Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

4-6 hoursServes 6-8
Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 20 cookies chocolate wafer
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter
  • 2 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 pkgs. reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 ½ c. sugar
  • ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 pkgs. raspberries, divided (6 oz pkgs)

Chocolate Curls:

  • 2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
  • 1 ½ c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap 9-inch spring-form pan with triple layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure that foil reaches top of side of pan.

Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with fingers or roll with a rolling pin or food can to make about 1 cup fine crumbs. Place crumbs in a medium bowl and stir in butter until evenly blended. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom prepared pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.

Fill a large saucepot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, on medium-low speed until thoroughly mixed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl well after each addition. Pour half of batter into cooled crust. Add 1 package raspberries in a single layer. Top with remaining batter. Place pan in a larger roasting pan and fill halfway up side of cake pan with boiling water.

Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until just barely set in center. Remove roasting pan from oven. Remove cake pan from water bath and let cool completely on wire rack. Place in refrigerator and chill until cold throughout, 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

To make chocolate curls, melt shortening in a medium glass bowl in microwave. Stir in chocolate chips and heat in microwave 15 to 30 seconds at 50% (medium) power until chocolate chips are melted. Stir until smooth. Line an 8 x 4-inch baking dish with foil. Pour melted chocolate mixture into lined pan and let set in refrigerator overnight.

To serve, unmold melted chocolate and shave chocolate curls with vegetable peeler. Top cheesecake with remaining raspberries.