DUTCH CHOCOLATE-MINT CHEESECAKE

Dutch Chocolate-Mint Cheesecake image

Categories Cake Milk/Cream Food Processor Mixer Cheese Chocolate Dairy Dessert Bake Cream Cheese Mint Chill Sour Cream Bon Appétit Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher

Yield Serves 12

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

Crust
1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer, cookies, broken
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, hot
Filling
12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Topping
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 fresh mint leaves

Steps:

For crust:
Finely grind cookies, chocolate and sugar in processor. Add butter; blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
For filling:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Add eggs 1 at time, beating just until incorporated. Add melted chocolate, cream, cocoa powder and extracts and beat just until smooth.
Pour filling into crust. Bake until center is just set, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool 20 minutes. Press down gently on puffed edges to flatten. Run small sharp knife around top edge of pan to loosen. Do not remove pan sides. Cool. Cover and chill overnight.
For toppings:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine sour cream and sugar in bowl. Spoon sour cream topping over cheesecake. Bake 20 minutes. Chill cheesecake until cold, at least 6 hours.
Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Freeze until firm enough to pipe, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove pan sides from cake. Spoon chocolate topping into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe 6 diagonal lines atop cake, spacing evenly. Repeat in opposite direction, forming lattice. Pipe 12 rosettes of chocolate around top edge of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.) Garnish with mint leaves.