Chocolate Cheesecake and Sunday

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

You will need

FOR THE CRUST

1 ¼ cups chocolate wafer crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

FOR THE FILLING

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 package (8 oz) semisweet chocolate squares, melted and cooled

½ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

FOR THE TOPPING AND GARNISH

1 cup fresh raspberries

3 oz semisweet chocolate

SPECIAL AIDS

Small resalable plastic bag

Serves 12

MAKING THE CRUST
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine chocolate crumbs and sugar; add melted butter. Press crumb mixture into pan.

MAKING THE FILLING

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

2. Beat in melted chocolate, heavy cream and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Pour mixture into pan; wrap bottom and sides with foil. Bake cheesecake until center is almost set, 45-50 minutes.

4. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stand in oven with door slightly ajar for 1 hour. Place on wire rack; cool for 1 hour. Chill, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.

MAKING THE TOPPING
1. Remove foil and sides of pan. Arrange raspberries in the center of the cheesecake.

2. Melt chocolate according to package directions; place into plastic bag. Snip corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over the cheesecake.

For those of you who don't know, this is a springform pan.

Note:  This can take up to 5-6 hours.  GASP:)  But, you just have to be there most of the time . . . intervals of hours to check on it.

We had ours with the strawberries and whip cream then but I tried a little today all by itself and with some vanilla ice cream and I liked it both ways . . . you can try whatever you want!!!

On Saturday I made breakfast.    I made Overnight Coffee Cake and Blueberry Muffins.  They were both new recipes.  I liked them and I hoped, anyway, that everyone else in my family did:)

I took a few pictures of the kids . . . and even one of me!!!

Forrest would not let me get a good picture of him, so that's why his is like this:)

Love,

Tara