الوسم: chocolate

Chocolate Crust:
1 1/4 cups finely crushed chocolate wafers (about 24)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:
1 small navel orange
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 boxes (2.5 ounces each) Godiva Truffles

Chocolate Truffle Glaze:
4 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry-Orange Fruit Garnish:
1 pint hulled strawberries, sliced
2 large oranges, zests removed and cut into thin strips, then peeled and cut into sections
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Make the chocolate crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 9 x 3-inch springform cake pan.

Mix together cookie crumbs and butter in bowl. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake crust for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is puffy and bounces back when gently pressed with a finger. Cool crust on wire rack.

Make the cheesecake filling:

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Using two large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the outside of the pan.

Using a swivel vegetable peeler, peel off eight 2 x 1/2-inch strips of orange zest, being careful not to include any bitter white pith.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and orange zest strips in a food processor. Pulse until orange zest is finely chopped.

Add cream cheese to food processor. Pulse for 15 to 25 seconds or until creamy. Add sugar mixture, sour cream, Grand Marnier and vanilla. Process for 10 to 15 seconds or just until blended.

Add eggs and process just until blended. Turn batter into the chocolate crust-lined pan. Cut each truffle into quarters. Arrange 16 truffle quarters in circle 1 inch from edge of pan. Arrange remaining truffles in center.

Put cheesecake in high-sided roasting pan on the lower rack of the oven. Pour hot water into roasting pan so that the water comes halfway up side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 70 to 80 minutes or until the sides are slightly puffy and the center quivers. Leave the cheesecake in the roasting pan in the oven and turn off oven. Prop open the oven door and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Remove foil from outside of the spring-form pan. Run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan to release the cheesecake from the side of the pan. This will help prevent the top of cheesecake from cracking. Cool the cheesecake in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Make the chocolate truffle glaze:

Run a thin-bladed knife around edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the side of the pan. Remove the side of the springform pan. Slide two long metal cake spatulas underneath the cheesecake and transfer it to a wire rack. Set the rack over a flat baking sheet.

Put chocolate in 1-quart measuring cup with a pouring spout. Heat cream, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan. Heat mixture until it starts to boil, stirring constantly. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth. Stir in Grand Marnier and vanilla.

Pour warm truffle glaze over cheesecake, coating it completely. Reserve remaining truffle glaze. Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to set glaze.

Fill a small paper cone with some of the remaining truffle glaze. Pipe thin delicate lines over the top of the chilled glazed cheesecake. Keep the cheesecake chilled until ready to slice and serve.

Make the strawberry-orange garnish:

Just before serving the cheesecake, combine strawberries, orange slices, sugar, some of the reserved orange zest and Grand Marnier in medium bowl. Add more Grand Marnier to taste.

Cut cheesecake with a sharp thin-bladed knife, dipping the blade in hot water and wiping it dry after each slice. Transfer each slice to a dessert plate using an offset metal cake spatula. Spoon some of the strawberry-orange mixture next to each slice of cheesecake and serve.