Strawberry & Bubbly Without the Middleman

Strawberry Sparkling & Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Strawberries and cheesecake? Oh, yes. Strawberries and chocolate? Obviously. Strawberries and bubbly? Classic. But strawberries, chocolate, cheesecake, and bubbly all together in one heavenly experience?! SIGN. ME. UP.

Something this elegant and extravagantly delicious would seemingly be quite a feat, but alas, with Weibel’s Strawberry Sparkling and this recipe for chocolate-swirled cheesecake, it’s as easy as it is delectable. Prepare to majorly impress whoever you serve this to. (And if this is a solo endeavor- we totally support that, too.)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups crushed graham crackers

• 3 tablespoons ground toasted almonds

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1¼ pounds cream cheese (about 2¾ cups)

• 2 extra large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and butter a 9-inch-diameter springform cake pan. Use a food processor to mix the graham crackers with the almonds. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture comes together. Tip the mixture into the pan and press down with a spatula to form an even crust. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 10-15 minutes.

2. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F.

3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is smooth, then remove from the heat.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the rest of the ingredients using a hand-held electric mixer. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and tap the pan gently to level the mixture and remove any large air bubbles. Swirl the melted chocolate into the filling.

5. Bake until the filling is set around the sides but still wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool slowly, preferably overnight. The filling will continue to set as it cools, and taking it out of the oven too soon may cause it to crack.

6. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and slide onto a serving plate. Best served chilled.

*Recipe courtesy of cookstr.com