Black Forest Cherry Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 14
• 2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
• 1 large egg
• cooking spray
• 1 cup nonfat sour cream
• 1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat)
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 36 dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Recipe

• 1 to prepare the cherry topping, place 2 cups cherries in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.
• 2 combine the pureed cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. pour cherry topping into a bowl; cover and chill.
• 3 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 4 to prepare the crust, combine the crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg in a bowl; toss with a fork until well-blended.
• 5 press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. bake at 350°f for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. reduce oven temperature to 300°f.
• 6 to prepare the filling, combine sour cream, milk, and cheeses in a large bowl. beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. add 1 1/4 cups sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and eggs; beat well. stir in mini chips.
• 7 pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. bake at 300°f for 50 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm, but will set up as it chills).
• 8 turn oven off; cool cheesecake in closed oven 40 minutes. remove from oven; cool on a wire rack.
• 9 spread cherry topping over cheesecake. top with cherry halves. cover and chill 8 hours.