Back to the Cutting Board

Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

adapted from Cooking Light

| Servings: 1 9″ pie (8 servings)
Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 40 min | Total time: 1 hour 45 min

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. margarine, melted
• 1 tbsp. egg white
• 1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sized crackers)

Cheesecake

• 3 tbsp. dark rum (I omitted this)
• 3 (1 oz.) squares semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 (8 oz.) package nonfat or low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) package Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
• Chocolate curls/shavings (optional)
• Raspberries (optional)

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Beat sugar, margarine and egg in a small bowl until blended. Add crumbs and stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom (and 1 inch up sides if you want to attempt it) of an 8-inch or 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.
2. Turn oven down to 300 degrees (F).
3. Combine rum (if using) and chocolate squares in the top of a double boiler or over low heat. Cook until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add chocolate syrup, stirring until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, beat cheeses with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Pour into the crust and bake for 40 minutes or until almost set (it should giggle just a little if you tap the pan). Combine sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons cocoa and stir well. Turn oven off and take out the cheesecake. Spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake and put back in the still warm (but turned off) oven. Let stand for 45 minutes in the oven with door closed. Remove cheesecake and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Remove from springform pan and garnish with chocolate curls and raspberries.