* Let your cream cheese get really soft and room temperature. Mixing becomes a whole lot easier and it creams so much better.
*We used 1 pkg. reduced fat cream cheese along with 2 regular packages and it turned out great...no sacrifice on taste but a few calories/fat grams saved!
*You may want to lightly grease your pan; we didn't and the crust doesn't come out quite as clean as I would like.
* When melting chocolate, after the 3rd interval and it is mostly soft, stir the chocolate until fully melted and it will melt on it's own. This way you avoid overheating and scorching the chocolate.
*Be patient and let the cake cool completely and definitely follow the refrigeration directions.
*You could change up the stencil depending on the occasion.
So with those few tips...Here's the recipe!
Ingredients for the Cake
*18 oreos cookie, finely chopped --I used my food processor but you could also put them in two ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.
*2 - 3 Tbsp butter, melted
*3 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
*3/4 cup sugar
*1 tsp vanilla
*1 package (8 squares) Baker's semi-sweet baking Chocolate, melted
>>>>To melt chocolate, place all squares in a microwaveable bowl. Heat at 30 seconds, stir. Then heat at 10 second intervals for another 30 seconds..then stir until fully melted.
*3 eggs
*cocoa powder and powdered sugar (optional)
To make the Cake
*Preheat oven to 325 for silver 9 inch springform pan or 300if using a dark, nonstick springform pan.
*Mix cooke crumbs and butter and press firmly onto bottom of pan
*Beat Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
*Add melted chocolate; mix well.
*Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition.
*Pour over crust.
*Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake.
*Cool before removing rim of pan.
*Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
*Dust top of cheesecake with cocoa powder.
*Top with a heart-shaped stencil and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*Yes we had a little crack in our cake but with the magic
of stencils....Where did it go?
*Store leftover cake in refrigerator (if there is any!!)
ENJOY!!!
