Rich and creamy, heavenly chocolately, melt in your mouth goodness! There are a few steps to get through but it is worth the effort…guaranteed!
1 cup Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 pkgs 250g Philly Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup (100g bar of chocolate) Dark Chocolate, melted
1/3 cup Cream
2 Tablespoons Kirsch (Cherry Brandy)
1 can (425g) pitted Cherries, drained and reserving liquid
1 can (425g) pitted Cherries, reserve 8 – 10 whole cherries for garnish
Reserved liquid from first can of cherries
1 /3 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
2 cups Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Curls/Shavings
Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.
Press into an 8″ Springform pan.
Chill.
Preheat oven to 300F (150C)
In tall mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
On low speed, stir in the chocolate, cream and kirsch just until smooth. Do not over beat.
Stir in the first amount of drained cherries.
Pour into prepared crust and bake in 300F oven for 45 minutes.
Edges will be puffy and centre still a bit wiggly.
Turn oven off, allow cheesecake to cool in oven with the door ajar for about an hour.
Remove from oven and cool completely, then chill for two hours.
While cheesecake is chilling combine second can of cherries, reserved liquid from first can, and 1/3 cup sugar.
Bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together 2 tbsp of water and the cornstarch.
Add cornstarch paste to cherries and return to a boil; cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and cool.
In tall mixing bowl that has been chilled along with mixing beaters, whip the cream until slightly thickened.
Add icing sugar a lil at a time.
Add vanilla and whip cream to desired stiffness; do not over whip.
Building the Black Forest Cheesecake.
Load piping bag with whipped cream and pipe a border around the top edge of the cheesecake.
Fill center of Whipped Cream border with the chilled Cherry mixture.
Sprinkle the Cherry filling with chocolate shavings/curls.
Decorate with reserved cherries.
