Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE RIBBON CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

For the crust
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp butter, melted

For the filling
3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
For the topping
Chocolate ice cream syrup

Make the crust: Crush the graham crackers. Mix the crumbs and chopped walnuts with the sugar and melted butter in a nine or ten-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into a crust across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Put the crust in the refrigerator to set up while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 325. Make the filling: Mix the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, about five minutes. Add the 6 ingredients and gently cream together until smooth. Do not over beat. Too much air in the filling will cause the cake to sink and crack. Drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix until combined. (If your filling is too cold, some of the chocolate may set up leaving chocolate flecks in the filling.

Poor the cream cheese filling into the crust. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden and the center of the cake is just barely jiggly. Because it is not as thick, a ten-inch cheesecake will bake more quickly than a nine.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove the ring and let the cheesecake cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours. Prior to serving, drizzle the cheesecake with chocolate syrup.