Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake

Ok, so this baby has been a long time coming.... My mouth is watering just looking at the picture. Let me give you some background. I didn't grow up eating chocolate.........gasp........... My parents, and my bothers for that matter do not like it, to this day. Crazy I know. I was introduced to brownies as a junior in high-school, and let me just say they were amazing and I got a major tummy ache from not using temperance. All that to say, my taste for chocolate has slowly refined itself. First I was a "milk chocolate" only person because all the dark chocolate I had tasted was very waxy, yuck. But then I learned you could have refined dark chocolate that is creamy, mmmmmmm. My first introduction to this was at the Cheesecake Factory, Mike ordered the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, we split it, b/c it is a $7 slice of dessert. We both relished every bite, and it struck Mike and I, there has to be a way to make this thing. So my search began. I found the recipe on the Godiva website. Of course they put it on there, the recipe calls for 8 Dark Chocolate Godiva bars, incase you didn't know they cost at least $2.50 each. That is one pricey cheesecake. I did make it once, just to get started I felt the need to be able to compare. But since I've done the expensive leg work, find rest in knowing you can substitute with one bag of 60% Ghirardelli chocolate chips from wal-mart, the whole bag is two dollars and something. Much better deal. I also started making the cake with two of the already made chocolate graham cracker crust from the store and finally bought a spring foam pan recently, so I can make the real deal. The result has been fantastic. I use a different recipe for the crust then the original recipe, and i add a thick ganache to the top which to us is "the icing on the cake", no pun intended. So with out further ado................
Introducing the Schloss Ghirardelli Chocolate Cheesecake




Preheat oven 325 degrees, tightly wrap bottom of spring foam pan with aluminum foil.

Crust:
1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers crushed
1 stick of butter melted
1/4 cup sugar
Mix together and press in to Spring foam pan

Filling:
1 12oz.bag of 60% Ghirardelli Dark chocolate chips, melt according to package instructions
2 packages of 8oz cream cheese softened
1 c. sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. brewed hot coffee
2 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate, stir until smooth. Beat cheese to creamy, add sugar and blend. Add eggs on at a time. Dissolve salt in hot coffee. On low beat in coffee, add vanilla and melted chocolate. Pour into crust. Put Spring foam pan into a larger pan with water in it, I use a cookie sheet, it recommends a roasting pan 1/2 way up the spring foam pan. I don't have a roasting pan. This keeps the cheese cake from cracking, i'm told. Bake 60-70 Min, until center is firm. Cool in oven 1 hr, fridge for 6 hrs.

After cool. Add Ganache.

Ganache
Heat 1 1/3 heavy cream
2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. sugar
Bring to boil
Remove from heat
Stir in 12 oz. 60% Ghirardelli Dark chocolate chips
Stir until smooth, pour over top of cooled cake.
Refrigerate until cool. Serve in very small slices, with cool-whip or homemade whip-cream. A cup of joe melts it right off your tongue. MMMMMMMM!

It's rich, but So delicious!