CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY CHEESECAKE

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cheesecake image

This is my husband's 2nd favorite cheesecake, the first being his mom's. We all love this decedent, fancy looking cheesecake! But it is really a simple cheesecake with a couple extras that make it look so fancy. Prep time does not include time for letting ingredients come to room temp, cooling, and refrigeration.

Provided by Chrissy Hackley @Chrissy_Hackley

Categories Cakes

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

CRUST
2 cup(s) graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoon(s) butter, melted
CHEESECAKE
4 package(s) 8oz cream cheese, room temp
4 medium eggs, room temp
3/4 cup(s) sugar
1/2 teaspoon(s) almond extract
1/2 cup(s) heavy cream, room temp
CHERRIES
1-2 can(s) cherry pie filling
GANACHE
1/2 cup(s) heavy whipping cream
6 ounce(s) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325°F
In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press firmly into a 9inch spring form pan and up 1 inch of the sides. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until smooth with mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add sugar and almond extract and beat well. Add heavy cream and beat until combined.
Scoop 3 cups of the cheesecake filling into pan. Now carefully and gently spoon cherry pie filling (one can only) evenly across the cheesecake filling. Now spoon rest of cheesecake filling over cherries gently, making sure to cover the cherries completely.
Bake in preheated oven for 75 minutes. Gently remove from oven and let cool at room temp for 1 hour.
Place wax paper on a baking pan that the spring form pan will fit flat on. (I use a round pizza pan) Place cheesecake on this pan. Remove ring. Note: I did not press the crumbs hard enough into the pan so it is falling apart. It will be ok though.
In a small sauce pan heat cream to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips (6oz ended up being 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips). Stir until combined and smooth.
Pour this over top of cheesecake allowing it to drip down the edges a bit.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours but it is best if left in fridge overnight. To serve you can top each piece with some cherry pie filling if you want.
Sometimes I like to have the ganache cover the sides completely. To do this I just double the ganache recipe. This works well when the crust isn't falling apart.