“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
-Mae West
“Some days are meant to be counted, some days are meant to be weighed.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
Admittedly, my affair with the cheesecake has been rocky. The explanation is simple- Back when we were in NYC, I devoured slice after slice every so often that slowly I couldn’t help but drift away. Let me clarify, that didn’t stop me from baking them in my kitchen….the husband, the brothers & the students were duly pampered and rightfully indulged. It’s been a while now and after a prolonged break, I’m more than ready to begin my journey for the second time, with this decadent Chocolate Cheesecake.
It began with a sinful craving for chocolate and somehow landed at a cheesecake with tons of chocolate. Yogurt & condensed milk being the primary ingredients, this dessert is perfectly creamy, soft, luscious & imbued with velvety, melted dark chocolate. A cheesecake can’t exist without a firm foundation aka the graham cracker crust (which happens to be my favourite part) and as if the chocolate wasn’t enough, there’s also a dark chocolate ganache layer.
Dark chocolate just happens to be an epitome of pure indulgence for me but I’m sure Milk/Semi sweet would taste just as rich and appease adequately. Be warned though, an overnight refrigeration & a lingering aroma can drive you impatient, like it did me, imploring you to hastily remove the cheesecake from it’s tin and snatch a spoonful, even if it’s the middle of the night.
| RECIPE FOR EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE (Made in a 6 x 3″ springform pan) INGREDIENTS For the crust- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 6 tbsp of melted butter For the Dark Chocolate Ganache- 85 grams, Dark chocolate, chopped roughly 85 gms heavy cream For the cheesecake mixture- 200 gms hung yogurt ( you will need 400 gms of loose yogurt) 150 gms loose yogurt 300 gms Condensed Milk 170 gms Dark Chocolate, Chopped roughly Others- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)METHOD 1. Prepare the hung curd- 400 gms yogurt has to be hung overnight using a cheese cloth. It will be ready to use in the morning. 2. Using a pastry brush, grease the springform pan with melted butter 3.To make the graham cracker crust- -Mix the crumbs and the melted butter in a bowl. Transfer the contents to the springform pan and press into the base, using your hands or the back of a glass. -Refrigerate for 30 minutes4. To make the Chocolate Ganache- -As the base is chilling in the refrigerator, make your ganache. -Keep your chopped/grated chocolate in a medium sized bowl. – Heat the heavy cream in a small cup in the microwave for 1 minute. -Remove the milk from the microwave and add it to the chocolate. Cover the bowl with a lid for 2 minutes, then using a whisk mix well and ensure that the cream & chocolate have been well incorporated with no lumps. -Pour this onto the graham cracker base and again place in the refrigerator until you prepare the yogurt mixture.5. To make the cheesecake mixture- -Preheat oven to 350F. – In a large bowl, add the hung yogurt, loose yogurt & condensed milk and mix well using a hand mixer(for a minute or 2) ensuring there are no lumps. -Chop the chocolate, roughly into tiny pieces and place in another medium sized bowl. -To temper the chocolate, place the chocolate in the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove and stir. Repeat this two more times and a maximum of 3 times and you will get a velvety, medium consistency , melted chocolate. Stir to remove lumps. -Next, with the hand mixer in one hand, add the melted chocolate into the yogurt mixture and whisk for another minute until you get a deep brown, smooth batter. -Pour this onto the chilled ganache and bake for 12-13 minutes only. (since mine was a 3″ high pan I baked it for 13 minutes, else 10 minutes will do.) -Immediately place in refrigerator to chill overnight. -Next morning, remove the outer covering of the springform pan and dust some cocoa powder on top. |
The recipe has been partially adapted from a popular blog, Passionate About Baking by Deeba Rajpal. Be sure to check it out because baking & cooking aside what will also leave you hooked in awe is the still life photography she presents.
Do stop by my other blogs on travel & art,
The Travel Bug Bit Me
Divya’s Art Room
OMG.. this looks soooooo good. Anything chocolate is a big tick from me. I have to try this for Easter. Thanks a lot 🙂
https://advicefromblog.wordpress.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Soph….I’m so glad!!….do keep me posted if you make it 🙂
Divya
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely will! It won’t look this good though lol trust me 🙂
LikeLike
I’m sure it will 🙂
XO
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my, this looks absolutely amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your comment and for stopping by 😊😊
Div
LikeLike
💜💙💛 wow so beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you sooooo much😊😊
LikeLike
I’ve never tried making a cheesecake with condensed milk, but now that I’m reading it, it makes so much sense – would be so rich and delicious!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right it does make it rich & super creamy:)
LikeLiked by 1 person