Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
adapted from Taste of Home, 2011 Best Recipes, pg 120 

1 1/2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (we used Trader Joe's Chocolate Joe Joe's)
2 Tbs butter, melted
4 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (I used 2 lower in fat bricks and to regular bricks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cups low fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
9 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Topping:
6 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

raspberries for garnish

Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square).  Securely wrap the foil around the pan.  Combine the cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  beat in the sour cream and vanilla.  Add the eggs, beat on low speed just until combined.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the batter and pour the remaining amount over the crust.

Melt the 9 oz. of dark chocolate; stir in the preserves until blended.  Stir the chocolate into the reserved batter just until blended.  Drop by spoonfuls over the plain batter (do not swirl).

Bake at 325º for 65-75 minutes, or until the center is just set and top appears dull.  Remove springform pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, cool 1 hour longer.

For the topping, place the 6 oz of dark chocolate in a small bowl.  In a small sauce pan bring the cream just to a boil.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.  Cool slightly. Spread the cooled ganache over the top of the cheesecake.  Refrigerate overnight.

Garnish with raspberries.  (The raspberry garnish took this dessert over the top!!)

Notes:

• While the raspberry infused chocolate was amazing, it did not really bring the raspberry punch I was looking for... next time I may try adding a raspberry puree for an extra flavor boost.
• From the ingredients above we made 24 mini cheesecakes and one 8 inch cheesecake and I had a bit of the chocolate cheesecake mixture left over.
• Bake mini cheesecakes for 17-20 minutes, check and cook a minute or two longer if necessary.
• My new favorite mini cheesecake baking pan is by Norpro - I'm really enjoying making cheesecakes in individual tapas-like portions and purchased two pans to make 24 at once!
• The raspberries as a garnish took this dessert over the top!!
  

• To "tamp" down the crumbs in the mini pans I used my the bottom of a children's medicine cup we had in the drawer.