Can it really get any better? Creamy cheesecake with the irresistible flavors of dark chocolate come together in this mouth-watering delight. A sweet surprise for that special someone.
Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 11/2 hours, serves 16
Crust:
1 1/2 cups organic graham cracker crumbs
2/3 stick organic butter, melted
In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together to prepare crust. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch spring form pan. Chill.
Filling:
1 cup organic lowfat vanilla yogurt cheese
2 8-ounce containers organic lowfat neufchatel cheese spread
1 cup organic sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 3-ounce organic semisweet chocolate bars, melted
1. Prepare yogurt cheese by lining a colander with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth, and allow the whey (the clear liquid in yogurt) to strain for 6 hours. One quart of yogurt should yield approximately two cups of yogurt cheese. Reserve.
2. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, cream together the neufchatel and the sugar with a hand blender. Add the eggs, vanilla, melted chocolate and yogurt, and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Spoon the mixture onto the crust.
4. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack of the oven and place a pan of water on the bottom rack. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, being careful not to open the door while baking. Once finished baking, turn off the oven, and allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the oven with the door ajar. Remove the cheesecake and continue cooling on a wire rack. Refrigerate before serving.
Tags: dessert recipe, organic dark chocolate cheescake, Valentine's Day
