Hot Chocolate Cheesecake
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for the pan
- 9 graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)
- 1/4 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
- Pinch fine salt
- Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 marshmallows
- Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
- For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground.
- Add the butter, hot chocolate mix and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer.
- Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
- Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan.
- (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)
- For the filling: Wipe out the food processor.
- Pulse the cream cheese, sugar, hot chocolate mix and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated.
- Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan.
- Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the side of the springform pan (but not above the foil).
- Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat.
- Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.
- Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack.
- Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature.
- Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
- Before serving, cut the marshmallows on the diagonal, and arrange them, cut-side down, in a neat line all over the top edge of the cheesecake.
unsalted butter, graham crackers, hot chocolate, salt, cream cheese, sugar, cocoa, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, marshmallows
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hot-chocolate-cheesecake.html (may not work)