Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

I have yet to make this... but the picture in the magazine (sorry, none here, yet) looks delicious!

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake - Pillsbury (Holiday Baking Magazine 2008)

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Start to Finish: 5 hours, 50 minutes
Serves: 16

Crust
2 C Oreo cookies, crushed (reduced fat)
3 T butter, melted

Filling
4 pkg. (8oz each), reduced fat cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp. almond (or vanilla) extract*
1/2 C light whipping cream
1 can light cherry pie filling (or you can make your own)

Glaze
1/2 C light whipping cream
1 C semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz) or, dark chocolate


1) Heat oven to 325. In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter and cookie crumbs. Press into the bottom (and 1 inch up the sides) of an ungreased 10-inch springfoam pan.

2) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in sugar and extract until smooth. Add 1/2 C whipping cream and mix well.

3) Spoon 3 1/2 C cream cheese mix into the crust-lined pan, spreading evenly. Carefully spoon 1 C pie filling over the cream cheese (reserving the remainder for the topping). Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over the pie filling.

4) Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes - 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 1 hour.

5) In a 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 C whipping cream to boiling over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.

6) Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on paper-lined cookie sheet. Spread glaze over the cooked cheese cake allowing some to flow down the sides. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Serve topped with remaining cherries.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 470 calories, 33g fat (using full-fat cream cheese, whipping cream, cherries and cookies..., not reduced fat).


*For those with nut allergies, almond extract is not made from an almond... it's from the pit of fruits :) But, just to be safe, imitation almond is safe for me.