I am also a chocolate lover! The darker the better! I love Lindt 70% cocoa! That is my chocolate! Truly decadent, a temptation I could not resist.
I have searched for heaven in combining two of the best, creamy cheesecake and intense chocolate. For a few years, I have tried it in the city’s dining scene as well as baked the recipes in the cook books around. None of which quite made it. So I made a conclusion. Cheesecake is a star on its own! It is great with flavors like maple or coffee. Berries work well too. Chocolate seems to be too strong for it. Like harshly grabbing all the attention. It is either too rich that one bite satiates the palate or not enough that will make you feel like it is added merely for color. Chocolate in its pureness is best left on its own. It can be accentuated with spices like cinnamon or made more interesting with nuts, pralines and liquors. That was my conviction. Never make cheesecake with chocolate.
This was it until one Sunday afternoon during my visit to my Uncle Chris’ place in San Diego. He knew my love for desserts. So for Lunch, he along with his wife Melissa brought my sister and me to the Cheesecake Factory. They have a very lively interior with a friendly crew of wait staff. After a Philly cheese steak sandwich, we ordered a Ghirardelli Dark chocolate cheesecake. The best on the menu he says. I did give it a try. With a bite, the marriage of the two flavors worked wonderfully in this dessert. The chocolate truffle layer has a really dark and rich intense flavor, one that I crave for in dark chocolate desserts. The cheesecake with the chocolate has its signature creaminess and lightness that is heaven to the palate yet giving way to the intensity of the darker flavor, all of this crusted in a rich fudge brownie-like chocolate base. Truly delicious! This broke that conviction! Never Say Never!
