Triple Layer Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze
rec.food.cooking/Carole A. Resnick / Cosette (1991)

Here is the triple chocolate cheesecake (although it's really quadruple :-D), as retyped in by a friend. It has my friend's comments added to
the bottom, as well as mine. - Annie

cheesecake:
3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, divided
4 ounces Swiss milk chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces Swiss white chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces Swiss dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 pounds Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 f. butter the sides and bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.

Gently crush 1/4 cup almonds and press into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate the prepared pan while preparing the cheesecake batter.

Melt the milk, white and dark chocolates separately.

Beat the Neufchatel cheese at the high speed of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy (3 to 5 minutes). Beat in the sugar. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in the cream until well blended.

Measure and remove a scant 2 1/3 cups of the cheesecake batter into a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the milk chocolate until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Divide the remaining batter in half and using a rubber spatula, fold in the white chocolate into one half and gently scrape the mixture on top of the milk chocolate. Fold the dark chocolate into the remaining batter and scrape the mixture on top of the white chocolate mixture. Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan in the middle rack of the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that the water comes halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until set. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door closed for an additional hour. remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the roasting pan. Place on rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.

For the glaze:
Place the semisweet chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let set for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Scrape the glaze onto the center of the cheesecake. spread the topping over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 10 minutes to set the topping.

Remove from refrigerator and run a thin-blade knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from side of the pan. Remove the sides of the pan, and press the remaining almonds evenly on the side of the cake. If desired, garnish with chocolate curls.

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Friend's comments:

Hum. Things I would do different from the basic recipe:

1. Use sliced whole almonds as opposed to icky flavorless blanched ones, and use them not only for bottom "crust", but for single-thickness side "crust", placing them in buttered springform before pouring batter.

2. Remove sides of springform pan *before* glazing, so as to allow to glaze to drip down sides of cake. :)

3. *definitely* garnish with white chocolate curls :)

Yeah, I know they're silly aesthetic things, but I'm a horrid perfectionist with desserts :) they have to look *beautiful*, at least in my mind's eye :)

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My comments:

This is VERY rich! And YUMMY!!!

Be sure and do as the recipe says: finely chop the chocolates. And then I melted them in the microwave. A couple of minutes at defrost (medium low) and then stir, even though the chocolate will appear not to have melted at all, it really has. One more minute after stirring is about all you should need. - Annie