Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe

This chocolate cheesecake recipe is without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite desserts! It was created by the well known domestic goddess and author, Delia Smith. It is quite simply, a chocolate cheesecake to die for! This recipe, along with other deliciously decadent chocolate recipes can be found in her book The Delia Collection: Chocolate.

To prevent cracking to the surface, a baked cheesecake is best cooled slowly in a switched off oven. Once completely cold, it should be refrigerated for several hours, preferably overnight.

Gourmet food........the EASY way!

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake with Fruit & Nuts

For the filling:
3½oz (100g) dark chocolate with 75% cocoa solids
8oz/250g tub mascarpone
2oz/50g raisins
4oz/110g whole hazelnuts
7oz/200g tub fromage frais (8% fat)
2 large eggs
1½oz/40g caster sugar

For the base:
2oz/50g whole hazelnuts
4oz/110g sweet oat biscuits
1oz/25g butter, melted

Chocolate curls to decorate:
3½oz/100g dark chocolate with 75% solids

To serve:
crème fraîche or pouring cream
1 level teaspoon cocoa powder

For this chocolate cheesecake recipe you will need a 7 inch/18cm cake tin, preferably springform, 3 inches/7.5cm deep. If the tin is shallower than this, line the inside with baking parchment.

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6.
  

• Begin by toasting all of the hazelnuts on a tray in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool. Put 4oz/110g to one side as they will be used for the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2.
  

• Put the biscuits inside a polythene bag and crush using a rolling pin. Finely chop the remaining 2oz/50g hazelnuts using a food processor. Tip the biscuit crumbs and chopped hazelnuts into a bowl and mix with the melted butter. Transfer the mix to the cake tin and press down firmly. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
  

• To prepare the filling, place a saucepan with 2 inches/5cm of water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put into a basin. When the water comes to the boil, remove from the heat and stand the basin in it. Allow the chocolate to melt completely stirring occasionally (do not be tempted to put the pan over the heat again while the chocolate is in it).
  

• Now place the mascarpone and fromage frais in a basin and whisk until smooth before whisking in the eggs and sugar. Add the melted chocolate and lightly fold into the mixture before adding the raisins and toasted hazelnuts.

For an "adult" touch to this chocolate cheesecake recipe, I like to soak the raisins for an hour or 2 in dark rum!

• Now transfer the mixture to the cake tin and bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 1¼ hours. Once cooked, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven. Once completely cold, place in the refrigerator for several hours but preferably, overnight.
  

• To prepare the chocolate curls, melt the chocolate as before. Once melted and completely smooth, pour the chocolate onto a flat, smooth surface such as the underside of a large plate. It should form a circle of about 6 inches/15cm in diameter and ¼inch/5mm thick. Place the plate in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes. The chocolate needs to be set just hard enough so that if you press the surface, it doesn't leave an indentation.
  

• Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator and use a cheese slicer (or a sharp knife if you hold the blade in both hands) to create curls by pulling it over the surface of the chocolate towards you. Don't worry if instead of curls, you end up with chocolate shavings.......it will look just as good! Place the curls in the refrigerator until required.
  

• To serve, sprinkle the surface of the cheesecake with the chocolate curls and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder. Serve in wedges with a jug of pouring cream.......DEEElicious!

This chocolate cheesecake recipe is just one of Delia Smith's wickedly scrumptious dessert recipes. You will find many, many more from her website.

To go from Delia's Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe to her website
Delia Online
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