Chocolate Cheesecake

Not being an overly huge fan of chocolate myself, I do have to say that this cheesecake is AWFULLY good. Although a little bit goes a long, long way with me.

Chocolate Cheesecake II
by Diane Young at Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (if you choose to use it - which I don't):
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**These tips are not part of the recipe but they're good tips to keep in mind when making cheesecake. Found at allrecipes.com.**

Cheesecake Tips - Cream Cheese:

• The cream cheese should be at room temperature before you begin mixing, or you'll end up with lumps in your cheesecake.
• Using cold cream cheese also leads to overbeating--whipping too much air into the batter--which forms unattractive air bubbles on the surface of the cake.
• Unless the recipe instructions specifically note otherwise, you should beat the cream cheese by itself until it's smooth and light, before adding any other ingredients.
• If you end up with lumps in your batter, run the mixture through a sieve or give it a quick spin in the food processor and you'll have silky smooth results.

Cheesecake Tips - Baking:

• Cheesecake tends to get over-baked because, while they look underdone, they are actually done when the center is still wobbly. At this stage the residual heat of the baking process will "carry over" and the center will continue to cook.
• Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or you can simply leave the oven door closed, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool for at least an hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the center.

Now the directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9 inch springform pan.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared 9 inch springform pan.

Bake crust at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes then allow it to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

To Make Filling: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and then add 1 cup of sugar, beating again until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set.

To Make Topping: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until just before boiling. Stir constantly and be careful not to boil over. Have 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips ready in a small bowl. Pour in the hot cream and stir with a spoon until smooth. Spread over baked cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.