Black Forest Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs or 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (china cassia if possible)
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup cherry brandy
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (ghirardelli's is good)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350.
• 2 butter a 10" springform pan.
• 3 crust:.
• 4 mix the chocolate crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter in a bowl until completely combined.
• 5 press the crust mixture on the bottom and approximately 1/3 of the way up the sides of the springform pan.
• 6 filling:.
• 7 beat the cream cheese and sugar with a heavy duty stand mixer at medium speed until creamy.
• 8 add the eggs, one at a time, until just blended after each.
• 9 add the brandy.
• 10 pour the filling into the crust.
• 11 bake for 50-60 minutes, or until set; you may use a waterbath, if you wish.
• 12 cool the cake in the pan on a rack.
• 13 topping:.
• 14 melt the chocolate (use whichever method you prefer; i prefer the double boiler).
• 15 set aside to cool.
• 16 after cooling, add the sour cream, gently folding to combine completely.
• 17 loosen and remove the sides of the springform pan.
• 18 spread the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake.
• 19 arrange the cherries around the edge of the cake.
• 20 chill for at least 6 hours.