In another bowl beat together sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, and sour cream and beat, then fold in chocolate, cocoa powder and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the biscuit base and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for around an hour (don’t use the fan if you have a fan forced) until it looks just set in the centre then turn the oven off and leave the door ajar with the cake in until cools. This will prevent it from cracking. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge. Take out and bring to room temperature just before serving.