Baked Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake
Photography Bryce Carleton.
A delicious treat for Mother’s Day – decorate simply or embellish lavishly. I’ve used chopped hazelnut chocolates, fresh and freeze dried raspberries with a dusting of icing sugar.
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS
Base
200 grams dark chocolate digestive biscuits
50 grams roasted hazelnuts
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling
½ cup cream
200 grams dark chocolate, well chopped, 68% cocoa
1/3 cup Nutella
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Hazelnut liqueur*
500 grams cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup caster sugar
2 large eggs, size 7
Decorating ideas listed in method
METHOD
Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and side with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 150°C, not fan bake.
Base: Put the biscuits and nuts in a food processor and blend until fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.
Tip into the tin and press down firmly to form an even layer. Chill while making the filling.
Filling: Put the cream in a saucepan and heat to just below the boil. Take off the heat and add the chocolate, Nutella and salt.
Leave for 2 minutes then whisk until smooth. Stir in the liqueur. Cool until luke warm. Beat the cream cheese until light and airy. Beat in the sugar then the eggs. Add the just warm chocolate and using a large metal spoon, gently but thoroughly fold together.
Tip into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour until just set but still with a slight wobble in the centre. It will firm up on cooling. Turn off the oven and fully open the door, leaving the cheesecake inside until the oven is cool.
Cover and chill. This is very rich so cut into small portions.
Top with any or a combination of the following: chopped roasted hazelnuts, Valrhona chocolate pearls, shaved dark chocolate, crushed Ferreor Rocher chocolates, cocao nibs, freeze dried raspberries or fresh raspberries when in season.
Cook's note: *You can use a coffee liqueur, if preferred
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