Chocolate Cheesecake

Cooking Instructions

Have 1 oven rack in middle of oven. Heat to 300°F. Coat an 8-in. springform pan with nonstick spray.

Crust: Break cookies into food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Or crush cookies to fine crumbs in a plastic food bag with a rolling pin. Transfer to prepared pan; stir in butter until completely blended. Press firmly over bottom of pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, beat in yogurt and chocolate until well blended. Pour over Crust.

Bake on middle oven rack 50 to 60 minutes or until edges of cake pull away slightly from sides of pan. (Don’t open oven door during baking.) Turn off oven and keep oven door slightly ajar; let cake cool in oven 1 hour.

Carefully run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack.

Chocolate Glaze: Put ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

Remove pan sides; place cheesecake on a serving plate. Spread glaze on top, creating pattern with back of a spoon. Place in a cake keeper or cover with a pot and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

About 1 hour before serving: Remove cake to room temperature. Decorate center with raspberries and border with sugared rose petals.

NOTE Be sure the rose petals are pesticide-free. Preferably, use petals from a rose you grew yourself or the inner petals of a purchased rose. You can also use petals from an artificial flower and, of course, no sugaring is needed.WD

TIP To sugar the rose petals, brush 1 petal at a time with egg white, beaten until foamy, then sprinkle with sugar to coat. Store, no longer than overnight, at room temperature.

Planning Tip: The cheesecake can be made through Step 7 up to 3 days ahead. Pro­ceed with Step 8 up to 1 hour before serving.